He fights to maintain reality but "where is it" or "which is it?" 32 of 43 people found this review helpful. Read 82 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. The police think it was an accident. The central character, Romulus Ledbetter, is one of my favorite characters of all time. The Caveman's Valentine A crime story with a twist: The homeless, paranoid schizophrenic squatting in a cave in NYC's Inwood Park isn't the victim or the killer — he's the detective. Romulus Ledbetter wasn't always homeless. Rated R for language, some violence and sexuality, ‘Lovecraft Country’ Star Aunjanue Ellis on Undoing the “Erasure and Absence of “Black Female Genius” in Film and TV, Skydance TV to Develop P. Djéli Clark Novella ‘Ring Shout’ With ‘Old Guard’ Star KiKi Layne in Lead Role, Psychological Thrillers That Will Haunt You Yet Leave You Wanting More, Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #2.21. When Ledbetter finds a murdered man outside the cave he calls home one morning, he is compelled to find the real killer. A cave-dwelling man sets out to track down the killer of a homeless boy, and bring him to justice. After finding a frozen corpse near his cave in a New York City park, homeless recluse Romulus Ledbetter (Samuel L. Jackson) -- a former piano prodigy beset by delusions of harmful rays bombarding him from the Chrysler Building -- suspects foul play and investigates. But that is the beauty of this film. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Colm Feore, Ann Magnuson, Damir Andrei, Aunjanue Ellis, Tamara Tunie, Peter McNeill, Jay Rodan, Rodney Eastman, Anthony Michael Hall, Kate McNeil. [2] The film was released by Universal Focus, a subsidiary of Universal Studios and Focus Features. Romulus (Samuel L. Jackson) is a homeless man who dwells in a cave in one of New York City's parks, but was once a promising composer. His well received first book, an Edgar Award winner for best first novel. Romulus (Samuel L. Jackson) is a homeless man who dwells in a cave in one of New York City's parks, but was once a promising composer. The Caveman's Valentine Synopsis A homeless man (Samuel L. Jackson) who is mentally ill finds the frozen corpse of a young man. A fine and tight copy in a fine dust jacket. He struggles to convince everyone, including his police officer … 4. The police, including Romulus's daughter Lulu (Aunjanue Ellis), dismiss the man's death as an accident. The Caveman's Valentine. $26.95: $4.80: Paperback "Please retry" Bryant Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. Directed by Kasi Lemmons. The Caveman's Valentine is a 2001 American mystery-drama film directed by Kasi Lemmons and starring Samuel L. Jackson based on George Dawes Green's 1994 novel of the same name. "[3] On Metacritic, which uses an average of critics' reviews, the film has 44 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Here are the trailers from Super Bowl LV, including "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," F9, and more. Once he was a brilliant pianist, a student at Juilliard. Drive, and their mutual road rage escalates into a feud. The detective in "The Caveman's Valentine" is a raving lunatic on his bad days, and a homeless man on a harmless errand on his good ones. Husband, father and womanizer Louis Batiste is the head of an affluent family, but it's the women who rule this gothic world of secrets, lies and mystic forces. Agent investigates the disappearance of a legendary Army Ranger Drill Sergeant and several of his cadets during a training exercise gone severely awry. The Caveman's Valentine finds composer Terence Blanchard teaming up again with director Kasi Lemmons and actor Samuel L. Jackson, with whom he worked previously on Eve's Bayou. Four inner-city teenagers get caught up in the pursuit of power and happiness, which they refer to as "the juice". Written by The website's critical consensus reads, "The Caveman's Valentine has an intriguing premise, but the film falls flat under the weight of its ambition. He is severely mentally ill. After twenty years in prison, Foley is finished with the grifter's life. Humanity is enslaved by these gold-thirsty tyrants, who are unaware that their 'man-animals' are about to ignite the rebellion of a lifetime. A couple agree to have their deceased son cloned, under the supervision of an enigmatic doctor, but bizarre things start to happen several years after his rebirth. What unfolds thereafter is a twisted tale of mystery, deception, and a man's struggle against his own mind. I've read all the submitted reviews. The film is gorgeously shot, and lights and abstract images are effectively used to show Romulus's beautiful but … It's the year 3000 A.D., and the Earth is lost to the alien race of Psychlos. Images of giant moths and fears of an imaginary villain haunt him. The girl's guardian, aided by an F.B.I. Valentine in the Trees [The Caveman's Valentine - Music from the Motion Picture] By Terence Blanchard. Feel and understand the plight of such a victim? A D.E.A. Now maybe see it again. But he still loves his wife Sheila (Tamara Tunie), who appears in hallucinations to give him advice, and his daughter Lulu (Aunjanue Ellis). With Samuel L. Jackson, Colm Feore, Ann Magnuson, Damir Andrei. Author: GREEN, George Dawes Title: The Caveman's Valentine Publication: New York: Warner Books, 1994. He's also a gifted composer and the father of a city cop. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Green, George Dawes THE CAVEMAN'S VALENTINE 1st Edition 1st Printing Hardcover New York Warner Books Inc 1994 His first book, winner of an Edgar Award for Best First Mystery. Ross Anthony's Hollywood Report Card. The Caveman's Valentine book. Romulus Ledbetter wasn't always homeless. The Caveman's Valentine. The Caveman's Valentine Samuel L. Jackson Colm Feore Ann Magnuson (2001) Disturbing images haunt a mentally ill homeless man as he attempts to pin a youth's murder on a celebrated photographer. The police determine it's the accidental death of someone behaving bizarrely, but Romulus believes a friend of the dead youth who says that noted avant-garde photographer, David Leppenraub, murdered him. See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions. His superior mentality is used as a pianist as well as a caring person for others. Can Romulus hold it together long enough to get to the bottom of the death and also to make a breakthrough with his daughter? The Caveman's Valentine Paperback – February 1, 1995 by George Dawes Green (Author) 3.9 out of 5 stars 37 ratings. Romulus is mentally ill, a troglodyte in a New York City park. Financial analysis of The Caveman's Valentine (2001) including budget, domestic and international box office gross, DVD and Blu-ray sales reports, total earnings and profitability. The 'Moth Ballet' that composer Terence Blanchard composed for this film is a gorgeous piece of music. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Romulus is mentally ill, a troglodyte in a New York City park. He believes that a man named Cornelius Gould Stuyvesant is controlling the world with rays from the top of the Chrysler Building, and that his mind is inhabited by moth-like seraphs. The Caveman's Valentine. Written by George Dawes Green (based on his novel of same name). While interesting enough to hold the viewer's attention, the mystery of The Caveman's Valentine is a distant third to Jackson's performance and the film's sumptuous visuals. When a boy is discovered dead on Valentine's Day, everyone assumes he froze to death, but Romulus believes he was murdered by noted photographer David Leppenraub (Colm Feore). I think it is the best acting from the standpoint of being INSIDE of a paranoid schiz I'm aware of because you can see and feel the confusion. The Caveman's Valentine Rated R • 105 minutes A schizophrenic cave dweller (Samuel L. Jackson) discovers the corpse of a homeless boy in the New York City park he calls home. Description: First edition. The Caveman's Valentine Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. This time, the score presents a special challenge in that the main character of the film, Romulus Ledbetter, played by Jackson, is supposed to be a classically trained pianist who is also slightly crazy. Price New from Used from Kindle Edition "Please retry" $9.99 — — Hardcover, Large Print "Please retry" $26.95 . Romulus (Samuel L. Jackson) is a homeless man who dwells in a cave in one of New York City's parks, but was once a promising composer. On Valentine's Day, Romulus finds the dead body of a young man. The accidental shooting of a boy in New York leads to an investigation by the Deputy Mayor, and unexpectedly far-reaching consequences. [citation needed], https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Caveman%27s_Valentine&oldid=999558285, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2013, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Close date: June 14, 2001 (15 weeks in release), This page was last edited on 10 January 2021, at 20:13. [4], In 2002, Tamara Tunie was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female. Title: However, a homeless ex-lover of Scotty tells Romulus that he was murdered by the famous photographer David Leppenraub (Colm Feore). On Valentine's Day, a young man freezes in a tree near his cave. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? When he meets an elusive young woman named Iris, the possibility of a new start looks real. A former family man and pianist studying at Juilliard music school, Romulus Ledbetter (Samuel L. Jackson), now suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and lives in a cave in Inwood Park, New York. The basis for a movie of the same name with Samuel L. Jackson. Excerpt: 'The Caveman's Valentine' August 20, 2009 • Romulus Ledbetter, the homeless caveman of the title, is a Julliard-trained classical pianist who's on a mission to find a murderer. When the death is dismissed as an accident, he sets out to solve the mystery and catch the killer—battling his own demons in … If you are confused by the jumping around so too is the poor psycotic. Samuel L. Jackson plays the caveman, a schizophrenic homeless man named Romulus Ledbetter who dwells in a Central Park grotto. The Caveman's Valentine is a 2001 American mystery-drama film directed by Kasi Lemmons and starring Samuel L. Jackson based on George Dawes Green's 1994 novel of the same name. Add the first question. Near Fine in a Very Good dust jacket. Directed by Kasi Lemmons. View production, box office, & company info. $1.99; $1.99; Publisher Description. In The Caveman's Valentine, based on the hit book, Samuel L. Jackson is Romulus Ledbetter, a Julliard drop-out who lives in a cave in a park in New York City.When a body is discovered frozen in a tree outside of his cave, Rom decides to investigate the death and prove to his cop daughter that it was indeed murder. Romulus, urged on by hallucinations of his wife as a young woman, resolves to catch the killer and manages to be invited to Leppenraub's farm to play a new composition. Can Romulus hold it together long enough to get to the bottom of the death and also to make a breakthrough with his daughter? The Caveman's Valentine (2001) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Her second film, The Caveman's Valentine, will likely alienate some of Lemmon's audience. Take a look back at the TV series that took home Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series in the categories of Drama and Comedy. Use the HTML below. He's also a gifted composer and the father of a city cop. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 45% based on 84 reviews, with an average score of 5.17/10. The powerful Southern Gothic brought widespread recognition to the young African-American director. I am an MD and as such see this picture from a different standpoint than that of a movie-goer. Produced by Danny Devito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, Elie … The Cavemans Valentine. On Valentine's Day, a young man freezes in a tree near his cave. Now he lives in a cave in a park. agent, learn that Cody has supernatural abilities, and the abductees are a Satanic cult willing to do anything to gain them. The movie’s romantic worldview also contains some humanist, demonic and more than a few brief politically correct elements. Of course there is no clearing up at the end as there seldom is. The Caveman's Valentine has great characters and a great story. 27110 This is a private listing and your identity will … Kasi Lemmons' Caveman's Valentine comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. THE CAVEMAN’S VALENTINE is an excellently crafted whodunnit that, nevertheless, contains some very sleazy elements, including sexual immorality of various stripes along with some rough R-rated language. Cody, a little girl abandoned by her mother and raised by her aunt, a nurse, is kidnapped. Hardcover. I shall not review the story. His dreadlocks reach down to his waist and his eyes peer out at a fearsome world. The biological and adoptive mothers of a young boy are involved in a bitter, controversial custody battle. The film was released by Universal Focus, a subsidiary of Universal Studios and Focus Features. Romulus, urged on by hallucinations of his wife as a young woman, resolves to catch the killer and manages to be invited to Leppenraub's farm to play a new composition. Romulus (Rom) Ledbetter lives in a cave in Manhattan's Inwood Park, wears a sauce pan on his head, and believes a corporate businessman named Cornelius Gould Stuyvesant is trying to kill him by sending out Y-rays through the air after him. Was this review helpful to you? The Gothic set design of Caveman’s Valentine recalls the work of Gaudi, whose organic forms were a brave rebellion against the prevailing spikiness of the era. He's a bum, a vagrant, an intellect, a psychotic, a father, a hero, and just about the most interesting person you'd ever meet. Determined to discover the truth behind Scotty’s death and prove his worth to his daughter, Romulus manages to get an invitation through a former friend to perform one of his compositions at Leppenraub’s farm. A writer's fictional alter ego wants to take over his life...at any price. On Valentine's Day, a young man (Scotty) freezes in a tree near his cave. The Caveman's Valentine: 2001: 105: R: Ending: Romulus is mentally ill former composer living in a park in New York City; his daughter is a NYPD cop. The police determine it's the accidental death of someone behaving bizarrely, but Romulus believes a friend of the dead youth who says that noted avant-garde photographer, David Leppenraub, murdered him. This FAQ is empty. But his past is proving to be a stubborn companion. On Valentine’s Day, he discovers the frozen body of a young man, Scotty Gates (Sean MacMahon), left in a tree outside his cave. English soundtracks are rendered in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1. When a boy is discovered dead on Valentine's Day, everyone assumes he froze to death, but Romulus believes he was murdered by noted photographer David Leppenraub (Colm Feore). The story of what happens one day in New York City, when a young lawyer and a businessman share a small automobile accident on F.D.R. George Dawes Green. . He once was a devoted husband, father, and musician with a bright future. A college professor wakes up to find his wife has not returned home, then struggles to understand her disappearance. What did little Eve see--and how will it haunt her? (2001).