Folks! (1992)

A slightly self absorbed yuppie takes in his parents including his senile father, after their home burns down. But his personal and professional life fall apart soon after.

Director:

Ted Kotcheff

Writer:

Robert Klane

Stars:

Tom Selleck, Don Ameche, Anne Jackson

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Selleck	...	Jon Aldrich
Don Ameche	...	Harry Aldrich
Anne Jackson	...	Mildred Aldrich
Christine Ebersole	...	Arlene Aldrich
Wendy Crewson	...	Audrey Aldrich
Michael Murphy	...	Ed
Robert Pastorelli	...	Fred
Kevin Chevalia	...	Kevin (as Kevin Timothy Chevalia)
Maggie Murphy	...	Maggie (as Margaret Murphy)
Joseph Wayne Miller	...	Jerry (as Joseph Miller)
T.J. Parish	...	Steve
J. Patrick McCormack	...	Howard (as John McCormack)
Peter Burns	...	Another Trader
Jon Favreau	...	Chicago Taxi Driver
Jackye Roberts	...	Gail

Storyline

Jon has it all, great job, beautiful wife and kids, and a dream house. But when his father, who is a little senile, burns his house trailer down while his mother is in the hospital, Jon brings his parents to live with him. Soon his wife goes home to mother, he's fired for suspicion of insider trading, his sister and her unruly kids get booted out by her boyfriend, and moves in, he's about to be evicted, and his assets are frozen. How could things get any worse?

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Plot Keywords:

hospital | 1990s | family relationships | absent mindedness | retirement home | 

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Taglines:

Jon Aldrich is about to come face to face with the most terrifying force known to man... His parents.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language and sensuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

Star Tom Selleck does not sport his trademark mustache in this movie having shaved it off for the film.

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Goofs

John calls Ed a "backstabbing pig" when he finds out that the FBI has closed down the place where he works. However, it looks like "pig" replaced "prick" in post production to gain a PG-13 rating.

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Quotes

Harry: You sold the shoe store? You sold the shoe store?
Jon: I'm sorry, Pop, I just couldn't find the right way to tell you.
Harry: Tell me what?
Jon: That I sold the shoe store.
Harry: You sold the shoe store?
Jon: The neighborhood was changing and it wasn't worth anything!
Harry: [Showing him a deed] It's worth half a million dollars. See? McDonnell's!
Jon: [Thinking he said 'McDonalds'] You hungry again, Pop?
Harry: Yeah.

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Connections

Referenced in Blonde Poison: The Making of 'Basic Instinct' (2001)

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Soundtracks

Gravel Road
Performed by Magic Slim and the Teardrops

User Reviews

Problems With Family, Friends, Work? Want a Solution?

Very strange and somewhat demented black comedy that really plays more like a Road-Runner/Wile E. Coyote cartoon than a live action motion picture. Tom Selleck takes in his elderly parents (Don Ameche and Anne Jackson) after his father accidentally burns down their home. Immediately everything comes apart for Selleck as he and his sexy wife (Wendy Crewson) start to have marital problems, then he is investigated for possible insider trading by FBI man Michael Murphy, then his crazed sister (Christine Ebersole) and her unruly kids move in after they are evicted and the hits keep coming when Ebersole starts to fool around with Selleck's door man (Robert Pastorelli). Things are going from bad to worse fast and then Jackson pleads with Selleck to kill her and Ameche (no kidding). Selleck's financial woes and the fact that Ameche is suffering the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease are the reasons for Jackson's request. Selleck naturally is torn with what to do, while Ebersole thinks it is a great idea (she obviously has a heart of gold, haha). Soon Selleck tries and tries to have his parents knocked off so he can collect their insurance, but their safety is never really in danger. Instead he is the one who might end up dead trying to come through. I must admit that I like this film a little more than I dislike it. It is a bargain-basement effort and the ideas are no better than those that a junior high student would come up with. With that said, the cast is first-rate and actually make the story come to life with quirky situations and surprisingly hilarious dialogue. There is a darkness to this picture though as there are questions raised about Alzheimer's Disease (a disease that is so tough on everyone who has seen it firsthand) and the rights of elderly people who do not want to lose one another to death. I guess the main problem with me here is tone as I laughed, but did not always feel good laughing at these characters. Ameche is a revelation (as he always seemed to be) and the other primary players are talented performers. Overall I got stuck in the middle with "Folks!", but this is still a picture that deserves a little more credit than it has received. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 May 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Folks

Filming Locations:

Boca Raton, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,177,518, 3 May 1992

Gross USA:

$6,132,924

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,132,924

Company Credits

Production Co:

Penta Pictures, Pentamerica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1