Blame it on Rio
Encyclopedia
Blame it on Rio is a 1984 romantic comedy
film, written by Charlie Peters and Larry Gelbart
and directed by Stanley Donen
. The script is based on the 1977 French film, Un moment d'égarement. The original music score was composed by Kenneth Wannberg. Cast members included Michael Caine
, Joseph Bologna
, Valerie Harper
, Michelle Johnson
, José Lewgoy
and Demi Moore
.
This was the last film directed by Donen, whose previous work included such notable pictures as Singin' in the Rain
, On the Town
, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
and Charade.
) and Matthew (Michael Caine
) are best friends who work for a major corporation in São Paulo
, Brazil
. Both are having problems in their marriages—Victor's wife wants to divorce him, while Matthew has no idea what is wrong and is baffled and irritated by the decision of his wife Karen (Valerie Harper
) to take her vacation separately from her husband and daughter.
The men decide to holiday in Rio de Janeiro
. With them are their teenage offspring: Matthew's daughter Nikki (Demi Moore
) and Victor's daughter Jennifer (Michelle Johnson
). They rent a beautiful vacation home with a somewhat taciturn and disapproving housekeeper.
At the beach, Jennifer is told by her father to cover her bare breasts but refuses, instead dragging her father and Nikki into the water to play. Matthew does not join them and seems uncomfortable with the partial nudity displayed by Jennifer and other women on the beach.
Matthew gets drunk with the amorous Jennifer during a Brazilian wedding, where she discloses to him that she has had a "crush" on him since she was a child. They embark on a secret sexual relationship. Victor becomes furious when he finds out that there is an "older man" in his daughter's life, and he sets out to hunt down the mystery man. He expects Matthew to help.
Matthew is reluctant to lead Victor on a wild goose chase but goes through with it. He tries to talk to Jennifer but she is determined to never give him up. Eventually, Matthew discloses the truth to his friend, but only after Victor has caused a barroom brawl targeting an innocent man. Oddly, though, Victor is not quite as angry as Matthew expects. It is soon discovered that Victor has been having an affair with Matthew's wife.
As the truth comes out, Jennifer tries to commit suicide
with an overdose of birth control pills. She survives.
The incident brings all closer together. Karen and Matthew decide to work on their marital problems, Jennifer begins dating a boy her own age, and Victor remarries his estranged wife.
Matthew's final line of summation is: "You only live once, but it does help if you get to be young twice."
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
film, written by Charlie Peters and Larry Gelbart
Larry Gelbart
Larry Simon Gelbart was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter and author.-Early life:...
and directed by Stanley Donen
Stanley Donen
Stanley Donen ; is an American film director and choreographer whose most celebrated works are Singin' in the Rain and On the Town, both of which he co-directed with Gene Kelly. His other noteworthy films include Royal Wedding, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Funny Face, Indiscreet, Damn...
. The script is based on the 1977 French film, Un moment d'égarement. The original music score was composed by Kenneth Wannberg. Cast members included Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
, Joseph Bologna
Joseph Bologna
Joseph Bologna is an American actor.-Life and career:Bologna was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Brown University, where he majored in art history. After a hitch with the marines, Bologna was hired to produce and direct Manhattan-based TV commercials.The actor has a long history in film...
, Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper is an American actress, known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on the 1970s television show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and for her starring roles on the sitcoms Rhoda and Valerie.-Early life and career:Harper was born at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, Rockland County,...
, Michelle Johnson
Michelle Johnson (actress)
Michelle Johnson is an American actress, probably best known for her role in Blame It on Rio.-Career:Director Stanley Donen signed her, as a 17-year-old, to appear as Michael Caine's love interest in the romantic comedy film Blame It on Rio...
, José Lewgoy
José Lewgoy
José Lewgoy was an American-Brazilian television, film and theatre actor.He was born in Veranópolis, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, to a Russian father and an American mother, who met in New York. He died in Rio de Janeiro. He was considered one of the best actors in Brazil, and was usually typecast...
and Demi Moore
Demi Moore
Demi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
.
This was the last film directed by Donen, whose previous work included such notable pictures as Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 American comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly also providing the choreography...
, On the Town
On the Town (film)
On the Town is a 1949 musical film with music by Leonard Bernstein and Roger Edens and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. It is an adaptation of the Broadway stage musical of the same name produced in 1944, although many changes in script and score were made from the original stage...
, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a 1954 musical film directed by Stanley Donen, with music by Saul Chaplin and Gene de Paul, and lyrics by Johnny Mercer....
and Charade.
Plot
Victor (Joseph BolognaJoseph Bologna
Joseph Bologna is an American actor.-Life and career:Bologna was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Brown University, where he majored in art history. After a hitch with the marines, Bologna was hired to produce and direct Manhattan-based TV commercials.The actor has a long history in film...
) and Matthew (Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
) are best friends who work for a major corporation in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Both are having problems in their marriages—Victor's wife wants to divorce him, while Matthew has no idea what is wrong and is baffled and irritated by the decision of his wife Karen (Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper is an American actress, known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on the 1970s television show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and for her starring roles on the sitcoms Rhoda and Valerie.-Early life and career:Harper was born at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, Rockland County,...
) to take her vacation separately from her husband and daughter.
The men decide to holiday in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. With them are their teenage offspring: Matthew's daughter Nikki (Demi Moore
Demi Moore
Demi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
) and Victor's daughter Jennifer (Michelle Johnson
Michelle Johnson (actress)
Michelle Johnson is an American actress, probably best known for her role in Blame It on Rio.-Career:Director Stanley Donen signed her, as a 17-year-old, to appear as Michael Caine's love interest in the romantic comedy film Blame It on Rio...
). They rent a beautiful vacation home with a somewhat taciturn and disapproving housekeeper.
At the beach, Jennifer is told by her father to cover her bare breasts but refuses, instead dragging her father and Nikki into the water to play. Matthew does not join them and seems uncomfortable with the partial nudity displayed by Jennifer and other women on the beach.
Matthew gets drunk with the amorous Jennifer during a Brazilian wedding, where she discloses to him that she has had a "crush" on him since she was a child. They embark on a secret sexual relationship. Victor becomes furious when he finds out that there is an "older man" in his daughter's life, and he sets out to hunt down the mystery man. He expects Matthew to help.
Matthew is reluctant to lead Victor on a wild goose chase but goes through with it. He tries to talk to Jennifer but she is determined to never give him up. Eventually, Matthew discloses the truth to his friend, but only after Victor has caused a barroom brawl targeting an innocent man. Oddly, though, Victor is not quite as angry as Matthew expects. It is soon discovered that Victor has been having an affair with Matthew's wife.
As the truth comes out, Jennifer tries to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
with an overdose of birth control pills. She survives.
The incident brings all closer together. Karen and Matthew decide to work on their marital problems, Jennifer begins dating a boy her own age, and Victor remarries his estranged wife.
Matthew's final line of summation is: "You only live once, but it does help if you get to be young twice."
Cast
- Michael CaineMichael CaineSir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
as Matthew Hollins - Joseph BolognaJoseph BolognaJoseph Bologna is an American actor.-Life and career:Bologna was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Brown University, where he majored in art history. After a hitch with the marines, Bologna was hired to produce and direct Manhattan-based TV commercials.The actor has a long history in film...
as Victor Lyons - Valerie HarperValerie HarperValerie Harper is an American actress, known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on the 1970s television show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and for her starring roles on the sitcoms Rhoda and Valerie.-Early life and career:Harper was born at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, Rockland County,...
as Karen Hollis - Michelle JohnsonMichelle Johnson (actress)Michelle Johnson is an American actress, probably best known for her role in Blame It on Rio.-Career:Director Stanley Donen signed her, as a 17-year-old, to appear as Michael Caine's love interest in the romantic comedy film Blame It on Rio...
as Jennifer Lyons - Demi MooreDemi MooreDemi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
as Nicole 'Nikki' Hollis - José LewgoyJosé LewgoyJosé Lewgoy was an American-Brazilian television, film and theatre actor.He was born in Veranópolis, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, to a Russian father and an American mother, who met in New York. He died in Rio de Janeiro. He was considered one of the best actors in Brazil, and was usually typecast...
as Eduardo Marques