Funny Farm (1988)

Director:

George Roy Hill

Writers:

Jay Cronley (book)
Jeffrey Boam (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 June 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Chevy Chase finds life in the country isn't what it's cracked up to be!

Plot:

When Andy and Elizabeth buy a farm in Vermont, they can't imagine the trouble that awaits them. Andy...

Plot Keywords:

Vermont | Children's Book | Mailman | Norman Rockwell | Dog

Cast

Chevy Chase	...	Andy Farmer
Madolyn Smith Osborne	...	Elizabeth Farmer (as Madolyn Smith)
Kevin O'Morrison	...	Sheriff Ledbetter
Joseph Maher	...	Michael Sinclair
Jack Gilpin	...	Bud Culbertson
Caris Corfman	...	Betsy Culbertson
William Severs	...	Newspaper Editor
Mike Starr	...	Crocker
Glenn Plummer	...	Mickey
William Duell	...	Old Character
Helen Lloyd Breed	...	Old Operator
Kit Le Fever	...	Young Operator (as Le Fevre)
Dakin Matthews	...	Marion Corey Jr.
William Newman	...	Gus Lotterhand
Alice Drummond	...	Mrs. Ethel Dinges
Brad Sullivan	...	Brock
Nesbitt Blaisdell	...	Hank
George Buck	...	Peterbrook
Audrie Neenan	...	Ivy (as Audrie J. Neenan)
MacIntyre Dixon	...	Mayor Barclay (as Macintye Dixon)
Bill Fagerbakke	...	Lon Criterion
Nicholas Wyman	...	Dirk Criterion
Raynor Scheine	...	Oates
Peter Boyden	...	Reporter
Reg E. Cathey	...	Reporter
Dan Desmond	...	Reporter
Don Plumley	...	Reporter
Brett Miller	...	Teenager
Jamie Meyer	...	Teenager
David Woodberry	...	Ike
Kevin Murphy	...	Ewell
Dennis Barr	...	First Base Coach
Barbara Baker	...	Woman in Stands
David Williams	...	Marcus
Steve Jonas	...	Driving Instructor
Russell Bletzer	...	Councilman
Evelyn McLean	...	Caroler
Steven John	...	Caroler
Robert Conner	...	Caroler
Judson Duncan	...	Caroler
Alison Hannas	...	Caroler
Robert Ingram	...	Caroler
Mary Johnson	...	Caroler
Kristin Kellom	...	Caroler
Paul Link	...	Caroler
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kevin Conway	...	Crum Petree, the Mailman (uncredited)
Hans Cozzens	...	Christmas caroler (uncredited)
Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Elizabeth's Student (uncredited)
Darren Higgins	...	Boy with Deer (uncredited)
Fabio May	...	Townie (uncredited)
Diane Yang	...	Elizabeth's Student (uncredited)

Directed by
George Roy Hill

Writing credits
Jay Cronley		(book)
Jeffrey Boam		(screenplay)

Produced by
Bruce Bodner	....	executive producer
Robert Crawford Jr.	....	producer (as Robert L. Crawford)
Patrick Kelley	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Elmer Bernstein

Cinematography by
Miroslav Ondrícek		(director of photography) (as Miroslav Ondricek)

Film Editing by
Alan Heim

Casting by
Marion Dougherty

Production Design by
Henry Bumstead

Set Decoration by
James W. Payne		(as Jim Payne)

Costume Design by
Ann Roth

Makeup Department
Lee Harman	....	makeup artist
Craig Lyman	....	makeup artist
Kaye Pownall	....	hair stylist

Production Management
George Goodman	....	unit production manager
Lee Haas	....	unit production manager: New York

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael D. Moore	....	second unit director (as Mickey Moore)
Princess O'Mahoney	....	second assistant director (as Princess McLean)
Michael Rapley	....	second second assistant director
Liz Ryan	....	second assistant director: New York
Jim Van Wyck	....	first assistant director
Robert E. Warner	....	first assistant director: second unit (uncredited)

Art Department
Judy Cammer	....	set designer
Gerard Cubero	....	leadman (as Gerard M. Cubero)
Mike Cunningham	....	assistant property master
Robert DePatis	....	construction coordinator (as Bob DePatis)
Henry Larrecq	....	assistant art director
Michael Ross	....	property master
Carol Winstead Wood	....	production illustrator
Yarek Alfer	....	head sculptor (uncredited)
Paul W. Gorfine	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Deborah Dawson	....	assistant adr editor
Lee Dichter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Clark King	....	sound mixer
Richard Kite	....	boom operator
Hal Levinsohn	....	adr editor (as Harold Levinsohn)
Eytan Mirsky	....	assistant sound editor
Sanford Rackow	....	sound editor
Dan Sable	....	supervising sound editor
Ahmad Shirazi	....	sound editor
Dana Stefenson	....	assistant sound editor
Neil L. Kaufman	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Mel Zelniker	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Peter Albiez	....	special effects coordinator
Albert Delgado	....	special effects (as Al Delgado)
A.J. Thrasher	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Albert Whitlock	....	matte consultant (uncredited)

Stunts
Cliff Cudney	....	stunts
Lisa Dalton	....	stunts (as Lisa Loving)
John Patrick McLaughlin	....	stunts
Hugh Aodh O'Brien	....	stunts
Don Picard	....	stunts
George Robotham	....	stunts
John Robotham	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Bobby Brown	....	assistant camera: second unit (as Robert Brown)
Greg Coelho	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Raymond Fortune	....	electrician
Robert E. Gaynor	....	dolly grip (as Bob Gaynor)
Richard C. Kratina	....	camera operator: second unit (as Richard Kratina)
Robert Miller Jr.	....	second grip
Gary Muller	....	first assistant camera
Tom Priestley Jr.	....	camera operator (as Tom Priestley)
Andrew Priestley	....	second assistant camera (as Andy Priestley)
Richard Quinlan	....	chief lighting technician (as Dick Quinlan)
Ed Quinn	....	key grip
Jürgen Vollmer	....	still photographer (as Jurgen Vollmer)
Glenn Corbett	....	best boy (uncredited)
Alex Rodriguez	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
William M. Weberg	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Barbara Greenhoe	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eddie Marks	....	costumer
Marilyn Matthews	....	costumer

Editorial Department
John Hill	....	assistant film editor (as John Andrew Hill)
Mark Livolsi	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Kathy Durning	....	supervising music editor
Dan Wallin	....	music scoring mixer
Jeff Atmajian	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Patrick Russ	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Edward Iacobelli	....	transportation captain: New York (as Ed Iacobelli)
Gene R. Johnson	....	transportation coordinator (as Gene Johnson)
Jerry F. Johnson	....	transportation captain (as Jerry Johnson)
Bobby Marsh	....	driver

Other crew
Jim Barr	....	production accountant
Cynthia R. Coulter	....	animal handler
Patti Dalzell	....	script supervisor
Camille De Mave	....	assistant: George Roy Hill (as Camille DeMave)
Eric Feldman	....	production runner
Cathy Haft	....	location manager: New York
Tim Hill	....	production runner
David Israel	....	location manager
Alan Jacques	....	projectionist
Angela Kaye	....	secretary: Chevy Chase
Adeline Leonard Seakwood	....	production office coordinator: New York
Eric Myers	....	unit publicist (as Eric Meyers)
Matthew O'Conner	....	production runner
Martha Yates	....	production secretary
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)
Marsha Zvonkin	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Cornelius Productions
• Pan Arts
• Warner Bros (presents) (as Warner Bros.)

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1991) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Bros (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1989) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (video)

Special Effects

• Grant McCune Design (special visual effects)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:PG | USA:PG | Australia:PG | Iceland:L | Sweden:7

Filming Locations:

Grafton, Vermont, USA

Company:

Cornelius Productions

Trivia:

The last film directed by George Roy Hill.

Goofs:

Continuity: Andy's wet clothes cause two continuity errors. First, when he falls in the water as the boat leaves the dock at the picnic, he is fully dry when seen shortly after fishing in the boat. Second, on the way home from the picnic he is sopping wet as they stop at the kennel, but fully dry as they arrive home with the Irish setter.

Quotes:

Andy Farmer:We came to Redbud filled with hopes and dreams of a better life. And basically, we've seen those hopes and dreams crushed and battered before our very eyes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Wicked Stepmother (1989)

Fun film, worth a watch.

I wouldn't say this is one of Chevy Chase's best films, but this one still has some good things to offer. There is a fair amount of good laughs and an entertaining story, but not as great as some of Chevy's other credits.

Chevy Chase does a fine job with his role, playing a very similar character to most of his other films. Chevy is good at what he does and doesn't seem to stray very far from what works. Madolyn Smith-Osborne is fantastic in the film, looking just gorgeous and playing her role very well. The only other actors that were familiar to me were the movers in the beginning of the film, Mike Starr and Glen Plummer. Both actors do a fine job, although very small roles in the film.

If you are a fan of Chevy Chase, then I'd recommend seeing this film, you'll probably enjoy it. But, if Chevy Chase isn't your cup of tea, then this may not be the film for you. In any case, if you do see it, I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading,

-Chris