Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)

Beverly Hills couple Barbara and Dave Whiteman are very rich but not happy Dave is a hard working business man, his wife is only interested in yoga, aerobics and other meditation classes, ... See full summary »

Director:

Paul Mazursky

Writers:

René Fauchois (play), Paul Mazursky (screenplay),

Stars:

Nick Nolte, Bette Midler, Richard Dreyfuss

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nick Nolte	...	Jerry Baskin
Bette Midler	...	Barbara Whiteman
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Dave Whiteman
Little Richard	...	Orvis Goodnight
Tracy Nelson	...	Jenny Whiteman
Elizabeth Peña	...	Carmen
Evan Richards	...	Max Whiteman
Mike the Dog	...	Matisse (as Mike)
Donald F. Muhich	...	Dr. Von Zimmer
Paul Mazursky	...	Sidney Waxman
Valerie Curtin	...	Pearl Waxman
Jack Bruskoff	...	Mel Whiteman
Geraldine Dreyfuss	...	Sadie Whiteman
Barry Primus	...	Lou Waltzberg
Irene Tsu	...	Sheila Waltzberg

Storyline

Beverly Hills couple Barbara and Dave Whiteman are very rich but not happy Dave is a hard working business man, his wife is only interested in yoga, aerobics and other meditation classes, and he sleeps with the house maid. Their teenage son is confused about his sexuality and their daughter is suffering from eating disorders. While they are celebrating thanksgiving having plenty of food, street tramp Jerry is hungry, homeless, sleeping rough and has lost his dog. Jerry decides to end his life by drowning himself in their swimming pool. Dave rescues him and invites him to stay for a while. How does this stranger change the life style of this family?

---

Plot Keywords:

swimming pool | eating disorder | aerobics | rescue | maid | 

---

Taglines:

See what happens when a dirty bum meets the filthy rich.

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 January 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Le clochard de Beverly Hills

Filming Locations:

802 N. Bedford Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$62,134,225 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Silver Screen Partners II

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Dave (Richard Dreyfuss) and Jerry (Nick Nolte) are out to lunch, Jerry is approached by a character who asks if she had seen him at the Cannes film festival, "something to do with Nicaragua". Nick Nolte previously starred in Under Fire, set in Nicaragua.

---

Goofs

Barbara says to the radio psychologist that she is 26 years old, while Bette Midler was 41. Dave says he's 27, while Richard Dreyfuss was 39. Both appear too old for the stated ages. However, given the general age of their children they are clearly lying.

---

Quotes

Dave Whiteman: Got a license?
Jerry Baskin: Yeah.
Dave Whiteman: [hands him the keys] You drive.
Jerry Baskin: Okay. Where to?
Dave Whiteman: I don't know. Some days you just want to go, you know?
Jerry Baskin: Okay. Let's hit the beach. I got some friends down there.
Dave Whiteman: The beach?
[laughs]
Dave Whiteman: Who's going to run my business? Who's going to pay my bills? Who's...
Jerry Baskin: [interrupting] You got enough money to last *ten* lifetimes!
[...]

---

Crazy Credits

The credits open on scenes showing sites featured in Beverly Hills The end credits scroll on the alleyway outside the Whiteman's home, during which a bum pushing a trolley walks by, pauses to check on the Whiteman's dumpster, then continues on his way.

---

Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Power/Down and Out in Beverly Hills/Hannah and Her Sisters/The Best of Times (1986)

---

Soundtracks

"I LOVE L.A."
Written and Performed by Randy Newman
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.

User Reviews

Entertaining comedy with scene-stealing dog

"Down and Out in Beverly Hills" is a very funny 1986 comedy from director Paul Mazursky. Nick Nolte stars as a down-and-out bum who one day, after his dog leaves him and goes to live somewhere else, tries to drown himself in the swimming pool of a rich couple. The man of the house (played delightfully by Richard Dreyfuss) saves his live and decides to take him in despite the objections of his wife (played wonderfully by Bette Midler). The bum becomes an influence over everybody in the household. Plus, their dog starts to love the bum. There are big laughs throughout the film, though the movie is a little less funny than Bette Midler's other 1986 comedy "Ruthless People". Still, "Down and Out" has some terrific performances from Midler, Dreyfuss, Nolte, and the rest of the supporting cast. But the real scene-stealer here is the performance by Mike the Dog as Matisse, the canine with a dog psychiatrist. Mike gives one of the best performances by an animal of all-time.

***1/2 (out of four)