''I'm Not Rappaport'' is a 1996 American buddy

comedy drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

film written and directed by

Herb Gardner Herbert George Gardner (December 28, 1934 – September 24, 2003) was an American commercial artist, cartoonist, playwright and screenwriter. Early life Born in Brooklyn, New York, Gardner was the son of a bar owner. His late brother, Robe ...

, and starring

Walter Matthau Walter John Matthau ( Matthow; ; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, known for his "hangdog face" and for playing world-weary characters. He starred in 10 films alongside his real-life friend Jack Lemmon, including '' The Od ...

and

Ossie Davis Ossie Davis (born Raiford Chatman Davis; December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an American actor, Film director, director, writer, and activist. He was married to Ruby Dee, with whom he frequently performed, until his death. He received num ...

. Based on Gardner's play, the film focuses on two elderly New York City men—Nat Moyer, a cantankerous

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social ...

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

, and Midge Carter, an

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

man—who spend their days sitting on a bench in

Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...

, trying to mask the realities of aging, mainly through the tall tales that Nat spins.

Plot

In the park every morning, elderly, half-blind Midge Carter tries to read his newspaper but is distracted daily by Nat Moyer, an opinionated elderly old man who reminisces about his old labor union, his

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

activities, and the love of his life. Midge is the superintendent of a residential building and has been trying to steer clear of tenant Pete Danforth, whose committee is pushing for Midge's retirement. Nat insists that Midge stand up for his rights, going as far as to present himself as Midge's attorney. Nat's married daughter Clara is concerned about his welfare, particularly because of how vulnerable a senior citizen can be in Central Park. She has good reason to worry because Nat encounters the Cowboy, a drug dealer who is owed money by a young woman named Laurie, and by J.C., a mugger who turns violent when Nat unwisely decides to fight back.

Cast

as Nat Moyer *

as Midge Carter *

Amy Irving Amy Irving (born September 10, 1953) is an American actress and singer, who has worked in film, stage, and television. Her accolades include an Obie Award, and nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award. Born in Palo Alto, Cali ...

as Clara Gelber * Craig T. Nelson as the Cowboy *

Martha Plimpton Martha Plimpton (born November 16, 1970) is an American actress and member of the Carradine family. She started her career as a teen actress in film before transitioning to adult roles on stage and screen. She has received several awards includ ...

as Laurie Campbell *

Boyd Gaines Boyd Payne Gaines (born May 11, 1953) is an American actor. During his career, he has won four Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards. Gaines is best known for playing Mark Royer on ''One Day at a Time (1975 TV series), One Day at a Time'' (1981 ...

as Pete Danforth *

Peter Friedman Peter Friedman (born April 24, 1949) is an American stage, film, and television actor. He made his Broadway debut in the Eugene O'Neill play '' The Great God Brown'' in 1972. His other Broadway credits include roles in ''The Rules of the Game'' ( ...

as Young Nat's Father *

Ron Rifkin Ron Rifkin (born Saul M. Rifkin; October 31, 1939) is an American actor best known for his roles as Arvin Sloane on the spy drama '' Alias'', Saul Holden on the drama '' Brothers & Sisters'', and District Attorney Ellis Loew in '' L.A. Confide ...

as Feigenbaum * Guillermo Diaz as J.C.

Production

The film touches on several issues, including society's treatment of the aged, the difficulties of dealing with adult children who think that they know what is best for their parents, and the dangers that lurk in urban areas. Its title is derived from an old

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

joke, a variation of which evolved into dialogue between the two protagonists.

Reception

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...

of the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...

'' gave the film 2½ stars out of 4, and felt that the film diverged too far from the play, writing, "If they'd stayed on the bench and just talked--talked for two solid hours--it might have been more successful. Instead, writer-director Herb Gardner loses faith in his original impulse and adds plot--way too much plot--to force the movie into more conventional channels." ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'' critic Andy Seiler wrote, "Director Herb Gardner is a little too fond of writer Herb Gardner's script, which just keeps going and going and going -- until even two old pros such as Walter and Ossie have worn out their welcome."

References

External links

* * {{Rotten Tomatoes , im_not_rappaport, I'm Not Rappaport 1990s American films 1990s buddy comedy-drama films 1990s English-language films 1996 films 1996 comedy-drama films American buddy comedy-drama films American films based on plays English-language buddy comedy-drama films Films about disability in the United States Films about old age Films scored by Gerry Mulligan Films set in New York City Films shot in New York City Gramercy Pictures films Universal Pictures films