Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies (1973)

I saw this in the movie theater when first released. I only went to see it because Pamela Franklin is in it. She is beautiful as always, but the movie is very dull. I still wish they would release it on DVD as I am collecting all of Pamela Franklin's films. It is a shame she gave up acting at such a young age. Perhaps if Spielberg had directed it it would have been far better. As it is this is just a fair film, not very engaging at all. Pamela Franklin fans should watch it just for her. She is absolutely gorgeous in it. Cliff Robertson is OK, but even he is unable to make this film very interesting. Ariane Munker has a very small role. She was in the stage production of Kurt Vonnegut's Happy Birthday Wanda June and TV's Between Time and Timbuktu.

I'd like to begin by expressing my disbelief that this doesn't show up on "worst" lists, if not for all time, then at least for the era.This isn't just a ho-hum movie; it's actively and aggressively offensive. This is a film whose main character calls his young son a "dumb, ugly, son of a bitch." A film which not only features a cockfight, but depicts it with such detail and at such length that we're expected to become as excited about its outcome as our "hero." A film in which an 11-year-old is privy to the sexual adventures of his father.Yes, it's a family picture.Steven Spielberg gets a story credit on this shamefest. His detractors would blame much of the movie's problems on him; his worshippers would argue that there's a difference between a story treatment and the way a movie plays out when it reaches the screen. Neither side truly wins in this case, but I'm in the latter camp, because I feel that much of the film's failing comes from the atrocious script that was drawn from Spielberg's story, and the misguided direction.Ironically, this movie came out the same year as "Paper Moon," which covers some of the same dramatic territory. Like "Ace Eli," it features a smart-mouthed youngster attached to a single, itinerant, philandering con artist. But where that film was a classy, Oscar-winning charmer, "Ace Eli" just makes one sick to the stomach.

This movie looooks glossy and has nice title, oh yeah. Hey! It was even written by Steven Spielberg no less. But unfortunately it just doesn't deliver as either a family movie, nostalgic social commentary of 1930's or anything else for that matter. When I first saw it on cable as a teenager several years ago it kind of disturbed me. The themes that run through are kind of dark. Granted it does take place in the Great Depression, but there are better movies set in the Depression era (like Seabiscuit). This movie follows the aimless wanderings of a depression era pilot Ace Eli and his bratty kid Rodger. Along the way Eli instructs Rodger about flying, women, and life in general. I especially got a kick out of the cheesy dialogue about "what makes a real whore"...hehehe...as the comparisons between Shelby and Annette become strikingly clear as the movie progresses...Overall a time waster unless you like weird pointless movies set in the Great Depression 4 out 10

Generally, I like the kind of movie about which I could say, "This movie could never be made today." That is a statement true of Ace Eli, but unfortunately, this movie should never have been made in its time either.It is thoroughly unpleasant, aimless and populated with hateful characters. The odd thing is that it seems designed as some sort of nostalgic family entertainment.Begin with Cliff Robertson and the kid who Bobby Brady paid a half dollar to go out with Cindy. They are dad and son. The mom is killed in a plane crash with Cliff as pilot (this happens right away, so I'm not spoiling anything), and Cliff decides he's going to go fly away in his biplane and barnstorm the country. The kid is a jerk to a little girl who likes him, Cliff is a jerk to the kid and the girl's mom who he is immediately sleeping with (fun for the whole family). They burn down their house and take off. The kid smokes, Cliff sleeps with some more gals, lots of nice footage of the plane flying around, no real narrative.The positives: Pamela Franklin is unspeakably hot as a uppity woman who is attracted to good ol' Cliff. Bernadette Peters fans can see her. Nice shots of an old biplane flying around for those who are interested in barnstorming and such.The odd thing is that Spielberg wrote this, and it is about a time in American history about which one could write a sentimental father-son barnstorming team movie. This movie has very little sentiment (Spielberg maybe tried to make up for this with "Always"?) and NO charm despite it's unique setting.