Avalon (1990 film)

Avalon is a 1990 film about a Polish-Jewish family that comes to the U.S. at the beginning of the twentieth century. There, the family and their children try to make themselves a better future in the so-called promised land. Directed and written by Barry Levinson. Three generations of family. They shared a dream called America in a place called Avalon. Sam Krichinsky I came to America in 1914 - by way of Philadelphia. That's where I got off the boat. And then I came to Baltimore. It was the most beautiful place you ever seen in your life. There were lights everywhere! What lights they had! It was a celebration of lights! I thought they were for me, Sam, who was in America. Sam was in America! I didn't know what holiday it was, but there were lights. And I walked under them. The sky exploded, people cheered, there were fireworks! What a welcome it was, what a welcome! This English, it's very difficult. I never realized how difficult English is. "May" or "can." You can, but you may not. We've come a long way. In the old days, if you had to pee, you peed on a tree. With no "may" or "can." That's progress for you. On the weekend, we made music. What music it was! We liked American music. We were very popular ourselves. One night I looked across the floor and I saw this young, lovely girl. I wasn't handsome and I didn't have a beautiful body. But when I touched a woman they fell in love with me. I found the man who knew the name Krichinsky. He was a little man with big shoes. I'll never forget him. He had such big shoes! They were brand new, beautiful shoes. He told me this was how he made his living. He would break in shoes for the wealthy. Stuff them with newspaper and walk in them. I said, "What a country is this. What a country." The wealthy didn't even have to break in their own shoes. We're getting farther and farther away from Avalon. I think I'm getting too old for change. If I knew things would no longer be, I would have tried to remember better. Jules, if you stop remembering, you forget. A couple of years ago, I went to see the house on Avalon. It was gone. Not just the house, but the whole neighborhood. I went to see the ballroom, where me and my brother used to play. The whole place, gone. Not just that. But the grocery store where we used to shop, gone. All gone. I went to see where Eva lived off Poplar Street. It isn't there. Not even the street. It isn't there. Not even the street. And then I went to see the nightclub I used to have. And thank God, it was there, because for a minute, I thought I never was. Jules Kaye When I was a little younger than you, I used to think the world was made up of big people and little people. And that's the way it would always stay. And then I always wondered why sinks were too high. You had to climb up to wash your face. Cupboards, too high. The hole in the toilet was too big. Nothing. Nothing was made for us. It's just a world of big people and little people. You never got any older and nobody ever died. Eva Krichinsky [Meeting the train that carries her brother] Where are the people who know where the people are? That man will be late for his own funeral. Dialogue Sam Krichinsky: Who's this? Who's this Jules Kaye? Jules Kaye: That's me, Dad. I changed my name. Izzy Kirk: Me too, I changed mine to Kirk. It's easier to say that Krichinsky. Kirk, it's better. Sam Krichinsky: Who said names are supposed to be easy to say? What are you, a candy bar? You got a name! Krichinsky! It's a name! Kaye. Kirk. Two cousins, different names. How can this be? How can this be a family? When the father's called Sam Krichinsky, his son is called Jules Kaye and his first cousin is called Izzy Kirk. This is a family, God damn it! Krichinsky is the name of the family! Michael Kaye: Have you ever been in the suburbs? Teddy Kirk: I never even heard of the suburbs until this thing happened. Michael Kaye: I don't want you to ever leave! Sam Krichinsky: One way or another, we all have to leave. Sam Krichinsky: What was the movie we saw with the stagecoach? A very good movie. Hymie Krichinsky: Stagecoach. Sam Krichinsky: The movie had a stagecoach. Hymie Krichinsky: Stagecoach. Sam Krichinsky: Very active movie. John Wayne, he was an outlaw but was not an outlaw. What was the movie called with the stagecoach? Hymie Krichinsky: Stagecoach. Sam Krichinsky: That's what I'm saying with the stagecoach. Hymie Krichinsky: Stagecoach. Sam Krichinsky: Stagecoach? Doctor: He's not allergic to the bees, so there's no real problem. He's just gonna be a little uncomfortable for a while. Michael Kaye: I hate the suburbs! Doctor: I'm surprised your mother-in-law didn't come along with you today. Ann Kaye: She refuses to get in the car with me. She's never been in a car when a woman drives. Gabriel Krichinsky: Oh, boy, could he drink! What was that stuff called he always used to drink? Sam Krichinsky: Slivovitz. Slivovitz! He used to call it, "Block and fall." You have one drink of that, you walk one block, and you fall! Eva Krichinsky: How's the new job? Jules Kaye: It's good. I like it. It's interesting and it's challenging. I like it. Eva Krichinsky: Selling time. I never heard of such a thing. Jules Kaye: It's not just time, Ma. It's time for television commercials. Companies buy the time for television commercials, so they can sell their products. Eva Krichinsky: I hate commercials. But I like the one that the cigarette packs dance. I like that one. Eva Krichinsky: Homes? It's too far for homes. Got to be a pioneer, to live out here. You can't get here with a streetcar. Sam Krichinsky: They can build homes, they can put more streetcar tracks down. Ann Kaye: He'll be there! I told you! He said, he wants to take some golf lessons and see how it goes. Eva Krichinsky: Golf? He's going to play golf? Sam Krichinsky: That's what I said when I heard. A working person doesn't play golf. It's for people with sweaters and a cap. Eva Krichinsky: Where does he get such crazy ideas? Cast Armin Mueller-Stahl - Sam Krichinsky Michael Krauss - young Sam Aidan Quinn - Jules Kaye Kevin Blum - young Jules Elizabeth Perkins - Ann Kaye Joan Plowright - Eva Krichinsky Dawne Hindle - young Eva Leo Fuchs - Hymie Krichinsky Bernard Hiller - young Bernard Lou Jacobi - Gabriel Krichinsky Michael Edelstein - young Gabriel Eve Gordon - Dottie Kirk Kevin Pollak - Izzy Kirk Israel Rubinek - Nathan Krichinsky Brian Shait - young Nathan Elijah Wood - Michael Kaye Tom Wood - Michael Kaye as adult Grant Gelt - Teddy Kirk Mindy Loren Isenstein - Mindy Kirk Curtis Carnathan - Alexander Kaye Shifra Lerer - Nellie Krichinsky Christine Mosere - young Nellie Mina Bern - Alice Krichinsky Anna Bergman - young Alice Frania Rubinek - Faye Krichinsky Mary Lechter - young Faye Ronald Guttman - Simka Herb Levinson - Rabbi Krauss External links 0099073 Avalon Avalon Avalon 1031472-avalon Avalon Category:Films directed by Barry Levinson Category:1990 American films Category:American drama films Category:Films about families Category:Films about immigration Category:Films about Jews and Judaism Category:Films set in Baltimore