Rubin And Ed

Steven Haynes
May 24, 2016
2 min read

Crispin Glover is one of my favorite actor's. No matter what he is in, mainstream or independent, I know I'm in for a unique and entertaining performance. Most people know him as George McFly in the first Back To The Future film, but he has so many strange and beautiful performances out there that you should really seek them out. One of his best was in the little seen, 1991 comedy Rubin And Ed.

Glover reteams with his Beaver Trilogy director Trent Harris for this odd and sweet buddy picture. Glover plays Rubin, a reclusive misfit who is mourning the death of his cat. He lives in a room at a motel that his mother, Anna Louise Daniels, owns. She threatens to throw Rubin out if he doesn't make a friend. That's when Ed, Howard Hesseman, enters the picture. Ed is a sad sack salesman who has been assigned to bring a potential client to a pyramid scheme like seminar. Ed is in a slump himself, trying to get over a recent breakup with his wife, Karen Black.

When Ed knocks on Rubin's door, he has no idea what is in store for him. Rubin agrees to go to the lecture only if Ed will come to dinner with him and his mom, and help him bury his beloved cat. Ed say's, "yes," and the two journey into the desert to find the perfect spot to lay the cat to rest. Along the way, Ed's car breaks down and the two must find their way back to the city if they, and the heat, don't kill each other first.

This is a fun and sweet, albeit odd film. Even though it's a strange performance, Glover gives a compassionate performance for a character that could have been annoying. He even went on Late Night With David Letterman as the Rubin character and was thrown off the show after almost kicking Letterman in the face. Hesseman, best known as Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP, is also good as a very desperate man. Peter Boyle was originally supposed to play Ed, but dropped out during production.

The film was shot in Utah, and the scenery is amazing. Harris makes good use of his surroundings.