Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills (1989)

The widow's houseboy and the divorcee's chauffeur bet on which will bed the other's employer first.

Director:

Paul Bartel

Writers:

Paul Bartel (story), Bruce Wagner (story)

Stars:

Jacqueline Bisset, Ray Sharkey, Mary Woronov

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Clare Lipkin
Ray Sharkey	...	Frank
Mary Woronov	...	Lisabeth Hepburn-Saravian
Robert Beltran	...	Juan
Ed Begley Jr.	...	Peter
Wallace Shawn	...	Howard
Arnetia Walker	...	To-Bel
Paul Bartel	...	Dr. Mo Van De Kamp
Paul Mazursky	...	Sidney
Edith Diaz	...	Rosa
Rebecca Schaeffer	...	Zandra
Barret Oliver	...	Willie Saravian
Jerry Tondo	...	June-Bug
Susan Saiger	...	Kelly
Michael Feinstein	...	Self

Storyline

The story of this social satire and soap parody follows two rich white upper class families living in Beverly Hills, California. Recently widowed Claire is a once popular sitcom star, who dreams of a Hollywood comeback. She and her daughter Zandra are not very close, even though they live in the same house, so she turns to her best friend Lisbeth for comfort. Lisbeth is a socialite with her own set of problems. Her alcoholic husband Howard left her for another woman. Her son Willie is terminally ill and hopelessly in love with Zandra, who doesn't even notice him. Lisbeth's poor playwright brother Peter is in love with Claire, even though he just got married in Vegas to sassy To-Bel, a woman he barely knows. Meanwhile, Claire's houseboy Juan and Lisbeth's bisexual chauffeur bet on which of the two will seduce his cougar boss first. Several other plot points make things even more complicated. It turns out that To-Bel has a secret past. The ghost of Claire's husband Sidney starts ...

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Plot Keywords:

bikini | killing a dog | dog | bet | doctor | 

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Taglines:

Just another weekend of shameless sexual adventures, ill-fated romance, and accidental death.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actor/director Paul Mazursky also wrote and directed Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), another Beverly Hills comedy.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Clare Lipkin: On earth, as it is in heaven, Give us this day, our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us, Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, For thine is the Kingdom and the power...
Zandra: Mother, how much longer do we have to have Daddy at the table?
Clare Lipkin: And the glory...
Dr. Van Kamp: It is pushing it, Clare. Sidney's been dead a week already.
Clare Lipkin: For *ever*. Amen.
Dr. Van Kamp, Zandra, Lisabeth Hepburn-Saravian: Amen.
Lisabeth Hepburn-Saravian: Now, leave Clare alone.
Clare Lipkin: It's so hard to let go. To say goodbye.

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Crazy Credits

After the introductory credits the following can be found: 'for L.B. who might have smiled'

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade/Miracle Mile/Pink Cadillac/Road House/Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills (1989)

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Soundtracks

Piano Music
(uncredited)
Music by Melissa Verde

User Reviews

Paul Bartel's Best

I can't believe the user rating for this great film is so low! This is Paul Bartel's best film. It is a fantastically clever remake of "Rules of the Game" and is secretly beloved by film academics around the world. It is beautifully shot, well performed by an amazing cast and very well written. If you are a true fan of cinema, this one must not be missed. Hey Criterion, this film deserves a special edition DVD, get on it!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

July 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

A játék neve: Beverly Hills

Filming Locations:

366 S. Hudson Ave, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$25,635, 4 June 1989

Gross USA:

$2,156,471

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,156,471

Company Credits

Production Co:

North Street Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color