The Money Pit (1986)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Richard Benjamin

Writer:

David Giler (written by)

Release Date:

26 March 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music

Tagline:

For everyone who's ever been deeply in Love or deeply in debt.

Plot:

A young couple struggles to repair a hopelessly dilapidated house.

Plot Keywords:

House | Couple | Problem | Renovation | DIY

Cast

Tom Hanks	...	Walter Fielding, Jr.
Shelley Long	...	Anna Crowley Beissart / Anna Fielding
Alexander Godunov	...	Max Beissart, the Maestro
Maureen Stapleton	...	Estelle
Joe Mantegna	...	Art Shirk
Philip Bosco	...	Curly
Josh Mostel	...	Jack Schnittman
Yakov Smirnoff	...	Shatov
Carmine Caridi	...	Brad Shirk
Brian Backer	...	Ethan
Billy Lombardo	...	Benny
Mia Dillon	...	Marika
John Van Dreelen	...	Carlos
Douglass Watson	...	Walter Fielding, Sr.
Lucille Dobrin	...	Macumba Lady

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:L | UK:PG (1986) (cut) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Norway:12

Filming Locations:

Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Amblin Entertainment

Trivia:

The band White Lion performs twice in this movie with a line-up that was pre their debut album. The bass player joined Black Sabbath between this movie and White Lion's first album.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the bathtub makes its spectacular plunge through the floor after the last two buckets of water are dumped into it, there is no water in it as it explodes on impact with the lower floor.

Quotes:

Anna: Well, the turkey's done.
Walter: So's the kitchen. Actually, it's a little overdone for my tastes. Let's not go there again.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Family Guy: Untitled Griffin Family History (#4.27)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Gavotte (sonata VI for violin, E major partita)

Good Memories

I loved this movie. Granted, I was a teen when I first saw it, but even so, I laughed often and that is my standard of judgment. Shelley Long is as good as she was in Cheers (which is gooood). Tom Hanks shows off the early "Bosom Buddies" hopes of physical comedy genius here in a way that he never did again. The bee-attack scene to the flight of the Bumblebee violin solo is fabulous. the whole "We're Sitting on a Dream" sequence with the stairs and doorbell and raccoon and the bathtub is hilarious but PEOPLE. Come on. The entire collapsing stairs bit is the best, capped off by Hanks sweet little blown kiss at the end ... slayed me. My brother and I still reference it whenever everything is more crap than bearable, and we always will. I think this is an overlooked gem and will always have it in my video catalogue. Finally, a quote: Paint. Don't tickle. Alexander Gudonow will be missed.