Ruthless People (1986)

A couple, cheated by a vile businessman, kidnap his wife in retaliation, without knowing that their enemy is delighted they did.

Directors:

Jim Abrahams, David Zucker,

Writers:

Dale Launer, O. Henry (story)

Stars:

Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Danny DeVito	...	Sam Stone
Bette Midler	...	Barbara Stone
Judge Reinhold	...	Ken Kessler
Helen Slater	...	Sandy Kessler
Anita Morris	...	Carol Dodsworth
Bill Pullman	...	Earl Mott
William G. Schilling	...	Chief Henry Benton
Art Evans	...	Lt. Bender
Clarence Felder	...	Lt. Walters
J.E. Freeman	...	Bedroom Killer
Gary Riley	...	Heavy Metal Kid
Phyllis Applegate	...	Loan Officer
Jeannine Bisignano	...	Hooker in Car
J.P. Bumstead	...	Technician
Jon Cutler	...	Stereo Store Customer

Storyline

Sam Stone is a clothing manufacturer, who married his wife Barbara, for the money that she was supposed to inherit from her dying father, but her father didn't die for another fifteen years. He is now planning to kill her and he tells his girlfriend Carol what he is going to do. He then on his way home to do just that but when he gets there, she's not there. He then receives a call from someone claiming to have kidnapped Barbara and threatening to kill her if he informs the police, which he does hoping that they do. What Stone doesn't know is that the kidnappers, Ken and Sandy are a couple whose idea for a garment he stole and made fortune off, are not that lethal, as a matter of fact Barbara's more lethal. And what Stone doesn't know is that Carol, has another boyfriend and they plan to blackmail Sam, by videotaping him disposing of Barbara's body. When her boyfriend, Earl goes there to do that, the person who goes there was not Sam but a guy with a hooker, and the guy instructs the ...

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Plot Keywords:

police | ransom | murder | hooker | blackmail | 

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Taglines:

Barbara Stone has just been kidnapped by K-Mart, and what she doesn't know won't hurt her.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 June 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Y a-t-il quelqu'un pour tuer ma femme?

Filming Locations:

Bargain Saver - 5500 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$71,624,879 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Silver Screen Partners II

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There are some references to the Walt Disney world: Ken and Sandy Kessler are wearing duck masks (presumably Donald's nephews Huey and Dewey) as Barbara Stone says a few minutes later when they first uncover Barbara's face. When Sam Stone visits his lover Carol's house, he's singing "Zip-a-dee Doo-Dah" from Song of the South. Ruthless People was released under Disney's Touchstone Pictures label, which was created so the studio could release more adult-oriented fare.

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Goofs

Ken's first attempt to collect the ransom from Sam Stone happens on a Monday. When Sam fails to show, Ken reschedules the drop for Wednesday. Following the failed attempt, Sandy goes down to the basement to bring Barbara more magazines. Barbara asks how long she's going to be there, and Sandy says, "As soon as Mr. Stone pays the ransom. Should be Monday." The day is Monday, so she should say "today."

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sam Stone: Carol, did I ever tell you why I married her?
Carol: Yes, Sam, you told me many, many...
Sam Stone: Her father was very, very rich, and very, very sick. The doctors assured me he'd be dead any minute. There wasn't a second to lose! I rushed right out and married the boss's daughter. He was so sick, it was like the Angel of Death was sitting in the room with him, watching the clock. They pulled the plug on him... he wheezed and shook for about an hour... and then... he stabilized. The son-of-a-bitch ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Near the end of the credits is the line "I Love Wrong Numbers", referring to a scene earlier in the movie where Sam Stone gets a wrong number on the phone and does a vulgar prank to it.

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Connections

References Deliverance (1972)

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Soundtracks

"Don't You Want My Love"
Performed by Nicole J McCloud
Written by A. Nova

User Reviews

Quite possibly one of the funniest movies EVER!!!!

"Ruthless People" is a genuinely original farce that kept me laughing to the point of exhaustion. It's masterful how all these characters interweave, creating more and more hilarious subplots. The cast is a tour de force. Danny DeVito gives quite possibly the best comic performance of his career! Bette Midler is also great as his whiny, obnoxious wife. It's good to see Judge Reinhold, who practically disappeared after finishing the "Beverly Hills Cop" flicks. An early performance by Bill Pullman is also worth checking out. I think he's a real cool actor, but he usually plays the same yuppie roles. Here, he plays a dim-witted, trailer-trash airhead and is a delight to watch. There are so many funny moments that will stick in my mind forever, like when the serial killer invades the house. "You look like my mother, I hate my mother." And the confusion that was created with the sex video was absolutely classic. I haven't seen a good comedy in a while, nor have laughed this hard in a while. That's why I was glad to catch this movie on the Starz Network, because it is one of the funniest comedies I've ever seen and nowadays, you ain't gonna see too many good comedies, nor great ones like this. A MUST-SEE!!!

My score: 9 (out of 10)