DOWN & OUT IN BEVERLY HILLS is a smart American remake of the French film BONDU SAVED FROM DROWNING updated to modern day Beverly Hills. In this version, a homeless man accidentally wanders onto the property of a wealthy Beverly Hills family and tries to drown himself in their pool. Upon rescue, the family takes pity on him and take him in but the bum gets a little too comfortable and begins biting the hand that feeds him (in more ways than one). Nick Nolte gives a rock solid performance as Jerry, the homeless bum who ends up running the Whiteman home. Nolte has rarely been so convincing in a role...apparently he spent several weeks on the streets of LA pretending to be homeless in preparation for the role. Richard Dreyfuss plays Dave Whiteman, the wealthy owner of a hanger company who takes Jerry in and initially envies Jerry's freedom before Jerry goes too far. Bette Midler is very funny as Dave's social climbing wife Barbara and Tracy Nelson plays their snooty college student daughter. Evan Richards also has some funny moments as the Whiteman son, Max. Paul Mazursky's spirited direction (Mazursky also cameos as one of Dave's fat-cat friends)and a clever screenplay help to make this one of the more entertaining comedy confections from the 80's. There is also a scene-stealing performance by a dog named Mike, who plays the Whiteman family pet, Matisse.
57 Reviews
A homeless man is a adopted by a rich family
blanche-222 July 2007
Nick Nolte is "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," a 1986 film directed and co-written by Paul Mazursky and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Bette Midler, Elizabeth Pena, Little Richard, and Tracy Nelson. Nolte is Jerry, a street person so low even his dog leaves him for a kind jogger. While searching for his dog, he stumbles onto the property of Dave and Barbara Whiteman - Whiteman is a clothes hanger king living the good life in Beverly Hills. Filling his pockets with rocks, Jerry attempts suicide by diving into the Whiteman pool, but is saved and ultimately taken in by Dave. Jerry isn't particularly grateful - he wants Courvoisier instead of the alcohol offered him, and, given dinner, questions the meat on the turkey. Dave, guilty about his wealth, bored with his life, and wanting to do some good, buys Jerry clothes and lets him live at the mansion. He even offers Jerry jobs, which Jerry doesn't accept. Jerry's history is on the vague side - he speaks of doing the concert piano circuit, he is recognized in a restaurant by as a writer, maybe he did some acting...hard to know. Before long, he's taken over the entire household, becoming the only one in the house that the Whiteman's psychologically disturbed dog, Matisse, can tolerate, Barbara Whiteman's masseuse and the man who finds her G-spot, the lover of housekeeper Carmen (Pena) after Dave goes back to sleeping with Barbara, the man who gets the Whiteman's anorexic daughter (Nelson) to fall in love with him and start eating; and the man who convinces the androgynous Whiteman son to come out to his parents. Too late, Dave realizes he's Dr. Frankenstein, and Jerry is the monster.
This is an entertaining film with dark undertones and good performances, particularly from Nolte, Dreyfuss, Midler, Pena and Mike (Matisse the dog). Little Richard is a riot as a neighbor. Nolte is in great shape here, as is Midler, who looks fantastic. The party scene toward the end of the film where Dreyfuss chases Nolte throughout the house and grounds is quite funny. The ending isn't the best, but it's a fun watch anyway.
This is an entertaining film with dark undertones and good performances, particularly from Nolte, Dreyfuss, Midler, Pena and Mike (Matisse the dog). Little Richard is a riot as a neighbor. Nolte is in great shape here, as is Midler, who looks fantastic. The party scene toward the end of the film where Dreyfuss chases Nolte throughout the house and grounds is quite funny. The ending isn't the best, but it's a fun watch anyway.
"Shaddup, you pudtz!"
The_Movie_Cat9 September 2000
Warning: Spoilers
WARNING: REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS. DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU'VE SEEN THE FILM.
Down and Out in Beverley Hills is a comedy, which, bizarrely, gets funnier every year.
Whereas it's release saw it as a fairly standard screwball farce, time sees it more and more as a parody of vain 80s obsessions. Among the targets are the growing trends for therapists, jogging, alternative religions, designer drugs and fashion diets.
Richard Dreyfuss is perfect as Dave Whiteman, the nonplussed businessman in the centre of the chaos going on around him. Whereas in some movies the "cute dog" would be irritating, even this element is satisfying thanks to the open hatred he and Dreyfuss displays towards one another. I particularly like the scene where, unable to wreck Whiteman's sexual encounter with his mistress, the dog vindictively sets off the burglar alarm. Another nice touch is an early spoof reference to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", which of course starred Dreyfuss in the lead role. Closer inspection of the film reveals that it's also a lot wittier than you remembered.
Bette Midler's meditating, shallow and indulgent Barbara acts a light counterpoint to the social conscience thrown up by Nick Nolte's tramp, Jerry. Jerry's entry into the household, 35 minutes in, initiates a radical change in all the characters, with Jerry seducing all three women in Dreyfuss' life, helping his son to out himself, and taming his dog.
What makes this film a little bit special is the slightly darker, thoughtful edge it portrays. While it admittedly doesn't see through all the issues it throws up, this is a more intelligent than average comedy, with neatly drawn characters and a satisfying resolution.
Down and Out in Beverley Hills is a comedy, which, bizarrely, gets funnier every year.
Whereas it's release saw it as a fairly standard screwball farce, time sees it more and more as a parody of vain 80s obsessions. Among the targets are the growing trends for therapists, jogging, alternative religions, designer drugs and fashion diets.
Richard Dreyfuss is perfect as Dave Whiteman, the nonplussed businessman in the centre of the chaos going on around him. Whereas in some movies the "cute dog" would be irritating, even this element is satisfying thanks to the open hatred he and Dreyfuss displays towards one another. I particularly like the scene where, unable to wreck Whiteman's sexual encounter with his mistress, the dog vindictively sets off the burglar alarm. Another nice touch is an early spoof reference to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", which of course starred Dreyfuss in the lead role. Closer inspection of the film reveals that it's also a lot wittier than you remembered.
Bette Midler's meditating, shallow and indulgent Barbara acts a light counterpoint to the social conscience thrown up by Nick Nolte's tramp, Jerry. Jerry's entry into the household, 35 minutes in, initiates a radical change in all the characters, with Jerry seducing all three women in Dreyfuss' life, helping his son to out himself, and taming his dog.
What makes this film a little bit special is the slightly darker, thoughtful edge it portrays. While it admittedly doesn't see through all the issues it throws up, this is a more intelligent than average comedy, with neatly drawn characters and a satisfying resolution.
Infectious fun
MOscarbradley28 May 2006
This isn't one of Mazursky's better, serious films but it is an awful lot of fun nevertheless and it stays in the memory. It's an American reworking of Renoir's "Boudu sauve des eaux" and in the role of the scampish tramp it has the great Nick Nolte who looks like a disheveled bear. He's the Boudu character rescued by Beverly Hills businessman Richard Dreyfuss who is as genial and as soft as a poached egg and who radiates goodness. He's the kind of man who feels he has to set the world to rights but isn't pushy enough to do it. That can't be said of his jiggly wife, Bette Midler, who is brash, lewd and who seems to be wearing dresses several sizes too small for her. Midler moves like a mini tornado and her performance has some of the energy of her stage shows. Between them, Nolte, Dreyfuss and Midler bring combined wit and intelligence to the material. They seem to be having a right old time and their pleasure is infectious. Mazursky keeps things on a low boil and lets his players have their rein. It's to our advantage.
Time capsule
ratnazafu23 December 2006
One of the charms of Down and Out is it's "dated" quality. Paul Mazursky has a great talent for capturing an era in popular culture and some of his movies, such as Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice are incredible historical records of their times as well as durable entertainment. Down and Out jump-started Richard Dreyfuss' flagging career, as well as Bette Midler's as a movie actress and Little Richard as a popular singer. This is something modern audiences probably don't know, just a historical side note. Nick Nolte prepared for the part by actually living on the street and not bathing for a month. An actor who takes his parts seriously.
Another fun quality of Mazursky's films is that he puts his friends and family into his movies. Don Muhich, the dog psychiatrist, was Paul's psychotherapist in the '70s and has that role in two other Mazursky movies (B&C&T&A and Blume in Love)
Another fun quality of Mazursky's films is that he puts his friends and family into his movies. Don Muhich, the dog psychiatrist, was Paul's psychotherapist in the '70s and has that role in two other Mazursky movies (B&C&T&A and Blume in Love)
Good grouping on easy target.
rmax3048232 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I visited a deli on Rodeo Drive just before this movie was released and was staggered by the uniformity in grooming. It was like a small-town high school in the 1950s. All the women looked alike. Beautiful. Their long hair fluffy, each strand curled like Top Ramen. (Okay, okay. I lack the vocabulary. Excuse me.) They all seemed to wear the same dark rough-knit long-sleeved sweaters, tight Levis, and leather boots. This is what one kills for? The privilege of wearing a uniform? Paul Mazursky has got the milieu down pat and he skewers it. I haven't seen the French original but, though it may be different, it's probably not funnier than this version.
I'll skip the story except to say that it's about a homeless man (Nick Nolte) who is taken in by a wealthy dysfunctional family, and he straightens everyone out by giving them what they want -- as he puts it. Some gags are funnier than others, helped along by Mazursky's direction. When the spoiled, bored wife has an orgasm with the bum, she screams so loudly that the neighbors a block away turn to listen. A flock of pigeons is frightened out of its tree. I can't think of another movie that features a psychiatric veterinarian.
The climax, unfortunately, is more silly than funny, as if nobody could think of an ending that would stop what's already gone by. Mazursky had the same problem with "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice," at the end of which the sting of genuine phoniness gives way completely to fantasy and everyone does a ring dance to "What The World Needs Now Is Love..." In "Down and Out in Beverley Hills," a party ends with the accidental setting off of a fireworks display and everyone jumping into the pool. You almost wince at the desperation behind this scene.
And then, in a denouement, when the bum decides to leave with the family dog, the whole family and their servants follow him into the mews behind the mansion and beg him with their eyes to come back, which he does quickly enough. Sure, it's a happy ending, but just exactly what is going to happen when Nolte returns after he's been exposed as a lying, manipulative, lazy scuzzbag who has given the son permission to be a transvestite and has been doing both his host's wife and daughter? All he had with him when he first entered the family was a pocket full of rocks. This time he's got a lot of baggage.
Still, it's a light-hearted and engaging comedy, and none of the acting hurts a bit. Aside from the doggy's psychiatrist, I thought Little Richard was the most memorable character, especially when he complains about how much longer it takes the police to respond to HIS emergency alarm than his white neighbors'. (The dog chases him away, tearing at his golden robe.) Dreyfus is quite good too, reminding me of his performance as the exasperated and finally mad psychiatrist in "What About Bob?" Mazursky wisely avoided any attempt to insinuate overt signs of "seriousness" into the screenplay. A comedy doesn't need dark undertones to be successful, and this is successful.
I'll skip the story except to say that it's about a homeless man (Nick Nolte) who is taken in by a wealthy dysfunctional family, and he straightens everyone out by giving them what they want -- as he puts it. Some gags are funnier than others, helped along by Mazursky's direction. When the spoiled, bored wife has an orgasm with the bum, she screams so loudly that the neighbors a block away turn to listen. A flock of pigeons is frightened out of its tree. I can't think of another movie that features a psychiatric veterinarian.
The climax, unfortunately, is more silly than funny, as if nobody could think of an ending that would stop what's already gone by. Mazursky had the same problem with "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice," at the end of which the sting of genuine phoniness gives way completely to fantasy and everyone does a ring dance to "What The World Needs Now Is Love..." In "Down and Out in Beverley Hills," a party ends with the accidental setting off of a fireworks display and everyone jumping into the pool. You almost wince at the desperation behind this scene.
And then, in a denouement, when the bum decides to leave with the family dog, the whole family and their servants follow him into the mews behind the mansion and beg him with their eyes to come back, which he does quickly enough. Sure, it's a happy ending, but just exactly what is going to happen when Nolte returns after he's been exposed as a lying, manipulative, lazy scuzzbag who has given the son permission to be a transvestite and has been doing both his host's wife and daughter? All he had with him when he first entered the family was a pocket full of rocks. This time he's got a lot of baggage.
Still, it's a light-hearted and engaging comedy, and none of the acting hurts a bit. Aside from the doggy's psychiatrist, I thought Little Richard was the most memorable character, especially when he complains about how much longer it takes the police to respond to HIS emergency alarm than his white neighbors'. (The dog chases him away, tearing at his golden robe.) Dreyfus is quite good too, reminding me of his performance as the exasperated and finally mad psychiatrist in "What About Bob?" Mazursky wisely avoided any attempt to insinuate overt signs of "seriousness" into the screenplay. A comedy doesn't need dark undertones to be successful, and this is successful.
Way up on my list of favorites
timoteob16 July 2000
To this is one of the great movies(another example would be "Ferris Buellers Day Off"), that manages to be purely entertaining from beginning to end. Not really loaded with laugh out loud gags or thought provoking drama, its just plain fun all the way through.
Save a Bum, Save your Family
view_and_review31 October 2019
Was this movie supposed to have a point? Was it supposed to be funny? Was it supposed to be eccentric?
It was a swing and a miss on all fronts.
A bum attempts to drown himself in Dave Whiteman's pool. Dave (Richard Dreyfuss) does the heroic thing and saves the drowning vagrant. Then, inexplicably, he gives the homeless man, Jerry (Nick Nolte), room and board. From there Jerry blesses everyone and everything. Whatever was ailing each member of the family and associates Jerry fixed. He doled out advice, orgasms, and apples and for that he became irreplaceable.
I couldn't tell where this movie was headed and even at the end I was scratching my head. Dave's dumb wacked out family couldn't cope without a flamboyant bum. Please.
It was a swing and a miss on all fronts.
A bum attempts to drown himself in Dave Whiteman's pool. Dave (Richard Dreyfuss) does the heroic thing and saves the drowning vagrant. Then, inexplicably, he gives the homeless man, Jerry (Nick Nolte), room and board. From there Jerry blesses everyone and everything. Whatever was ailing each member of the family and associates Jerry fixed. He doled out advice, orgasms, and apples and for that he became irreplaceable.
I couldn't tell where this movie was headed and even at the end I was scratching my head. Dave's dumb wacked out family couldn't cope without a flamboyant bum. Please.
Entertaining comedy with scene-stealing dog
jhaggardjr21 June 2000
"Down and Out in Beverly Hills" is a very funny 1986 comedy from director Paul Mazursky. Nick Nolte stars as a down-and-out bum who one day, after his dog leaves him and goes to live somewhere else, tries to drown himself in the swimming pool of a rich couple. The man of the house (played delightfully by Richard Dreyfuss) saves his live and decides to take him in despite the objections of his wife (played wonderfully by Bette Midler). The bum becomes an influence over everybody in the household. Plus, their dog starts to love the bum. There are big laughs throughout the film, though the movie is a little less funny than Bette Midler's other 1986 comedy "Ruthless People". Still, "Down and Out" has some terrific performances from Midler, Dreyfuss, Nolte, and the rest of the supporting cast. But the real scene-stealer here is the performance by Mike the Dog as Matisse, the canine with a dog psychiatrist. Mike gives one of the best performances by an animal of all-time.
***1/2 (out of four)
***1/2 (out of four)
Very funny comedy
paulclaassen1 July 2018
Quite fabulous, actually, and very well done how one man unintentionally changes the lives of so many people. It truly is laugh-out-loud hilarious at times. A very good cast does a wonderful job in creating a feel-good comedy classic! The dog, Matisse, steals the show, though!
Hurts quite a bit. Cute dog, tho'.
howlandowl15 August 2000
Hardly one of Nick Nolte's proudest moments. Nor any of the other stars, as a matter of fact. It's not their fault; they're all hampered by a rotten script. The movie isn't funny enough to be a comedy, but there really isn't enough of a plot as such to carry it as a drama. Events in this movie just sort of happen with little lead-in or follow-up, and it fails to even wrap up satisfactorily. Absolutely not worth sitting through the highly irritating opening theme music. ...Still, the dog really is cute.
Great acting and casting provide plenty of laughs.
TOMASBBloodhound28 November 2010
Sure it hasn't dated all that well, but look at this 1986 hit as a nice time capsule of L.A. from that time period. A period that basically ended with the sobering and terrifying riots of 1992. Down and Out in Beverly Hills deals with a well-to-do yet dysfunctional family having its priorities rearranged by a bum who first attempts to drown himself in their swimming pool. Nick Nolte, looking only a little scruffier than his 2002 Hawai'ian shirt mugshot plays the Jerry Baskin character on different levels. Early on he seems much like the typical run of the mill schizophrenic homeless person chasing after a dog who found himself a better owner. Then, after his dunk in the pool, we see that he is actually quite intelligent and observant. Almost instantly he sees what is wrong with everyone in the household. He just can't seem to point any of that intellect toward improving his own situation. Even when it is laying there right in front of him.
The patriarch of the family is Dave Whiteman who embodies some of Richard Dreyfuss's better work. He is very successful, yet he it just too uptight. Something seems lacking for him. It isn't the appearance of the bum that sets him off. He actually is the one who most wants him to stay if perhaps to live vicariously through him in some ways. Bette Middler is on hand as Dave's sexually unfulfilled wife who mostly spends her time with worthless self-help gurus. She even has one hired for their cutesy little dog. Nolte is apparently the only man around who has what it takes to recharge her batteries in bed! The family has an attractive yet obviously anorexic daughter and an androgynous son. A sexpot Hispanic maid is also on hand for Dave to use at his will... that is until Nolte moves in on her as well. The film takes place over about a month's time and there really isn't much plot to speak of other than seeing how these characters are altered by Nolte's character.
The film has several funny moments, and thankfully Ms. Middler is not allowed to sing too much. The theme song by the Talking Heads is always welcome to the human ear. Some of the comedy, mostly involving the cutesy dog reactions and Little Richard's exasperated yelling are more annoying than anything else. There are some great performances and many funny observations about successful Angelinos at that time. Not much of a message to be learned from any of it, however. Maybe that is why it works. 8 of 10 stars.
The Hound.
The patriarch of the family is Dave Whiteman who embodies some of Richard Dreyfuss's better work. He is very successful, yet he it just too uptight. Something seems lacking for him. It isn't the appearance of the bum that sets him off. He actually is the one who most wants him to stay if perhaps to live vicariously through him in some ways. Bette Middler is on hand as Dave's sexually unfulfilled wife who mostly spends her time with worthless self-help gurus. She even has one hired for their cutesy little dog. Nolte is apparently the only man around who has what it takes to recharge her batteries in bed! The family has an attractive yet obviously anorexic daughter and an androgynous son. A sexpot Hispanic maid is also on hand for Dave to use at his will... that is until Nolte moves in on her as well. The film takes place over about a month's time and there really isn't much plot to speak of other than seeing how these characters are altered by Nolte's character.
The film has several funny moments, and thankfully Ms. Middler is not allowed to sing too much. The theme song by the Talking Heads is always welcome to the human ear. Some of the comedy, mostly involving the cutesy dog reactions and Little Richard's exasperated yelling are more annoying than anything else. There are some great performances and many funny observations about successful Angelinos at that time. Not much of a message to be learned from any of it, however. Maybe that is why it works. 8 of 10 stars.
The Hound.
Well-meaning comedy shows its age
stephen niz21 July 2000
Seen today, DOWN AND OUT IN BEVERLY HILLS is hampered by its obvious eighties-ness, which still doesn't detract from its fair quota of charms. When a homeless man, Jerry (played by the ever-reliable Nick Nolte) is saved from drowning in the swimming pool of nice-guy millionaire Dave (Richard Dreyfuss), his subsequent welcome into their family has unpredictable implications for Dave's badly-adjusted lot.
The humour is still by-and-large amusing after all these years (a highlight being when Dreyfuss hangs out on the beach with Nolte's fellow bums), even if the periphery characters are slight and shallow. The appearance of Little Richard early-on signals he's got to find a piano before the film is through. Unfortunately, his character - a black record producer unhappy at the implicit racism of the suburbs - has nothing else to do in the mean time.
While it hasn't stood the test of time, hamstrung by its good intentions and badly compromised ending, DOWN AND OUT IN BEVERLY HILLS is an amusing diversion. The most surprising outcome you draw from watching again a family that does not communicate is just how well the issues were addressed in AMERICAN BEAUTY, an altogether darker comedy, but more funny, sincere and resonant.
The humour is still by-and-large amusing after all these years (a highlight being when Dreyfuss hangs out on the beach with Nolte's fellow bums), even if the periphery characters are slight and shallow. The appearance of Little Richard early-on signals he's got to find a piano before the film is through. Unfortunately, his character - a black record producer unhappy at the implicit racism of the suburbs - has nothing else to do in the mean time.
While it hasn't stood the test of time, hamstrung by its good intentions and badly compromised ending, DOWN AND OUT IN BEVERLY HILLS is an amusing diversion. The most surprising outcome you draw from watching again a family that does not communicate is just how well the issues were addressed in AMERICAN BEAUTY, an altogether darker comedy, but more funny, sincere and resonant.
comedy???
3DeeP3 June 2007
I watched this flick some days ago, expecting a rather funny movie, since my TV guide called it a comedy. After I finished watching it, I tried to recall how many times it managed to get me laughing. Very few, I realized. After skipping through some of the reviews on this page, I wondered why so many people thought this movie was funny at all. To me, it was more social satire than comedy; bored, rich and neurotic white people trying to spice up their lives and a bum impersonating everyone they want him to be, helping and using his hosts at the same time.
The script tries hard, but fails to produce many laughs, and the cheesy ending scene destroyed it all, wasting a potentially great cast. If you're interested in rich Beverly Hills residents' problems, you may take a look, but if you're searching for some good laughs, you're going to be very disappointed.
The script tries hard, but fails to produce many laughs, and the cheesy ending scene destroyed it all, wasting a potentially great cast. If you're interested in rich Beverly Hills residents' problems, you may take a look, but if you're searching for some good laughs, you're going to be very disappointed.
Sunny, light and fairly amusing happy-go-lucky comedy.
Silverzero3 May 2003
`Down & Out in Beverly Hills' is a good film in retrospect. It's one of those bright, `just for fun' comedies that existed between 1982 and 1992. Sadly this genre that consisted of feel good movies such as `L.A. Story', `Mr. Destiny' and `My Blue Heaven' doesn't exist in the fast moving world of today. Anyway, the film isn't perfect and has plenty of bad flaws.
One of the problems is the way the film grips at the start, but into the last half-hour, it begins to ramble and loses your attention. It could have done with some rather un-necessary scenes being excised. In the supporting cast, the acting standard is a bit ropey. Even though the film is only 99 minutes, it only barely going into overlength and getting too nonsensical. Only one more quibble- the title. Surely they could have come up with something a bit more attractive than `Down & Out in Beverly Hills'. But the film isn't completely marred by these flaws.
The acting standard is quite good. Back in the days when we could understand what he was saying, Nick Nolte gives a terrifically eccentric performance as the happy-go-lucky tramp brought into this stylish environment. Richard Dreyfuss and Bette Midler are quite good in their respective roles as the neurotic husband and the spoilt rich wife. While the rest of the acting isn't anything above adequate, the characters themselves are likeable. With the flamboyantly effeminate teenage son, the anorexic daughter and even a rather pointless cameo from rock & roll superstar Little Richard.
Even if it tends to bumble a bit towards the end, the theme song (Once in A Lifetime) starts and ends the film on a good note, leaving you with nothing but memories of the good things in the movie. There are some flaws in the narrative and in general, but if you don't take the film seriously, then you'll probably like it. I did and I though it was good. So I give it 6.4/10.
One of the problems is the way the film grips at the start, but into the last half-hour, it begins to ramble and loses your attention. It could have done with some rather un-necessary scenes being excised. In the supporting cast, the acting standard is a bit ropey. Even though the film is only 99 minutes, it only barely going into overlength and getting too nonsensical. Only one more quibble- the title. Surely they could have come up with something a bit more attractive than `Down & Out in Beverly Hills'. But the film isn't completely marred by these flaws.
The acting standard is quite good. Back in the days when we could understand what he was saying, Nick Nolte gives a terrifically eccentric performance as the happy-go-lucky tramp brought into this stylish environment. Richard Dreyfuss and Bette Midler are quite good in their respective roles as the neurotic husband and the spoilt rich wife. While the rest of the acting isn't anything above adequate, the characters themselves are likeable. With the flamboyantly effeminate teenage son, the anorexic daughter and even a rather pointless cameo from rock & roll superstar Little Richard.
Even if it tends to bumble a bit towards the end, the theme song (Once in A Lifetime) starts and ends the film on a good note, leaving you with nothing but memories of the good things in the movie. There are some flaws in the narrative and in general, but if you don't take the film seriously, then you'll probably like it. I did and I though it was good. So I give it 6.4/10.
Paul Mazursky's career may have its ups and downs, but this is an up.
lee_eisenberg12 April 2006
After years playing singular souls, Nick Nolte got a comic role in "Down and Out in Beverly Hills". He plays homeless Jerry Baskin, who after losing his dog decides to drown himself in a swimming pool. He might have succeeded, had the pool's owner Dave Whiteman (Richard Dreyfuss) not seen him. So, Dave takes Jerry into his posh Beverly Hills house, with some pretty wild consequences.
Maybe overall, this movie isn't anything really special, but it does have some funny scenes. Bette Midler is just great as Dave's unfulfilled wife Barbara, who finds new fulfillment with Jerry. I really liked the beach scene. It's a pretty funny movie, and it shows that, while director Paul Mazursky's - who has a supporting role in the movie - career may be uneven, he can certainly do good movies. Also starring Little Richard and Elizabeth Pena.
Maybe overall, this movie isn't anything really special, but it does have some funny scenes. Bette Midler is just great as Dave's unfulfilled wife Barbara, who finds new fulfillment with Jerry. I really liked the beach scene. It's a pretty funny movie, and it shows that, while director Paul Mazursky's - who has a supporting role in the movie - career may be uneven, he can certainly do good movies. Also starring Little Richard and Elizabeth Pena.
An 80s LA take on a French classic
vampire_hounddog21 September 2020
An LA bum (Nick Nolte) attempts suicide by drowning himself in a millionaire's (Richard Dreyfuss) swimming pool, but is saved by the owner who then takes him in. The bum then turns out to be a savant who shows a family the error of their ways.
A very 1980s LA take on the French classic, BOUDU SAVED FROM DROWNING (1932), but lacks a lot of the original film's charm, despite some good performances. Nonetheless, it is an unusually straight comedy from director Paul Mazursky. Of course Bette Midler is her full on vulgar self while Little Richard makes for an amusing kitsch cameo.
A very 1980s LA take on the French classic, BOUDU SAVED FROM DROWNING (1932), but lacks a lot of the original film's charm, despite some good performances. Nonetheless, it is an unusually straight comedy from director Paul Mazursky. Of course Bette Midler is her full on vulgar self while Little Richard makes for an amusing kitsch cameo.
Kind of crazy but entertaining
stargaze-812 April 1999
This movie had an overall aura of craziness, which of course Ms. Midler and Misters Nolte and Dreyfuss played to the max. I was particularly touched by Nick Nolte's recitation from Hamlet on the beach with Richard Dreyfuss... Nice Flick!
Gloppy Class Comedy
slokes14 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Funny to see how little attention "Down And Out" gets today - bare-bones DVD release, a paucity of IMDb reviews, a modest Wikipedia entry - given that less than 25 years ago this was one of the highest-grossing comedies of its day. What happened?
The stamp of the 1980s may be part of the problem. A very '80s look and vibe surround this social satire, where a bum named Jerry (Nick Nolte) is rescued by hanger tycoon Dave Whiteman (Richard Dreyfuss) and put up in his fancy Beverly Hills estate. Jerry finds ways to ingratiate himself with everyone in the household, even the normally hostile Whiteman dog Matisse. Dave soon finds reason to curse his generosity.
I'm in agreement with ratnazafu's earlier comment that this film's connection to its time is part of its charm, though its pastels-and-neon visual signature is not for everyone. The script by director Paul Mazursky and Leon Capetanos is fun and arrestingly non-formulaic, but rather underbaked in such matters as who Jerry really is and what the issues are with the Whitemans' distrait offspring. Most critically, there's a tonal problem at the center - Nolte's direly realistic acting manner clashes with the film's overall cheerful and lightweight spirit.
"There's something very threatening about you," Jerry is told early on by Dave's wife, Barbara (Bette Midler).
Nolte famously prepared for the role by living for days as a vagrant (insert obvious Nolte joke here), and I think the experience made it hard for him to settle into a comedy about being homeless. His gruff, bleary manner is established early and never quite goes away, even as the script paints him in the role of a smooth-talking rascal.
In one scene, we see Dave and some new homeless friends parody the famous "We Are The World" song in a drunkenly over-the-top, amusing manner. Nolte is in the center of the frame, but tries to get out of the shot by hiding his face behind a pole. I don't think he saw himself acting in a comedy, and for the most part, he isn't.
Dreyfuss and Midler, on the other hand, have a lot of palpable fun, and their careers deservedly got huge boosts from their performances here. At times Dreyfuss seems to be channeling Jackie Gleason, but it works, especially as he develops Dave as a genuinely likable character frustrated by his new friend Jerry's refusal to join the rat race. Midler does well with a tougher part, a shopaholic narcissist. "That was the cherry on the cake of my day" she groans when Dave tells her he saw their son in a tutu.
Jerry finally achieves his breakthrough with Barbara through sex, a device the film not only plays up with a silly orgasm scene but repeats with the Whitemans' maid and daughter. The latter ravishment proves a breaking point for Dave, who loses it in a big finale which throws up as much fireworks as it can in a way that points up the story's overall lack of nourishment.
Mazursky movies have a unique quality, full of ideas and visual invention, diverting enough so that you don't particularly mind even when they don't go anywhere special. There's nothing dislikable about "Down And Out", unless maybe you are Nick Nolte, but nothing memorable, either.
The stamp of the 1980s may be part of the problem. A very '80s look and vibe surround this social satire, where a bum named Jerry (Nick Nolte) is rescued by hanger tycoon Dave Whiteman (Richard Dreyfuss) and put up in his fancy Beverly Hills estate. Jerry finds ways to ingratiate himself with everyone in the household, even the normally hostile Whiteman dog Matisse. Dave soon finds reason to curse his generosity.
I'm in agreement with ratnazafu's earlier comment that this film's connection to its time is part of its charm, though its pastels-and-neon visual signature is not for everyone. The script by director Paul Mazursky and Leon Capetanos is fun and arrestingly non-formulaic, but rather underbaked in such matters as who Jerry really is and what the issues are with the Whitemans' distrait offspring. Most critically, there's a tonal problem at the center - Nolte's direly realistic acting manner clashes with the film's overall cheerful and lightweight spirit.
"There's something very threatening about you," Jerry is told early on by Dave's wife, Barbara (Bette Midler).
Nolte famously prepared for the role by living for days as a vagrant (insert obvious Nolte joke here), and I think the experience made it hard for him to settle into a comedy about being homeless. His gruff, bleary manner is established early and never quite goes away, even as the script paints him in the role of a smooth-talking rascal.
In one scene, we see Dave and some new homeless friends parody the famous "We Are The World" song in a drunkenly over-the-top, amusing manner. Nolte is in the center of the frame, but tries to get out of the shot by hiding his face behind a pole. I don't think he saw himself acting in a comedy, and for the most part, he isn't.
Dreyfuss and Midler, on the other hand, have a lot of palpable fun, and their careers deservedly got huge boosts from their performances here. At times Dreyfuss seems to be channeling Jackie Gleason, but it works, especially as he develops Dave as a genuinely likable character frustrated by his new friend Jerry's refusal to join the rat race. Midler does well with a tougher part, a shopaholic narcissist. "That was the cherry on the cake of my day" she groans when Dave tells her he saw their son in a tutu.
Jerry finally achieves his breakthrough with Barbara through sex, a device the film not only plays up with a silly orgasm scene but repeats with the Whitemans' maid and daughter. The latter ravishment proves a breaking point for Dave, who loses it in a big finale which throws up as much fireworks as it can in a way that points up the story's overall lack of nourishment.
Mazursky movies have a unique quality, full of ideas and visual invention, diverting enough so that you don't particularly mind even when they don't go anywhere special. There's nothing dislikable about "Down And Out", unless maybe you are Nick Nolte, but nothing memorable, either.
Excellent all around
caa82122 November 2006
Still funny upon seeing it the second time - 20 years after its first-run viewing. Every character is likable - Nolte, Dreyfuss and Midler in the starring roles, and every one of the primary co-star and the supporting cast.
Nolte is an outstanding actor, and this role and his harder-edged character in the great "North Dallas Forty," are among his very best. Many actors exhibit far different personalities off-screen than "on" ( e.g. Nicholson), or are downright goofy in real life (Cruise, Jolle, Affleck/Lopez, etc.). But I've never seen any whom I wish might be more like his on-screen persona than Nolte. The guy has charisma, believability, and is completely likable in every role.
Here, he staggers, pretty much literally, homeless, into the mansion of a Beverly Hills wealthy family as dysfunctional (although pleasantly so) as any on the planet.
Of course, his presence and "counsel" take care of all their neuroses - bringing a relaxed enjoyment of life to Dreyfuss, a reawakening of sexual delight in Midler, enjoyment (and relief from anorexia/bulimia) to the winsome daughter, direction to the frustrated adolescent son, happiness to the sexy Latino maid, and effecting a change in the family pooch to where he can now enjoy the pleasant life of a contented, happy pet.
The diversions and hi-jinks in the story are also pleasant - often these necessary components of a film can detract - and the equally necessary closing events lead to a pleasant rapprochement and a happy ending.
An excellent, "feel good" viewing experience.
Nolte is an outstanding actor, and this role and his harder-edged character in the great "North Dallas Forty," are among his very best. Many actors exhibit far different personalities off-screen than "on" ( e.g. Nicholson), or are downright goofy in real life (Cruise, Jolle, Affleck/Lopez, etc.). But I've never seen any whom I wish might be more like his on-screen persona than Nolte. The guy has charisma, believability, and is completely likable in every role.
Here, he staggers, pretty much literally, homeless, into the mansion of a Beverly Hills wealthy family as dysfunctional (although pleasantly so) as any on the planet.
Of course, his presence and "counsel" take care of all their neuroses - bringing a relaxed enjoyment of life to Dreyfuss, a reawakening of sexual delight in Midler, enjoyment (and relief from anorexia/bulimia) to the winsome daughter, direction to the frustrated adolescent son, happiness to the sexy Latino maid, and effecting a change in the family pooch to where he can now enjoy the pleasant life of a contented, happy pet.
The diversions and hi-jinks in the story are also pleasant - often these necessary components of a film can detract - and the equally necessary closing events lead to a pleasant rapprochement and a happy ending.
An excellent, "feel good" viewing experience.
Great Fun!
namashi_15 February 2014
Based on a French play, 'Down and Out in Beverly Hills' is great fun! An engaging film that comes in-tact with a well-done screenplay & knock-out performances by its superb cast.
'Down and Out in Beverly Hills' Synopsis: A millionaire adopts a homeless bum only to make things go crazy.
'Down and Out in Beverly Hills' is entertaining from start to end. Sure, there are some loose ends in the writing, but for the most part, the film works largely. The Adapted Screenplay is well-done & pretty funny too. Paul Mazursky's Direction is crisp. Cinematography, Editing & Art Design, are fabulously done.
Performance-Wise: Nick Nolte is simply flawless as the homeless bum. He emerges a scene-stealer here! Richard Dreyfuss & Bette Milder are excellent, as well. The on-screen chemistry between Dreyfuss & Midler is, electric!
On the whole, 'Down and Out in Beverly Hills' succeeds.
'Down and Out in Beverly Hills' Synopsis: A millionaire adopts a homeless bum only to make things go crazy.
'Down and Out in Beverly Hills' is entertaining from start to end. Sure, there are some loose ends in the writing, but for the most part, the film works largely. The Adapted Screenplay is well-done & pretty funny too. Paul Mazursky's Direction is crisp. Cinematography, Editing & Art Design, are fabulously done.
Performance-Wise: Nick Nolte is simply flawless as the homeless bum. He emerges a scene-stealer here! Richard Dreyfuss & Bette Milder are excellent, as well. The on-screen chemistry between Dreyfuss & Midler is, electric!
On the whole, 'Down and Out in Beverly Hills' succeeds.
Rambling, empty film.
gridoon20 December 1999
This supposed "satire" lacks two things that are essential for a satire: a target and a purpose. The fact that it's even today considered to be a "satire" is extremely puzzling; I wonder if there is one person who saw this film and understood what exactly this movie was meant to satirize. But the movie has other problems, besides its utter pointlessness; the most serious one is that it's rarely funny. It adds up to a rambling collection of episodes, most of which are passable and watchable enough, but none of which is funny or meaningful or strong enough to stop the film from sinking. A waste of time.
Fun And Games In Beverly Hills
bama111125 August 2000
I may not know what's funny, but I know what I like. I thought this movie was absolutely hilarious. I don't know, or care if it is supposed to be a satire or not. Between the son and the dog and the neighbor and the anorexic daughter and the maid, not to mention the three main characters, there are many funny moments. Nick Nolte, insinuating himself on this dysfunctional family, headed by Richard Dreyfuss and Bette Midler, appears to steer them all in the right direction, with plenty of nice moments along the way.
Lacks spice and urgency, down but not out
StevePulaski26 November 2011
Down and Out in Beverly Hills features an excellent cast doing probably their each individual best work. The casting itself is pitch perfect right down to the two dogs. But I believe the problem stems from the direction. The films claims it's a comedy, when really, it's a chuckle-delivering drama. I think director Paul Mazursky accidentally made the premise a bit too serious.
You know how people say a film is "love it or hate it?" I think Down and Out in Beverly Hills is "love it or accept it." I think of these kinds of films sort of as "elegant comedies" where the sets and actors are very classy, but it's questionable you'd want to see a movie with those kind of characters. Other movies I believe fit into my sub-genre are Arthur and Fierce Creatures. They aren't bad films, but I don't believe the characters are interesting enough to carry the weight of a full length film on their backs.
The plot: A rich family's life is changed when a bum tries to commit suicide in their backyard pool. The family is made wealthy because the husband, Dave Whiteman (Dreyfuss), is the head of a coat-hanger factory. His wife Barbara (Midler) is happy with the wealth, but unsatisfied as a person. Her and Dave's relationship is complex and she is more often than not left unfulfilled by her husband.
The bum is played fantastically by Nick Nolte. His name is Jerry, and after his "faithful" dog companion runs away to find a home with a jogger, Jerry jumps in the Whitemans' pool when it is draining to try and kill himself. Seconds away from being gone, Dave jumps in to save the man and to revitalize him as a human being to make him happier in life.
An act of role reversal is made here where the happier half is the bum and the sadder half is the wealthy family, so the film gives a sincere look at how some people live their lives and how some are happier than others. The problem is just in the way it's executed which is hard to explain. It's hokey and not as inspired as it would seem.
Paul Mazurksy has a talent for squeezing the most out of his actors and giving them constant, incorruptible, shockingly well-built chemistry. Later in his career, he provided the same chemistry to Woody Allen and Bette Midler in Scene from a Mall, a movie that besides the chemistry, has little to offer. The setup between the three leads is anything but contrived and highly welcomed as they each give their own sense of screen magic.
So, what is wrong with Down and Out in Beverly Hills? It's honestly hard to say. I sat through the whole thing, no interruptions, and upon finishing it I reached a quandary. I didn't know if I liked what I just watched. Sitting down, writing this hasn't helped much either. I think it's one of those films that is cute, warm, and gentle, but that's it. There's nothing wrong with that if that's what you're looking for, but there isn't much urgency or attraction equipped in the script. Just a bunch of characters wandering around, awaiting the next predicament to fall into.
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Bette Midler, and Nick Nolte. Directed by: Paul Mazursky.
You know how people say a film is "love it or hate it?" I think Down and Out in Beverly Hills is "love it or accept it." I think of these kinds of films sort of as "elegant comedies" where the sets and actors are very classy, but it's questionable you'd want to see a movie with those kind of characters. Other movies I believe fit into my sub-genre are Arthur and Fierce Creatures. They aren't bad films, but I don't believe the characters are interesting enough to carry the weight of a full length film on their backs.
The plot: A rich family's life is changed when a bum tries to commit suicide in their backyard pool. The family is made wealthy because the husband, Dave Whiteman (Dreyfuss), is the head of a coat-hanger factory. His wife Barbara (Midler) is happy with the wealth, but unsatisfied as a person. Her and Dave's relationship is complex and she is more often than not left unfulfilled by her husband.
The bum is played fantastically by Nick Nolte. His name is Jerry, and after his "faithful" dog companion runs away to find a home with a jogger, Jerry jumps in the Whitemans' pool when it is draining to try and kill himself. Seconds away from being gone, Dave jumps in to save the man and to revitalize him as a human being to make him happier in life.
An act of role reversal is made here where the happier half is the bum and the sadder half is the wealthy family, so the film gives a sincere look at how some people live their lives and how some are happier than others. The problem is just in the way it's executed which is hard to explain. It's hokey and not as inspired as it would seem.
Paul Mazurksy has a talent for squeezing the most out of his actors and giving them constant, incorruptible, shockingly well-built chemistry. Later in his career, he provided the same chemistry to Woody Allen and Bette Midler in Scene from a Mall, a movie that besides the chemistry, has little to offer. The setup between the three leads is anything but contrived and highly welcomed as they each give their own sense of screen magic.
So, what is wrong with Down and Out in Beverly Hills? It's honestly hard to say. I sat through the whole thing, no interruptions, and upon finishing it I reached a quandary. I didn't know if I liked what I just watched. Sitting down, writing this hasn't helped much either. I think it's one of those films that is cute, warm, and gentle, but that's it. There's nothing wrong with that if that's what you're looking for, but there isn't much urgency or attraction equipped in the script. Just a bunch of characters wandering around, awaiting the next predicament to fall into.
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Bette Midler, and Nick Nolte. Directed by: Paul Mazursky.
Hollywood's Idea Of A Bum
Lechuguilla17 December 2013
Hollywood borrowed the underlying premise from an old, old film called "Boudu Saved From Drowning". Writers dressed up the story to fit a 1986 audience. The rich Whiteman family lives in luxury in Beverly Hills. One day, in walks a tramp named Jerry Baskin (Nick Nolte). The plot then plays out as "comedy" and satire, as these two social class opposites interact.
The script's plot points are in-your-face obvious; there's nothing at all subtle here. Scriptwriters try too hard to make these plot elements funny, and the result is that, except for the amusing expressions of the little dog, Matisse, there's very little that is actually funny. Characters, and the actors that play these roles, are mostly just grating.
The best performance goes to Bette Midler, whose character Barbara is an emotionally frustrated rich woman, who employs a yogi to help her overcome the trials and tribulations of being wealthy.
The rest of the cast is not so hot. Nick Nolte, as the bum, mostly just plays himself; neither Nolte nor his character persuades us they have ever had a hard day in their lives. Tracy Nelson comes across as an entitled Hollywood insider who got the role of Jenny, a spoiled 1980s prima donna.
But the award for worst performance goes to the annoyingly overeager Richard Dreyfuss, another insider, who shouts and overacts his way through the entire film. Indeed, this film has a serious problem with overacting. I guess it's a way to try to compensate for the lack of humor in this so-called comedy.
Cinematography and production values are fine. And I liked those interior scenes wherein Bette Midler walks out of her plush bathroom through a cascade of mirrors; that's nicely done. The film's score is not the least bit inspired. And the final fifteen-minute segment collapses into silly chaos, with an ending that is not remotely credible.
Time-bound to the 1980s, "Down And Out In Beverly Hills" looks and feels dated. It strikes me as a film produced, written, directed, and acted by an ensemble of Hollywood insiders, none of whom have any idea of what it's like to be homeless, and couldn't care less. Homelessness is just another impersonal topic about which Hollywood can make a bundle of cash. Poor Mike, the dog that played Matisse; that dog needs to find an agent that can get him into better films.
The script's plot points are in-your-face obvious; there's nothing at all subtle here. Scriptwriters try too hard to make these plot elements funny, and the result is that, except for the amusing expressions of the little dog, Matisse, there's very little that is actually funny. Characters, and the actors that play these roles, are mostly just grating.
The best performance goes to Bette Midler, whose character Barbara is an emotionally frustrated rich woman, who employs a yogi to help her overcome the trials and tribulations of being wealthy.
The rest of the cast is not so hot. Nick Nolte, as the bum, mostly just plays himself; neither Nolte nor his character persuades us they have ever had a hard day in their lives. Tracy Nelson comes across as an entitled Hollywood insider who got the role of Jenny, a spoiled 1980s prima donna.
But the award for worst performance goes to the annoyingly overeager Richard Dreyfuss, another insider, who shouts and overacts his way through the entire film. Indeed, this film has a serious problem with overacting. I guess it's a way to try to compensate for the lack of humor in this so-called comedy.
Cinematography and production values are fine. And I liked those interior scenes wherein Bette Midler walks out of her plush bathroom through a cascade of mirrors; that's nicely done. The film's score is not the least bit inspired. And the final fifteen-minute segment collapses into silly chaos, with an ending that is not remotely credible.
Time-bound to the 1980s, "Down And Out In Beverly Hills" looks and feels dated. It strikes me as a film produced, written, directed, and acted by an ensemble of Hollywood insiders, none of whom have any idea of what it's like to be homeless, and couldn't care less. Homelessness is just another impersonal topic about which Hollywood can make a bundle of cash. Poor Mike, the dog that played Matisse; that dog needs to find an agent that can get him into better films.
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