Brewster's Millions (1985)

April 7, 2018 11:55 AM

A minor league baseball player has to spend thirty million dollars in thirty days in order to inherit three hundred million dollars. There's a catch however: he's not allowed to tell anyone about the deal.

[Trailer] [IMDB] [Wikipedia] [Rotten Tomatoes] [TV Tropes (all versions)] [BBFC] [Urban Dictionary]

a pro

Brewster’s Millions still works brilliantly as a comedy today, and is well on its way to becoming a timeless classic, a morality tale wrapped up in a whole lot of mirth. MyReviewer

a con

If the system of rewards and punishments in this universe worked the way it should, Brewster's Millions would become only a moderate success. It's not awful. It's a perfunctory comedy, a refurbished used car in which this most seriously gifted of contemporary comic performers revs himself down to the speed of a vehicle that moves at about one-third of the rate of his intelligence. New York Times

Bonus At The Movies clip

miscellany

• Project Gutenberg ebook of Brewster's Millions by George Barr McCutcheon
• Between action films, Walter Hill remade a venerable story and discovered his limits
• 10 Rich Facts About Brewster's Millions
• On The Set Of New York's BM entry
• Why Brewster’s Millions Is The Most Remade Movie Of All Time
• The Periodic Circulation of Brewster’s Millions
• 73 Sports Movies In 73 Days: Brewster's Millions
• Husband's missing fortune likened to Brewster's Millions

posted by Ten Cold Hot Dogs (6 comments total)

This was a favorite of mine as a kid that I haven't seen in years and I'm hoping it holds up.
posted by Pope Guilty at 12:29 PM on April 7, 2018 [2 favorites]

Heller and Salvino are both just a couple of overgrown wharf rats, and you can quote me on that!
posted by Servo5678 at 1:30 PM on April 7, 2018 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I remember it being a lot of fun, but I haven't seen it in 30 years.
posted by Chrysostom at 8:29 PM on April 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

The two things I remember most about this movie: the baseball field with a train track running through the outfield, and the appearance of Torchy's Bar, which puts Brewster's Millions in the same universe as 48 Hours (both movies are from the same director).
posted by hanov3r at 9:07 AM on April 11, 2018 [2 favorites]

I just remember that he uses the Inverted Jenny stamp to mail something.
posted by Chrysostom at 10:15 AM on April 11, 2018 [3 favorites]

I watched this with my 10yo son, after I mentioned the premise to him and he was intrigued. He quite liked it, it's fast-paced and full of energy, he finds a lot of old movies too slow.

I thought it held up better than expected, much better than its dismal 38% on RottenTomatoes suggests. Even though he's toned down from the stage, Richard Pryor gives it a manic nervous energy and John Candy's nearly as good.

It has a ton of memorable moments like the train in the outfield, and the Committee to Ban Contact Sports.

You guys ain't messin' around with baseball, are you?
No, no. Boxing, football, ice hockey... the truly barbaric sports

Also

Marilyn, this is the room I could die in.
Thank God, I'm so glad. OK boys, take it all back!

Also like the way the hotelier and tailors instantly turn from fawning to contempt when they think Brewster is broke. The movie has a lot of sly, wry observations.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 6:41 AM on January 30 [1 favorite]