Brewster's Millions

Starring: Richard Pryor, John Candy, Lonette McKee, Stephen Collins, Jerry Orbach, Pat Hingle, Hume Cronyn, Rick Moranis
Directed by: Walter Hill
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
1985

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A baseball player (Richard Pryor) learns that he has been left $300 million- there's only one catch- to get it, he must first spent $30 million in 30 days, with nothing to show for it at the end.

Review:

Tim: I've always liked Brewster's Millions. I think it is an original, clever idea for a movie that is well told and entertaining. I've always found this to be an effortlessly enjoyable movie. The cast is good, and the premise is fascinating. It really makes me wonder if I could spend $30 million in a month, with no assets to show for it. The question is pretty fascinating, and is a bit reason why this movie works. This is a pretty unique idea- one that we haven't seen countless times before. That is very, very refreshing.

Richard Pryor is great in this film. He was such a charismatic, influential individual, and I a big fan of his movie roles. He's great fun on screen, and enjoyable to watch. He works well with the rest of the cast. Pryor makes Brewster a memorable, lovable character, and gives us a reason to care. He makes the movie.

John Candy was very good as Brewster's best friend. I love how the film gave him enough time to be funny, but not so much screen time that he got annoying. It's a perfect amount of Candy, letting Pryor have the most screen time, yet giving him enough room to improve the film. I liked seeing Stephen Collins and Hume Cronyn in smaller roles. They were both enjoyable. I was a bit surprised Lonette McKee was cast in the primary female role. She adds very little to the movie, and is one of the most forgettable aspects of the film. In a surprisingly strong cast, she was easily the weakest link. I think a better actress in this role would have helped the movie.

This film works because it's so fun to watch a guy trying to blow $30 million. The script is very well written, and there are quite a few humorous moments. There's not very many laugh-out-loud, hysterical moments, but the film is just genuinely fun to watch. It features a great performance by Pryor, and is surprisingly memorable as a comedy. I thought the baseball aspect was a bit weak, and the film does drag quite a bit during the Yankees exhibition game. However, the film rallies for a strong finish.

As you might know, I tend to be hard on comedies. I think they're very hard to do right, and it's even harder to create something that stands the test of time. Brewster's Millions manages to be a funny movie whenever you watch it- it hasn't lost its appeal or its entertainment value. This is a very good comedy, and a film that I've always found extremely enjoyable.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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