Slums of Beverly Hills (1998)

Director:

Tamara Jenkins

Writer:

Tamara Jenkins (writer)

Release Date:

14 August 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Never judge a girl by her address.

Plot:

This semiautobiographical story follows a lower-middle-class teenager (Lyonne) and her neurotic family in 1976 Tinseltown.

Plot Keywords:

1976 | Breasts | Nursing School | Cousin | Female Nudity

Awards:

8 nominations

Cast

Natasha Lyonne	...	Vivian Abromowitz
Alan Arkin	...	Murray Samuel Abromowitz
Bryna Weiss	...	Saleslady
Marisa Tomei	...	Rita Abromowitz
Charlotte Stewart	...	Landlady
Eli Marienthal	...	Rickey Abromowitz
David Krumholtz	...	Ben Abromowitz
Kevin Corrigan	...	Eliot Arenson
Brendan Burns	...	Cop in Station
Harris Laskaway	...	Charlie the Cook
Jessica Walter	...	Doris Zimmerman
Mena Suvari	...	Rachel Hoffman
Marley McClean	...	Brooke Hoffman
Mary Portser	...	Mrs. Hoffman
Jock MacDonald	...	Man at Brymans

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual situations, nudity, language and drug content.

Runtime:

91 min | Argentina:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Netherlands:6 | Canada:14A | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Singapore:R(A) | UK:15 | USA:R | Argentina:13 | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The 1954 hit song "Papa Loves Mambo" by Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra is featured in the trailer.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene in the laundry room when Viv meets the girl with the nose job, she is taking the laundry out of the dryer. When we see her take the second item out of the dryer you can clearly see that the dryer still has items in it. But in the next shot she kicks the dryer door shut and picks up the laundry basket to leave.

Quotes:

Murray Samuel Abromowitz: Who the hell is that on your shirt?
Eliot: Charles Manson, sir.
Murray Samuel Abromowitz: Okay...
[to family]
Murray Samuel Abromowitz: Your sister gets the bedroom.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Riches: Slums of Bayou Hills (#2.4)" (2008)

This movie is cinema distilled to its truest and purest essence

Now, I am a middle aged male movie buff, and although I like and have watched lots of movies, and all kinds of movies, comedies are not that high on my list, generally speaking. When I read the tv guide, it said this movie was a comedy. So I tuned in, expecting to not be too excited about the movie.

I tuned in about 10 minutes after the start of the movie, and gave the movie my partial attention. But within 2 or 3 minutes, this movie had my full attention. I could see right away this one was something special. It comes as close to depicting a genuine species of lower middle class family life as I have ever seen. It is a real gem.

And it is not really a true comedy, although it is quite funny sometimes. It sort of defies definition or categorization. Sort of wry and humorous exploration of the dynamics of a typical struggling, lower-middle class family.

No fancy camera angles. Not a special effect in sight (and I have enjoyed many movies with fancy camera angles and special effects--I am no snob). But this movie is cinema stripped to its bare essence. Just pure script and acting. And what a script.

Marisa Tomei is incredible. She should have won the Oscar for this one.

See it!

BTW, I cannot believe the lady who scripted and directed this one has not gone on to do more directing or writing! What a waste of talent!