The Rum Diary backdrop

The Rum Diary 2011 Directed by Bruce Robinson

One part outrage. One part justice. Three parts rum. Mix well.

Tired of the noise and madness of New York and the crushing conventions of late Eisenhower-era America, itinerant journalist Paul Kemp travels to the pristine island of Puerto Rico to write for a local San Juan newspaper run by the downtrodden editor Lotterman. Adopting the rum-soaked lifestyle of the late ‘50s version of Hemingway’s 'The Lost Generation', Paul soon becomes entangled with a very attractive American woman and her fiancée, a businessman involved in shady property development deals.  It is within this world that Kemp ultimately discovers his true voice as a writer and integrity as a man.

Production Countries United Kingdom , USA
Language English
Spoken Languages English , German , Spanish
Budget $45,000,000
Revenue $24,000,000
Release Date 13 October 2011
120 mins