The Pick-Up Artist

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The Pick-Up Artist

PG-13

Released Sep 11, 1987

1h 21m

Romance

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

58%

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24 Reviews

37%

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5,000+ Ratings

Serial pick-up artist and commitment-phobe Jack Jericho (Robert Downey Jr.) takes lessons in the art of seduction from aging player Phil Harper (Danny Aiello). Jack finds a formidable opponent in Randy Jensen (Molly Ringwald), a fiery tour guide who has a retort for his every line. Though she initially spurns his advances, Jack finds a way in when Randy's alcoholic, compulsive gambler father, Flash (Dennis Hopper), ends up in serious debt and deep trouble with gangsters in Atlantic City.

Henry Sheehan

Chicago Reader

he Pick-Up Artist is not going to change anyone's life or deflect the course of film history, but it's an invigorating and enjoyable entertainment...

Rated: 3/4

May 10, 2022

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Variety Staff

Variety

James Toback's long-gestating portrait of a one-track mind becomes bogged down in unconvincing plot mechanics.

Feb 27, 2008

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Janet Maslin

New York Times

The film roams from the Upper West Side to Coney Island to Atlantic City, maintaining a lighthearted style that doesn't quite match the hints of obsessiveness in Mr. Toback's screenplay.

Rated: 2.5/5

May 20, 2003

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Instead of utilising these elements to create an engaging drama, Toback squanders them to make a actively unlikeable one.

Rated: 3/10

Mar 6, 2024

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Michael Sragow

NPR's Fresh Air

The Pick-Up Artist has wit, sweetness, and exuberance.

Feb 3, 2021

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Cathy Burke

United Press International

Molly Ringwald and Robert Downey Jr. head the unusually talented cast of characters assembled for this small but taut film.

Oct 9, 2016

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Stephen C

Funny in 1 hour and 21 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $11,600,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/30/25

Full Review

Bahad j

The movie was a very exciting adventure from start to finish

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/19/24

Full Review

Uynga U

very good rdj film with good acting

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/19/24

Full Review

Munkhjargal A

this movie turned out to be a very interesting movie. There were some adventurous and educational things in the movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/19/24

Full Review

Slay Q

Enjoyable and eccentric, exactly what you would expect from a movie such as this. Great performances by RDJ and Molly Ringwald. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Randy as a character, I went into this movie thinking that she was going to be some cliche good girl workaholic, but she ended up being just as hedonistic and wild as Jack. However there are some weird stalker-ish themes in the movie, and you never really get a good reason as to why. For some reason, Jack just decides out of the blue that Randy is the one for him, and we never really find out why he feels this way.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/14/23

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david f

A solid Eighties romantic comedy. Robert Downey Jr and Molly Ringwald both playing promiscuous urbanites.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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James Toback

Director

Molly Ringwald

Randy Jensen

Robert Downey Jr.

Jack Jericho

Dennis Hopper

Flash Jensen

Danny Aiello

Phil Harper

Mildred Dunnock

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The Pick-Up Artist: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Serial pick-up artist and commitment-phobe Jack Jericho (Robert Downey Jr.) takes lessons in the art of seduction from aging player Phil Harper (Danny Aiello). Jack finds a formidable opponent in Randy Jensen (Molly Ringwald), a fiery tour guide who has a retort for his every line. Though she initially spurns his advances, Jack finds a way in when Randy's alcoholic, compulsive gambler father, Flash (Dennis Hopper), ends up in serious debt and deep trouble with gangsters in Atlantic City.

Director: James Toback
Producer: David L. MacLeod
Screenwriter: James Toback
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: 20th Century Fox, American Entertainment
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 11, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 27, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $11.6M
Runtime: 1h 21m
Sound Mix: Surround