Opportunity Knocks (1990)

Eddie and Lou are a couple of two-bit con men on the lam from a loan shark. They hide out in someone's house and they hear on the answering machine that (A) the owner of the house is out of... See full summary »

Director:

Donald Petrie

Writers:

Mitchel Katlin, Nat Bernstein

Stars:

Dana Carvey, Robert Loggia, Todd Graff

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dana Carvey	...	Eddie
Robert Loggia	...	Milt
Todd Graff	...	Lou
Julia Campbell	...	Annie
Milo O'Shea	...	Max
James Tolkan	...	Sal
Doris Belack	...	Mona
Sally Gracie	...	Connie
Mike Bacarella	...	Pinkie
John M. Watson Sr.	...	Harold Monroe
Beatrice Fredman	...	Bubbie
Thomas McElroy	...	Men's Room Attendant
Jack McLaughlin-Gray	...	Wine Steward
Gene Honda	...	Japanese Businessman
Del Close	...	Williamson

Storyline

Eddie and Lou are a couple of two-bit con men on the lam from a loan shark. They hide out in someone's house and they hear on the answering machine that (A) the owner of the house is out of the country for a month or two and (B) the housesitter supposed to watch the house for the absent owner won't be able to watch the house due to a new job in another part of the country. This provides for a pretty nifty arrangement for Eddie and Lou...until the relatives of the house owner drop by to visit. Eddie quickly adopts the guise of the person supposedly housesitting for the owner, and the shenanigans start from there.

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Plot Keywords:

impostor | mafia | con artist | independent film

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Taglines:

In the world of cons....Eddie's a pro.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 March 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alle tiders chance

Filming Locations:

Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$11,359,129 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Imagine Films Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The "IRS Building" demolished near the end of the movie is actually the Baker Hotel in Dallas, Texas which was demolished in the early 1980s to make room for the building that is now known as Whitacre Tower.

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Quotes

Eddie Farrell: As Pericles said to the Athenians, "Where do I drain the lizard?".

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Connections

Features Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986)

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Soundtracks

"Good Thing"
Performed by Fine Young Cannibals (as The Fine Young Cannibals)
Written by Roland Gift and David Steele
Courtesy of Walt Disney Records

User Reviews

A squandered opportunity

"Opportunity Knocks" is very much a movie of its time. Apart from the fact that it stars then-hot Saturday Night Live star Dana Carvey, it has the general feel of an 80's comedy (though it was actually released early in 1990).

Carvey plays a struggling con-man who charms his way into the lives of an upper class family after they mistake him for a friend of their son. He soon hits it off with both the businessman father (Robert Loggia) and the reserved daughter (Julia Campbell), though his growing attachment is destined to end in the exposure of his deception. To make matters worse, he's got a dangerous loan shark hounding him for $60,000 that he doesn't have.

The acting is mostly decent but certainly nothing to write home about. Carvey gets ample opportunity to showcase his varied comedic skills, though he could have used some better writing to work with. Robert Loggia & Julia Campbell both do well in their respective roles but the rest of the cast is unremarkable at best and below par at worst.

Donald Petrie's direction is capable but not particularly memorable. He's actually directed a few above average rom-coms in his career but this one isn't one of them. The soundtrack includes a couple of good selections but these are overshadowed by some dated music and an embarrassing karaoke rendition of "Born to be Wild".

Ultimately, "Opportunity Knocks" is a passable time-waster but it too often strays into cliché and unbelievability. Even as a Dana Carvey vehicle, it pales next to the "Wayne's World" movies which were yet to come.