The Money Pit

The Money Pit (1986)

Runtime: 91 minutes

Directed by: Richard Benjamin

Starring: Tom Hanks, Shelley Long, Alexander Godunov, Maureen Stapleton, Joe Mantegna

From: Universal

The biggest laugh I got from the film: seeing YAKOV SMIRNOFF'S name in the opening credits. He has a small part: 

I've already given my opinion of what's been going on these past few days; to me it right now seems like we are in Chapter 2 of a bad dystopian novel and I'll forever be disappointed by the mass hysteria and massive overreaction to a “big scary illness”; my thoughts have not changed even with the news that Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson now have COVID-19. While I feel sorry that they, several pro athletes, and anyone else who has the illness has to deal with it, most people who contract it end up being fine in the end and as Hanks is rich and famous... all that said, I've enjoyed his movies since I was a kid so I might as well check out something I saw only once before, and that was at least 30 years ago when I was still a kid.

For certain, this movie was darker than I had recalled. I wanted something light in tone as the world is going to hell now, you know; a plot point that relates to HITLER was decidedly unexpected, especially for something that was an uncredited remake of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House; as that's been broached, I do prefer that to this. The story is uneven, it often becomes utterly preposterous and it unfortunately borrowed the worst plot point of Blandings, which was to introduce a contrived conflict between the lead couple.

What helps even more than the slapstick moments, the dilapidated house being destroyed either by itself or from “the hired help” and prime A-hole characters played by Joe Mantagena and Alexander Godunov or even some of the incredibly from its decade score/soundtrack... the biggest asset is the charm of both Tom Hanks and Shelley Long as the leads. They were great together and on their own. Also, there were enough laughs to make up for the ugly moments or the weakest moments of the script. It was nice to reminiscence about the days when Old Tom used to star in comedic movies such as this. Hopefully soon both he and his wife will be back on their feet.