Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)

"Down and Out..." is an enjoyable enough, light mid-'80s time capsule directed by Paul Mazursky ("Moscow on the Hudson"). It is a reimagining of the far superior film "Boudu Saved From Drowning"--a movie by Jean Renoir that preceded it by 54 years. In this version, which features a good line- up--Nick Nolte as the central character, a vagrant; Richard Dreyfuss as the man who takes him in; and the always capable Bette Midler as Dreyfuss' laughable wife--Nolte's character, after being permitted to stay in the swanky home of Dreyfuss', who saves him, ends up bedding not just the mistress and the wife, but also the daughter. Unlike the source material he also ends up sticking around it seems. This movie is worth a watch, it's just not particularly memorable, there is nothing special about it--and it seems like Dreyfuss has played the same sort of character many times. In "What About Bob" he also portrays a middleaged family man whose life is turned upside-down by a guest. In this case the guest was first invited, and all the womenfolk want in his pants. And, like "What About Bob," also a far superior flick, the family man's fam/etc. all seem to like the guest more than the ineffectual patriarch. The Dreyfuss character gives the Nolte character a look at the very end like "You totally took over, didn't you? Not sure how I feel about that, even though I basically like you too." But at no point did I feel sorry for the Dreyfuss character, a philandering, quite ordinary and not so likable rich guy. This movie is good enough to spend part of a lazy afternoon on--just expect little other than a competently made, somewhat funny film with a better-than-average cast. If you want to see essentially the same story but a much more worthwhile version of it though see the excellent "Boudu Saved..."

Down and Out in Beverly Hills features an excellent cast doing probably their each individual best work. The casting itself is pitch perfect right down to the two dogs. But I believe the problem stems from the direction. The films claims it's a comedy, when really, it's a chuckle-delivering drama. I think director Paul Mazursky accidentally made the premise a bit too serious.You know how people say a film is "love it or hate it?" I think Down and Out in Beverly Hills is "love it or accept it." I think of these kinds of films sort of as "elegant comedies" where the sets and actors are very classy, but it's questionable you'd want to see a movie with those kind of characters. Other movies I believe fit into my sub-genre are Arthur and Fierce Creatures. They aren't bad films, but I don't believe the characters are interesting enough to carry the weight of a full length film on their backs.The plot: A rich family's life is changed when a bum tries to commit suicide in their backyard pool. The family is made wealthy because the husband, Dave Whiteman (Dreyfuss), is the head of a coat-hanger factory. His wife Barbara (Midler) is happy with the wealth, but unsatisfied as a person. Her and Dave's relationship is complex and she is more often than not left unfulfilled by her husband.The bum is played fantastically by Nick Nolte. His name is Jerry, and after his "faithful" dog companion runs away to find a home with a jogger, Jerry jumps in the Whitemans' pool when it is draining to try and kill himself. Seconds away from being gone, Dave jumps in to save the man and to revitalize him as a human being to make him happier in life.An act of role reversal is made here where the happier half is the bum and the sadder half is the wealthy family, so the film gives a sincere look at how some people live their lives and how some are happier than others. The problem is just in the way it's executed which is hard to explain. It's hokey and not as inspired as it would seem.Paul Mazurksy has a talent for squeezing the most out of his actors and giving them constant, incorruptible, shockingly well-built chemistry. Later in his career, he provided the same chemistry to Woody Allen and Bette Midler in Scene from a Mall, a movie that besides the chemistry, has little to offer. The setup between the three leads is anything but contrived and highly welcomed as they each give their own sense of screen magic.So, what is wrong with Down and Out in Beverly Hills? It's honestly hard to say. I sat through the whole thing, no interruptions, and upon finishing it I reached a quandary. I didn't know if I liked what I just watched. Sitting down, writing this hasn't helped much either. I think it's one of those films that is cute, warm, and gentle, but that's it. There's nothing wrong with that if that's what you're looking for, but there isn't much urgency or attraction equipped in the script. Just a bunch of characters wandering around, awaiting the next predicament to fall into.Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Bette Midler, and Nick Nolte. Directed by: Paul Mazursky.

Not that 1986 was a bellwether for good film-making, but I thought this was the best film of that particular year. Mazursky's work as a director has famously been erratic, and this was the last good thing he did. Richard Dreyfuss was surprisingly good in this film, and it was a treat to see Little Richard, and his song "Great Gosh A Mighty" which some may not remember, came from this film (although no Oscar nomination for Best Song!). And a lot of the film's small touches (the doggie psychologist, the Jewish father always complaining there's not enough white meat in the Thanksgiving turkey), made this one of the few films I've ever laughed out loud watching.

Funny to see how little attention "Down And Out" gets today - bare-bones DVD release, a paucity of IMDb reviews, a modest Wikipedia entry - given that less than 25 years ago this was one of the highest-grossing comedies of its day. What happened?The stamp of the 1980s may be part of the problem. A very '80s look and vibe surround this social satire, where a bum named Jerry (Nick Nolte) is rescued by hanger tycoon Dave Whiteman (Richard Dreyfuss) and put up in his fancy Beverly Hills estate. Jerry finds ways to ingratiate himself with everyone in the household, even the normally hostile Whiteman dog Matisse. Dave soon finds reason to curse his generosity.I'm in agreement with ratnazafu's earlier comment that this film's connection to its time is part of its charm, though its pastels-and-neon visual signature is not for everyone. The script by director Paul Mazursky and Leon Capetanos is fun and arrestingly non-formulaic, but rather underbaked in such matters as who Jerry really is and what the issues are with the Whitemans' distrait offspring. Most critically, there's a tonal problem at the center - Nolte's direly realistic acting manner clashes with the film's overall cheerful and lightweight spirit."There's something very threatening about you," Jerry is told early on by Dave's wife, Barbara (Bette Midler).Nolte famously prepared for the role by living for days as a vagrant (insert obvious Nolte joke here), and I think the experience made it hard for him to settle into a comedy about being homeless. His gruff, bleary manner is established early and never quite goes away, even as the script paints him in the role of a smooth-talking rascal.In one scene, we see Dave and some new homeless friends parody the famous "We Are The World" song in a drunkenly over-the-top, amusing manner. Nolte is in the center of the frame, but tries to get out of the shot by hiding his face behind a pole. I don't think he saw himself acting in a comedy, and for the most part, he isn't.Dreyfuss and Midler, on the other hand, have a lot of palpable fun, and their careers deservedly got huge boosts from their performances here. At times Dreyfuss seems to be channeling Jackie Gleason, but it works, especially as he develops Dave as a genuinely likable character frustrated by his new friend Jerry's refusal to join the rat race. Midler does well with a tougher part, a shopaholic narcissist. "That was the cherry on the cake of my day" she groans when Dave tells her he saw their son in a tutu.Jerry finally achieves his breakthrough with Barbara through sex, a device the film not only plays up with a silly orgasm scene but repeats with the Whitemans' maid and daughter. The latter ravishment proves a breaking point for Dave, who loses it in a big finale which throws up as much fireworks as it can in a way that points up the story's overall lack of nourishment.Mazursky movies have a unique quality, full of ideas and visual invention, diverting enough so that you don't particularly mind even when they don't go anywhere special. There's nothing dislikable about "Down And Out", unless maybe you are Nick Nolte, but nothing memorable, either.