The Money Pit

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Catching Up

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I'm gonna veer away from Oscar territory for a second to play ultimate catch-up on a comedy I've heard about for years, but have never seen all the way through. I've picked up bits and pieces over the years, but I've never actually sat and watched it. Some people tend to have a warm place in their heart for this movie as a nice, light comedy from the 80's, and it's been known to be just one of those "fun times". But the reviews for this one remain weak. Not God awful, but weak. So, I decided to check it out for myself to see what I thought, and deliver my opinion on this product of the 80s, and how well it holds up by today's standards. Spoiler alert, it doesn't very well.

There's a whole complicated embezzling money plot that I don't really understand, and as a result, Walter Fielding (Tom Hanks) and Anna Crowley (Shelley Long) are booted from their apartment. In desperation, they throw $200,000 at a big, gorgeous house. As one can imagine (and probably know by this point anyway), the catch is that the house isn't at all sturdy, the plumbing is wonky, electrical problems nearly cause fires, you name it. Basically the rest of the movie consists of slapstick comedy as the house falls apart around this couple, and all the while the couple has their own problems as he wants to get married, and she's not ready for it. And that really is the movie in a nutshell, with an ending as predictable as you might imagine.

But, for as much negativity as I have to say about it, I can't deny that the film does have a certain charm to it, which probably has a lot to do with that old school Tom Hanks presence; back when he mostly did comedy. For example there's a scene I think everyone knows about where a bathtub falls through the floor, and Hanks laughs hysterically at the situation because he's finally snapped. I'm sure YouTube has the scene somewhere. And yeah, that scene IS really quite funny. But then you have the cheap slapstick act of Hanks being blinded by falling into a bunch of paint, and he walks around aimlessly, causing all sorts of destruction and it's set to operatic music. It's kinda cringe-worthy to watch now. But then, even that balances out with Hanks up there, falling slightly through the floor. The end result is laugh out loud funny, and the dance goes on as such.

By the end of it all, I'm glad I watched it, and I did get a few good laughs. But it really does seem to be a balance between corny slapstick humor and good slapstick humor. It's weird. At times, Hanks is Jar Jar Binks, but at others, he's one of the Three Stooges. The other big problem this movie has is the subplot of their love life falling to pieces just like the house. So yeah, you get it? The house is symbolic. It's a clever idea, but not very subtly done. Although, I will admit that the end message is a pretty touching one that doesn't seem to be out there very much these days.

So, I have to go with a rating that suggests I'm just like every other reviewer out there all in one. The movie, as mentioned before, isn't God awful, but it's kinda weak. Don't get me wrong, I like Hanks altogether, and Shelley Long isn't bad, but I haven't seen her in much else apart from 'Cheers'. It's just that the good material wasn't all there. But for those who do have that warm spot in their heart for it, I can manage to see past the movie's flaws and understand why. At the end of the day, this is a movie about what it means to trust and be able to move on from mistakes, staying together through the darkest moments of your relationship. At the same time, considering everything that happens in the movie, I can see that very point being counter-argued very easily, and there's a damn good chance this movie sends the wrong message. Am I blowing it out of proportion? Perhaps, but check it out and see for yourself. It gets a 3, but it's very unenthusiastic.

3/5

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