The Flamingo Kid starts out as a fish out of water story and ends up a coming of age movie. Matt Dillon plays Jeffrey Willis a poor young man from Brooklyn, who gets a summer job at an exclusive Long Island beach club called The Flamingo. There he falls under the influence of one of the members, a fast talking sports car salesman played by Richard Crenna. Jeffrey's dad, Hector Elizondo does not approve of the job, or the influence being around the club members is having on his sun. In the end its up to Jeffrey to decide which man has the better life lessons to teach him.
The movie works because of the strong performances by it's three male leads, particularly Dillon and Elizondo. They really feel like father and son. The movie rests on the relationships and emotional triangle formed by these three men. Rest of the movie is as pleasant and forgettable as a summer day at the beach. There are stock characters who supply some comedy, but nothing too over the top.
I enjoy the film because I get a nostalgic feeling for the Breezy Point Beach Club in Brooklyn, when I watch it. I remember driving over the Marine Parkway Bridge, just like the characters in the film.
At the Movie House rating **1/2 stars
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