Customer Reviews

Money Pit [VHS]

5 star:		(87)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

"The Money Pit" is an underrated, romantic, slapstick comedy telling the story of an unmarried couple that unwittingly decides to purchase a large house in dire need of repair. The couple, Walter Fielding, Jr. (Tom Hanks) and Anna Crowley Beissart (Shelley Long), have a strong relationship until Anna's former husband, Max Beissart (Alexander Godunov), returns to claim the apartment where they have been living in NYC. Being forced to move, Walter and Anna decide to purchase a house and find what they believe is a dream house being sold by a seemingly eccentric widow, Estelle (Maureen Stapleton), in Long Island. Walter and Anna hurriedly purchase the house and move in. However, after a series of mishaps, they soon discover that their dream house has a number of problems. Having both invested a sizeable amount of their savings into the house, Walter and Anna have no choice except to hire contractors with dubious reputations to repair the problems.

Anyone who has dealt with home repair issues (as I have) will no doubt identify with the trials and tribulations endured by Walter and Anna. Of course, many of the mishaps they experience in the film are exaggerated but very memorable, including the falling staircase, the crashing bathtub and the exploding kitchen. Naturally, stress resulting from the amount of money invested, the various mishaps and the prolonged loss of privacy due to the presence of many construction workers severely tests Walter and Anna's relationship. Max's presence as conductor of the symphony where Anna performs as a violinist doesn't help matters either.

Being an exceptional actor, Tom Hanks did an excellent job with his portrayal of Walter, ranking equally with his performances in "Splash" (1984), "Big" (1988) and "Joe Versus the Volcano" (1990). Shelley Long's performance is also quite good. Other memorable characters in the film include the Shirk Brothers (the dubious contractors): Art Shirk (Joe Mantegna) and Brad Shirk (Carmine Caridi); as well as construction foreman Jack Schnittman (Josh Mostel). Sadly, when the film was released in 1986, it was snubbed by critics and earned poor box office receipts. Admittedly, the film is not perfect, but I rate "The Money Pit" with a very strong 4 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good slapstick comedy or to anyone contemplating the purchase or renovation of a house. The film also has a strong and simple lesson: buyer beware.

One of the best screwball comedy/romance movies of the last 20 years. Finally on DVD after a long standing dispute with its famous director.

Shelly Long gives what is likely the best performace of her career, she actually carries Tom Hanks, who also puts in a good performance.

People who dont like this movie seem to take it too seriously, not expecting screwball gags from the likes of Hanks and Long. Once you embrace this movie for what it is, every moment is pure comic genius.

I love this movie, but in the DVD version there are some scenes that are missing. The entire sequence where they spend there first night in the house and actually break the step is totally left out! Also the scene with the trees falling is cut short. Those were the two I noticed but there may be more. Why do studios do this? It is a total letdown to fans.

This is one of my favorite movies and I cannot understand why it was dismissed by critics. A lot of the comedy is slapstick, with collapsing stairs, flying Perdue chickens and "weak" trees. But in the context of rehabilitating the house, they can get away with it. This is a truly funny movie with none of the grossness that usually passes for comedy in Hollywood. And it is a must see for anybody who has ever rennovated a house. We are currently remodeling our home and use terms from the movie all the time from the "Shirk Brothers" to "anybody call a plumber?"

One of my favorite movies. Very funny. I just bought it on DVD and was surprised to find one of the scenes "falling trees" was cut out! I expected it would be the same version I had seen many times before.

Go ahead and buy this one. The movie is an absolute riot. Anyone who has ever looked at a home improvement project and thought, "piece of cake", will probably need to wear Depends while watching this movie.

There are so many great lines in this movie that they just keep cropping up in my life. All I need to say to my wife is, "maybe a little dinner, some dancing, that's it" and she's on the floor.

There is one "conflict" scene that I think the movie could've done without, but what do I know, I'm only a viewer. But it does give a setup for a great plasterer line.

If you have "weak trees", bad plumbing, or any of a plethora of other home adventures you will enjoy this movie.

Recommended with absolutely no reservations.

Totally wacky 80's flick, starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long. This, and Bringing Up Baby, are the two films I turn to when I need a serious pick-me-up. It's nice to know that no "bad" day can ever be as bad as theirs!

All sorts of bizarre, hilarious things happen when Hanks and Long decide to bite the bullet and join the ranks of homeowners. Too bad their house begins falling apart the moment they buy it.

Key moments:
the staircase
the black hole in the study
the contractors
the kitchen

It's rather dated, as all 80's things are, but well worth a look. In this slapsticky version of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, Hanks plays one of his trademark roles - the bewildered man fruitlessly trying to make sense of his mad, mad world. It's laugh-out-loud funny no matter how many times you see it.

This is a good romantic comedy. Just relax and enjoy it.
By the way, there are no guns and almost no crimes in the movie.

One of the overlooked comedy classics, with Tom Hanks at his pre-Oscar best and Shelley Long matching him. Snappy writing and great one-liners makes this a movie you'll be quoting often. If you ever do any home improvement project, you'll find yourself muttering, "Two weeks!" over and over. Also makes a great gag gift for anyone about to buy or renovate a house.

Note to Amazon: your internal review has factual errors. A major plot point is that Hanks' and Long's characters are NOT married, and she is not "attracted to a long-haired violinist" - he is a snobby conductor and her ex-husband, to whom she is NOT attracted anymore. It is difficult to take the reviewer's opinion seriously when he's so far off the mark on basic plot points.

The true test that this movie is just downright funny is that I just finished going through my own mini "money pit" experience and I still howl while watching this movie!! My absolute favorite scene is when Tom Hanks gets stuck in the floor and is squeaking out "I'm here." I always laugh so hard that my abs hurt afterwards!!

No, this movie is not Oscar worthy, but if you think that Tom was at his best in Bosom Buddies and Bachelor Party, and you stopped (or were tempted to stop) watching Cheers after Shelly Long departed, then this is a movie for you. :-)