The Pompatus of Love
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The Pompatus of Love is a 1996 film that tells the story of four guys discussing women and the meaning of the word "pompatus". This made-up word is found in two Steve Miller songs, Enter Maurice and The Joker, the latter of which contains the line "Some people call me Maurice / 'cause I speak of the pompatus of love". The low-budget, independent movie was lauded for its humor, acting and intelligent dialogue.
Plot
The film revolves around four friends and their relationships with women. Set to the background of upscale Manhattan bars, lofts and apartments, the guys engage in sharp banter and one-upsmanship. The characters, Mark, a therapist (Jon Cryer); Runyon, a playwright (Tim Guinee); Josh, a playboy (Adrian Pasdar) and Phil, a plumber (Adam Oliensis), try (generally unsuccessfully) to sort out their troubled love-lives. Mark and his girlfriend (Kristen Wilson) are hung up over moving in together; Runyon is hung up over his old girlfriend Kathryn (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson), who has moved to Los Angeles; the womanizing Josh is hung up on Phil's sister, Gina (Paige Turco), who has an abusive husband; Phil, who is married with children, finds himself hung up on an English interior designer (Kristin Scott Thomas).True Origins of \"Pompatus\"
The word, which can be heard in two Steve Miller songs, has long been a puzzle for music listeners, as it would seem to have no meaning. The characters in the film spend much of their time trying to decipher its sense, and wondering whether they were mis-hearing the lyrics: "Prophetess"? "Impetus"? "Profitless"? "Impotence"? "Pompous Ass"?
The true origins stem from an R&B song entitled "The Letter," written by the now deceased Vernon Green, leader of the Medallions. The song was Green's attempt to conjure up his dream woman.
To read more about pompatus' winding, spiraling history, see [In Steve Miller's "The Joker," what is "the pompatus of love"?]. As a result of Steve Miller's apparent "influence" by Green's song, the word weaved its way into pop culture.
See also: Pompatus
Awards
- Best Comedy — Worldfest - Charlston
- Gold Award — Worldfest - Houston
- Silver Award — Festival Internacional de Cinema, Portugal
External links
[In Steve Miller's "The Joker," what is "the pompatus of love"?]
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