The Money Pit **** (1986, Shelley Long, Tom Hanks, Alexander Godunov, Maureen Stapleton, Joe Mantegna, Philip Bosco, Josh Mostel) – Classic Movie Review 3825

Those highly amusing Eighties comedy stars Shelley Long and Tom Hanks are well paired and gainfully employed making us laugh in director Richard Benjamin’s very bright, cute, funny and jolly 1986 comedy. They play newly weds Anna Crowley [Fielding] and Walter Fielding Jr, who sink a fortune in a crumbling pile of rubble they call a new home. Yep, their hopelessly dilapidated house is a Money Pit!

Written by producer David Giler, The Money Pit bears more than a passing resemblance to the 1948 classic Mr Blandings Builds his Dream House, with Cary Grant and Myrna Loy, but it still stakes out a des res territory of its own. It could be accused of dipping into farce, slapstick and fantasy. However, it still manages to stay truthful, as anyone who has suffered home improvements will agree!

Always way underestimated, it is a sweet film made with loving care by real movie people. Steven Spielberg was the executive producer and the various catastrophes are realised in clever special effects by Industrial Light & Magic.

It also stars Alexander Godunov, Maureen Stapleton, Joe Mantegna, Philip Bosco and Josh Mostel.

Also in the cast are Carmine Caridi, Brian Backer, Billy Lombardo, John van Dreelen, Yakov Smirnoff and Mia Dillon.

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© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3825

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