The Money Pit (1986)

About the only thing this movie might be good for is as a training film for Hollywood stuntmen. It has more falls, spills, and hits than any film I can think of. That includes the Three Stooges films. Tom Hanks (or his double or doubles) has about as many falls as he has lines in this mishmash. On the score of falls to humorous lines, there's no contest. The script for this film is witless and humorless. Who knows what the makers were trying to do with "The Money Pit." I saw it as an attempt to make a new version of an older couple of films that were huge successes. Both were about city slickers who wanted to move into the country and they wind up getting stuck with huge fixer- uppers. The first of those was "George Washington Slept Here" of 1942 that starred Jack Benny and Ann Sheridan. The second was "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" of 1948 that starred Cary Grant and Myrna Loy. Both of those films had crisp, sharp, witty and wonderfully funny dialog. It mixed very well with their occasional physical blunders or mishaps. But "The Money Pit" has none of that. Without a clever, funny script the repetitious falls, breaks and problems just get old very fast. Without the dialog, even the first few lack humor. This is a real turkey of a film. The only reason I give it three stars is for the brief but very good role of Estelle, played by Maureen Stapleton. Otherwise, it's a real bore.Here are the four brief pieces of dialog in the entire screenplay that I found funny. Max, "Can I speak frankly?" Anna, "Anything's possible."Estelle, as she lights a candelabra, "I'm trying to save a few bucks on the lights… for the blood-sucking lawyers."Estelle, "You know, you think you know somebody… after 25 years, and then one day, Israeli Intelligence comes to the door." Anna, "Israeli Intelligence?" Estelle, "It turns out Carlos was Hitler's pool man."Curly, "I'm from Shirk Brothers. Your name came up in the drawing. We work today." Walter, "That's good. Where is Brad?" Curly, "Oh, south of France I think." Walter, "Well, shouldn't he be here?" Curly, "Oh, Brad is the executive plumber. We do all the work."

"The Money Pit" is an underrated, romantic, slapstick comedy. A young couple Tom Hanks and Shelley Long are very much in love with each other and want to buy the home of their dreams. They finally find a large house going cheap and move in; but it's not long before one hilarious disaster after another happens. The house is falling apart along with their bank account and they get deeper and deeper into debt and their relationship starts to fall apart. There are some really great, very colorful characters interspersed throughout, resulting in some great comedy. There's also a lot of slap-stick which even if it's not your usual cup-of-tea would be hard not to enjoy.In this movie, the script writer and set technicians are king. These professionals ought to have a showcase for their talents to be spotlighted from time to time, and they sure made the most of the opportunity with this one. The calamitous frailty of this ostensibly beautiful house renders so many brilliantly done scenes that this movie still makes me laugh out loud after seeing it several times. A joke loses all its power to amuse after the surprise of the punch-line is lost, but these sight-gags are so funny I can break out laughing while driving down a lonely highway just thinking about them. Some movies lose their effectiveness because the makers get confused and try to do too may things - the message gets muddled. The best movies exhibit no such confusion and tell their story with minimal distraction. This movie is about this house, and what these artists do with this prop is brilliantly and enduringly funny.Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

One of the early Hanks comedies that cemented his position as one of the hottest upcoming comedy stars in Hollywood (after 'Splash'). Even though this movie has been overlooked for me its easily one of his better early movies. Although most of Hanks films have an abundance of heart this one also has a relatable subject in house renovation.Tom Hanks (Walter) and Shelley Long (Anna) buy a huge country mansion that would normally go for around one million, but because the place is falling apart (unbeknownst to them) its going for $200,000. The initial joke being in this day and age this ginormous property would be selling for a lot more than one measly million, but that's to be expected. The laughs come thick and fast as they realise the mansion is a lemon and is literately coming apart bit by bit. They have been well and truly had by the previous owner.Now far be it for me to nitpick at a light-hearted piece of comedy gold from the classic Tom Hanks 80's era but...lets go. The couple say they have no money whatsoever, indeed they have to borrow a sh*t-tonne just to buy the place, yet when they move in they are faced with massive repairs. The question that springs to mind is how on earth they afford to pay for all this. Sure both of them work so that will help but my God this mansion clearly requires some hefty workmanship that ain't gonna come cheap. Some of the things that go wrong are definitely laugh out loud worthy but Jesus the cost!!Huge holes in the floor, a new bath tub, new electrics, new TV, new front door and surrounding wooden frame, broken windows, an entire new chimney both interior and exterior plus new fireplace, complete new plumbing, huge new wooden staircase, holes in the roof etc...Take into account that this is a property bordering on a stately home and most fittings will need specialist attention and most probably with handmade craftsmanship to boot! The staircase alone would of cost an absolute fortune, and then the entire chimney stack!! So I am left wondering how they could even begin to pay for all this on top of the fact they have borrowed money to buy the house. Hanks character does put down an initial down payment of $5,000 but I doubt that would even begin to cover much.What is so sickly about the whole thing (so cutesy) is the fact that whilst all this is going on, in between all the horror that unfolds around them...both try and remain calm, expressing their love for each other and with Anna constantly reminding Walter everything will be OK. In reality I'm sure most people would have a break down. The weird aspect in the movie is that the building contractors appear to be this clan of fetish circus freaks. Big muscle men in bondage gear, little people and various types of punks all driving the type of vehicles you'd expect to find in the Mad Max franchise. Not really sure why they went down that route because it isn't particularly funny...just odd. I guess its suppose to freak you out because it looks like they're gonna ruin the place or squat there and the love birds will have more trouble on their hands. I think people can relate to this movie simply because many will have experience of buying a place and having problems occur, be it down the line or straight away. I'm sure some will have experience that will have been just as horrific as in this movie, so watching this will certainly hit home for some. Indeed it does make you wince whilst watching, seeing this amazing mansion slowly crumble bit by bit, it does make your palms sweat at the thought of the spiralling costs whilst at the same time make you glad its not real...or its not you. Its all harmless fun with some good stunts, a bit of slapstick, a lovely real time house presumably combined with sets and an overly energetic Hanks. Oh and what's this...Anna's ex- husband is the main psychotic German henchman terrorist from 'Die Hard', how bout that.6/10

Tom Hanks and Shelley Long play a married couple who buy a "dream house" for a ridiculously low price only to find out it is a money-sucking nightmare in this uneven and often misguided comedy.The film makes one fondly remember the much better Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, wherein Cary Grant and Myrna Loy are the couple finding a rather rocky road to success in home ownership. Hanks and Long have adequate (if not spectacular) chemistry and do their best. Unfortunately, they can do nothing to overcome the simplistic screenplay and taciturn direction from Richard Benjamin (has he ever directed a good movie?) There are some genuine laughs, but they all happen fairly early in the proceedings. The film works best when concentrating on the problems the couple has with the house. The sequences with Hanks on the crumbling staircase while Long fights off a nasty raccoon, the bathtub scenes and the chimney scene are pretty amusing. Unfortunately, the screenplay moves away from that into areas that are unfunny and cumbersome, and which also make the lead characters seem unforgivably stupid.One might be able to make the initial jump that these two could be taken in by Maureen Stapleton's obvious con of showing them the house only at night by candlelight (and that is a BIG stretch), but some of their subsequent decisions are equally dumb. Hanks' dealings with a bevy of shady contractors is both unoriginal and irritating. And let's not even discuss the tragically unfunny balletic slapstick sequence in the latter half where Hanks tries to do a Buster Keaton routine on scaffolding and runaway carts purportedly caused by Long trying to find an available plug in the house. It is not only badly choreographed, but cringeworthy.The above could be forgiven to some extent, except the latter portion of the film saddles the leads with an incredibly tiresome did-she-or-didn't-she sleep with her ex-husband subplot. The ex-husband in question is played by the late ballet dancer/actor Alexander Godunov in full lounge lizard mode. We do not believe for one moment that it happened, but this is used to drive a wedge in between Hanks and Long leading to constant bickering, which only succeeds in making them tiresome and unlikable in the moments when we should really be sympathizing with them. It also takes time away from the house, which should be the central comedic force. It also means that the latter portion of the film gives Long almost no comedy sequences and a lot of moments where she is either disagreeable or fretful.By the time the film reaches its conclusion, it seemed longer than it truly is and is fairly forgettable, but for a couple of minor laughs in the opening stretch. Fans of Hanks and Long may rate it slightly higher, but both (especially Hanks) have had better showings elsewhere.