The Money Pit (1986)

A young couple struggles to repair a hopelessly dilapidated house.

Director:

Richard Benjamin

Writer:

David Giler

Stars:

Tom Hanks, Shelley Long, Alexander Godunov

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Hanks	...	Walter Fielding
Shelley Long	...	Anna Crowley
Alexander Godunov	...	Max Beissart
Maureen Stapleton	...	Estelle
Joe Mantegna	...	Art Shirk
Philip Bosco	...	Curly
Josh Mostel	...	Jack Schnittman
Yakov Smirnoff	...	Shatov
Carmine Caridi	...	Brad Shirk
Brian Backer	...	Ethan
Billy Lombardo	...	Benny
Mia Dillon	...	Marika
John Van Dreelen	...	Carlos (as John van Dreelen)
Douglass Watson	...	Walter Fielding, Sr.
Lucille Dobrin	...	Macumba Lady

Storyline

Walter Fielding and Anna Crowley have to start looking for a new house- but there's not much they can afford! This soon changes when they meet a lonely old con artist who sells them a beautiful mansion at a ridiculously low price. Only there's a catch. The second they move into the house it falls apart, starting with the stairway collapsing to the bathtub falling through the floor to eventually the chimney falling into the house! Finally, they have to renovate the house before the frame collapses but the renovations also prove to be a disaster.

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Plot Keywords:

house | dilapidated house | renovation | couple | slapstick comedy | 

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Taglines:

For everyone who's ever been deeply in Love or deeply in debt.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish Chinese

Release Date:

26 March 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Geschenkt ist noch zu teuer

Filming Locations:

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, 3251 South Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,344,555, 30 March 1986

Gross USA:

$37,499,651

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$17,500,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amblin Entertainment, U-Drive Productions, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Nestor Serrano.

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Goofs

In the scene where the "Cheap Girls" talk with Walter on wanting to change their name to "Meryl Streep", it looks like he says "bulls**t" instead of "Meryl Streep".

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Quotes

Anna: This is my house, too. I want to help.
Walter: Do you have a gun?

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Connections

Referenced in Mike & Mike: Episode dated 11 May 2017 (2017)

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Soundtracks

La Bamba
Arranged by Ritchie Valens
Performed by Ritchie Valens
Courtesy of Rhino Records Inc.

User Reviews

Good Memories

I loved this movie. Granted, I was a teen when I first saw it, but even so, I laughed often and that is my standard of judgment. Shelley Long is as good as she was in Cheers (which is gooood). Tom Hanks shows off the early "Bosom Buddies" hopes of physical comedy genius here in a way that he never did again. The bee-attack scene to the flight of the Bumblebee violin solo is fabulous. the whole "We're Sitting on a Dream" sequence with the stairs and doorbell and raccoon and the bathtub is hilarious but PEOPLE. Come on. The entire collapsing stairs bit is the best, capped off by Hanks sweet little blown kiss at the end ... slayed me. My brother and I still reference it whenever everything is more crap than bearable, and we always will. I think this is an overlooked gem and will always have it in my video catalogue. Finally, a quote: Paint. Don't tickle. Alexander Gudonow will be missed.