Brewster's Millions

The film is a comedy of how Brewster finds creative ways of spending the 30 million dollars and not always getting it right. He is unable to tell anyone of his real intentions of inheriting 300 million by successfully blowing 30 million dollars in 30 days. As soon as he receives news he goes on a wild spending spree and recruits lawyers, security guards, decorators etc. all at very inflated salaries. Eventually the word goes around and soon everyone is jostling to benefit from his generosity. Some of the people close to him are unnerved by his spending prowess and tries to help him acquire more money through investments which is exactly the opposite of what he wants. This all adds up to a series of very comical events which is most enjoyable to watch. Look out for the upcoming remake of this movie.

Montgomery Brewster (Richard Pryor) is a down and out baseball player in the lower leagues along with his best friend Spike Nolan (John Candy). Out of the blue he inherits 30 Million Dollars that he must spend in 30 Days and have nothing to show for it, so he can get his real inheritance of 300 Million Dollars; oh yes and he he can't tell anyone why he has to waste all this money.

This excellent and hilarious story is played out brilliantly by Pryor and Candy, and it takes us on a spending spree that has its up and downs for poor Mr Brewster. Because of the nature of the movies theme, Brewsters millions is quite firmly rooted in the 80's when it was made, but it still entertains with ease and is well worth watching.

7/10

In one of his all time best film performances, Richard Pryor portrays Montgomery Brewster, the pitcher for a minor league baseball team in New Jersey. His wealthy uncle dies and leaves him a $300 million inheritance....but there's a catch. In order to get it, he must spend $30 million in 30 days. It might sound simple enough but a position in the New York stock market as well as a phony election campaign for mayor sometimes keep bringing spent money back to him. Hilarious complications ensue as Pryor attempts to spend all of the money and keep it spent without getting any of it back. Pryor shines in a fine character role that's away from his usual con man typecasting.

Believe it or not, "Brewster's Millions", in which Richard Pryor plays a guy who has to spend $30 million in 30 days so that he can inherit $300 million from his late uncle (Hume Cronyn) but can't tell anyone the second part, is based on a 1902 novel. And a funny adaptation it is! Pryor plays a baseball player who prefers partying with his buddy (John Candy). Once it's time for him to start spending, he goes all out. I will say that this isn't the best work for either of them, but Walter Hill's movie definitely elicits its share of laughs. The best part is Brewster's mayoral campaign: he's the most truthful candidate of all time (or at least the most realistic).

The executives who formally give Brewster the money reminded me very much of the Dukes in "Trading Places". As it is, one of them is played by a man who seems to have spent much of his career playing bombastic executives: David White, aka Larry Tate on "Bewitched". He went from playing an executive in "The Apartment", to playing the boss of a man married to a witch, to playing an executive who gives $30 million to a rule-trashing cool dude. What a country indeed!

Anyway, the movie is at once a parable about profligacy and also just a plain old fun comedy. Brewster is a guy who, quite simply, knows how to party. Like I said, it's not the funniest movie ever, but you definitely get some laughs out of it.

This movie is consistent with it's humor throughout. So many 80s films start out with an original idea but seem to lose site of it halfway through as it becomes a love story. Not this film, Brewster is trying to spend that money right up until the clock chimes midnight. One of my favorites by Richard Pryor. John Candy only added to it's hilarity.