The 'Burbs (1989)

An overstressed suburbanite and his neighbors are convinced that the new family on the block are part of a murderous Satanic cult.

Director:

Joe Dante

Writer:

Dana Olsen

Stars:

Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Hanks	...	Ray Peterson
Bruce Dern	...	Mark Rumsfield
Carrie Fisher	...	Carol Peterson
Rick Ducommun	...	Art Weingartner
Corey Feldman	...	Ricky Butler
Wendy Schaal	...	Bonnie Rumsfield
Henry Gibson	...	Dr. Werner Klopek
Theodore Gottlieb	...	Reuben Klopek (as Brother Theodore)
Courtney Gains	...	Hans Klopek
Gale Gordon	...	Walter Seznick
Dick Miller	...	Garbageman
Robert Picardo	...	Garbageman
Cory Danziger	...	Dave Peterson
Franklyn Ajaye	...	Detective
Rance Howard	...	Detective

Storyline

This story takes place in a typical American neighborhood, when some new neighbors come to live in the house next to Ray Peterson. These new people are really strange; nobody has ever seen them, their house is a real mess, and during the night you can hear weird noises from their basement. The only thing they know is their name: Klopeks. One day Walter (an old man of the neighborhood) suddenly disappears and everyone starts to suspect the Klopeks...

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Plot Keywords:

spying on neighbor | reference to banff canada | teenager | neighbor | suburb | 

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Taglines:

A comedy about one nice guy who gets pushed too far.

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Genres:

Comedy | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The astronomic zoom at the beginning of the movie places the location as somewhere in central Iowa. Fictional Hinkley Hills is probably a suburb of Des Moines.

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Goofs

Dr. Klopek of all people should have known that installing a crematorium furnace without a permit or license that goes to five thousand degrees in a residential dwelling from the ambient heat certainly would have burned down the house--the same as their last house as Art pointed out.

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Quotes

Carol Peterson: I don't remember seeing crows around here before.
Art Wiengartner: Oh, big bastards too. That's why I got the gun. I'm gonna pop a few of 'em.

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Crazy Credits

After the Universal Studios logo appears, the camera zooms into Earth and to where the film takes place.

At the end of the film, the effect is played in reverse.

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Alternate Versions

A deleted scene has Ray, Ricky, Walter, and Bonnie all standing by a ladder which leads to someone's roof. By their clothes, it is the same day they break into Walter's house.

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Connections

Features Jeopardy!: Episode #4.44 (1987)

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Soundtracks

Won't You Be My Neighbor?
(uncredited)
Written and Performed by Fred Rogers

User Reviews

A Fun Romp Through Suburbia

Wanna' sit down and watch a movie that doesn't take itself seriously and stars Tom Hanks? Here ya' go!

The basic plot to this not-quite-funny comedy is that a group of suburbanites think that a family of creepy new neighbors are actually sick killers who offed another neighbor. They go through all sorts of adventures and situations, trying to get to the bottom of the mystery that, it seems, only exists within their minds.

Who cares if the ending is cliche? Well, I do, but not in a movie like this where there is no underlying meaning or message and is just in existence to have a little bit of fun. Which is, by the way, what you'll have: a little bit of fun.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 February 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Life in the Burbs

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,101,197, 20 February 1989

Gross USA:

$36,601,993

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$49,101,993

Company Credits

Production Co:

Imagine Entertainment, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min 106 min (workprint)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1