Le Prince de Bel Air

Robin Prince (Mark Harmon) believes the world is his oyster. He owns and operates a pool cleaning business, which he loves. After all, not only does he get to work in the sun, he has access to some of the rich but desperate housewives of Bel Air. They certainly do love their pool man and he returns the affection. In his off hours, Robin hangs out with his best buds and romances single women, too. However, he is getting to be a bit old for the perpetual surfer image he has concocted. And, his head turns counterclockwise when he meets lovely Jamie (Kirstie Alley), a talented artist with scruples. What will be ultimately important to him, his lifestyle or his great affection for Jamie? This movie has some nice statements to make about choices and changes. Not all men will turn into gentlemen, it's true, but stories about the ones who do are very welcome. Harmon and Alley are lovely and humorous folks and add much to the film's enjoyment. Vaughn does a good job as a loathsome businessman. The California setting is utterly gorgeous and so are the costumes. Jamie's artwork is also quite stunning. If you think you've seen every romantic drama out there but have missed this one, do take time to view it. Although it was made nearly 20 years ago, its themes are as fresh as daisies and its tale of romance absolutely winning.

Made for TV, this movie was good enough to get released as a video as well. I think it, along with "Thief of Hearts" are 2 movies that come to mind as being good representatives of life in California in the early 80s -- for the "cool" people anyway. You'll enjoy this movie if you watch it without too-high expectations. The movie has no real message, but does make some points about relationships. I liked the relationship the protagonist, played by Mark Harmon, had with the waitress, or rather, the relationship she had with him. She knew he was "too good" for her to be in a full-time relationship with but she was willing to let him use her sexually (not in a mean way) just to have a piece of his time. And she never complained, nor was she surprised, when he walked away. Such is real life.

Prince of Bel Air is pure 80s, and completely driven by the typical type-casted efforts of Mark Harmon as Robin Prince, a carefree pool man's who's benefits of the job include not a pension plan, but rather, a slick tan and a knack for wooing the ladies. For the summer, he takes on his financier's son, a high school graduate named Justin (Patrick Labyorteaux looking quite gorgeous), mentoring the virgin young lad in what he knows well: swimming pools and women. Although, while Justin assimilates to Robin's habits of this sort, old Robin may be having a change of heart when he falls in love with Justin's cousin, Jamie (Kiersty Allie), a woman who partially doesn't seem to mind Robin's reluctance for monogamy, even when he is so brutally honest about it (of course, this changes). So, most of the movie is simply a guy figuring out whether commitment is really such a terrible word.

The movie is really one that is so intent on delivering all of that Harmon charm and humor, the guy that's everybody's buddy kind of character he is so well known to play, especially in his choice of late 80s films, but the movie overall lacks much conflict in trying to impress this on the viewer. While there are some rifts between Robin and the characters of his old lifestyle (collectively known as "the guys") and those of his possible new lifestyle ("Jamie"), there is simply not that much to make you think a guy like Robin would care much about it. He never seems so sincere. It's just like, oh, he's rethinking the whole thing, so you'll have to expunge some sympathy for him, without ever really having much reason to buy into it. We shouldn't have to, and neither should he simply because there just doesn't seem like enough reason to. The relationship with Jamie is delicate at best.

Aside from that however, I would recommend watching it for fans of pure 80s movies. It is no more than a light love story of sorts that celebrates a cast of well-tanned Californians. In the year following this made-for-TV movie, Harmon will have teamed up again with Laboryteaux ("Justin"), Dean Cameron ("Willard"), and Kirstie Alley ("Jamie") for the Carl Reiner comedy, Summer School. It may be worth it just to see it for those familiar faces.

Before Summer School, Mark Harmon and Kirstie Alley teamed up for this made-for-TV romantic fable about a pool cleaning contractor who had it all: his own business, good looks and no shortage of female customers who wanted more than just their drains plumbed. But his all-American sex fantasy life gets complicated when Kirstie Alley shows up one day in one of his customer's pools. She's an artist, smart and interesting, and able to resist his boyish charm. To pursue her, he has to take stock of his life and lifestyle. Yep, pretty paint-by-numbers as these TV romances go, but at least everything is played for charm rather than cheap titillation. There is little comedy here, or much drama - it's mostly a character piece. The Bel Air setting is attractive and well- used, with lots of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous visual appeal and both Harmon and Alley are great looking and likable in their roles. This is also a great reminder of how Kirstie Alley got to be a sex symbol 25 years ago, since nowadays she is mostly famous for being overweight. Your first glimpse of her in a swimsuit is one of those true WOW moments. Cautiously recommended, keep expectations low.

Although "Prince Of Bel Air" was made twenty-five years ago, surprisingly the movie hasn't aged that badly. The fashions, lingo, and other culture traits the movie uses could for the most part be passed off the same way today. The movie is watchable for other reasons as well. One thing I liked about the movie was that all the characters come across as very likable. Sure, Harmon's character is kind of a womanizer, but he does have genuine feelings to the women he interacts with, and in the end he learns that being in a solid relationship is more fulfilling than just bouncing from one conquest to another. There isn't a lot of plot here, but the movie is made in a breezy fashion that carries you along to the end. It's decent entertainment when you are not in the mood to think very hard.