The Prince of Central Park

When my brother and I were kids and got to go to the video store (always a sacred journey) we usually picked comedy & action films. If it starred a cast member from Saturday Night Live's first five years you can bet we brought it home (Belushi & Aykroyd, Chevy Chase & so on). The Star Wars trilogy was rented hundreds of times, as was the James Bond series... for little kids in the 80's, we considered ourselves pretty cool.

One Saturday we're driven upstate to a sleepover at our Uncle's. It's now almost 1990, and he's taken the liberty of renting a movie for my brother, myself, and my cousin to watch. It's "The Prince Of Central Park," and the eye-rolling began immediately. Our conservative Uncle had intentionally avoided mainstream Hollywood fare and had sought out a G-rated made-for-TV movie from 1977! In the words of my twelve year-old self, "Yuzz..." We couldn't even get out of it... he joined the three of us on the couch and pressed PLAY.

And then something funny happened... instead of the toothless, wholesome hayride I expected I found myself watching an engaging, wistful drama about a boy who runs away from his abusive foster home to find his birth mother. He makes a home for himself in the trees of Central Park and meets some eccentric old people who turn out to be just as unhappy- and restless- as he is. This movie is sweet, and romantic, in every sense of the word. Ruth Gordon is wonderful as always, and though I'm fuzzy on the exact ending, I'm pretty sure I had to hold back the tears so no one would see I was crying.

Imagine a TV movie that isn't designed to shock, offend, or target a particular demographic... a movie whose sole purpose is not to earn it's lead actors Emmy nominations... try and picture a film that's gentle and imaginative... a movie about children and the elderly that treats both groups as intelligent human beings with hearts and souls. I know it's tough to imagine but I guess they really did make them this way. Too bad it was before my time too...

I can't speak about the mainstream Hollywood re-make of 2ooo... I never saw it. Not interested. But if you ever get the chance to see this once-in-a-lifetime find I would advise you not to miss it... you will never forget it.

GRADE: A

I watched it aged around 7 years old. A year or two after this was made. Absolutely superb. Thinking kids entertainment.

I watched a lot of TV as a kid, this one, I still remember so vividly. An absolutely magical afternoon sat on my own, watching this on a black and white TV.

I've often considered watching it again as a middle-aged father, but maybe you can't go back.

In response to the last comment, this is the movie that was previously described. You are thinking of a late 90s film of the same name. This charming film shows the young and old as disenfranchised kindred spirits. It develops into quite a tear-jerker. If you ever get a chance to see this film, I would think you would agree it's a nice little story.

We watched this movie on TV when I visited Miami as a kid in 1977.

I remember it to this day and would love to find a copy.

The two main characters hide out in central park (which as a child I had no idea how big it actually was) and create their own reality.

Along the way they encounter threats to their secret hiding place.

They also have to make a decision as to whether they keep their secret and watch an injustice or defend someone and be exposed.

A brilliant family film.

As the other reviewers have noted - this film is about the love between the brother and sister.

If anyone finds a copy - let me know - would love to watch this with my kids.

I am so pleased to be able to finally track this title down by searching 'keywords' on this site I have been trying to locate this for many years now. I have fond memories of this as being one of the first films I watched on television almost 40 years ago. It inspired many happy dreams for me when my family life was not always so great and wished that I too could escape and hide away from the world. I hope to now find a copy of this film so that I can revisit my childhood dreams and I hope my own children will also appreciate this beautiful story even though all aspects of their upbring and family life has been completely different to mine. Truly lovely story that I would recommend to all.