Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)

Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)

Paul Mazursky’s Down and Out in Beverly Hills definitely had reason to pique my interest. I enjoyed Mazursky’s previous drama Moscow on the Hudson which was a thematically important story. He tackled a different but still relevant theme regarding poor vs. rich ageless debate. He is working with a trio of great actors in Nick Nolte, Bette Midler, and Richard Dreyfuss. He is tackling this film as a drama and the topic is bound for a few laughs. Plus, there is Little Richard! Annnnnnd he is going to contribute to the soundtrack? As one of the well-known films to greet 1986, it is bound to be decent, right? Well…uh…let’s discuss.

When the dog is funnier than the human characters, you know you are in trouble. The Whiteman family’s dog, Mike is the movie’s MVP. That adorable creature had me laughing every single time he showed up. If the movie was about him, I might have been okay. Instead, Paul Mazursky’s script focused on some extremely unlikeable characters. Maybe it’s the fact that Mazursky had no Robin Williams at his disposal, who is always likable. I definitely liked the concept, but it could have used better characters. Barbara and Dave Whiteman spent the entire movie giving each other grief in such a mean-spirited way. And the way they treat their children too! Or perhaps I wasn’t in a good mood the day I watched the movie and I took it out on the characters?

Barbara (Bette Midler) and Dave (Richard Dreyfuss) Whiteman are a rich, spoiled couple. They are also really unhappy with their lives. Dave works very hard in the hanger business and wants his son to follow in his footsteps. Nothing excites Barbara except for yoga and aerobics. Dave also cheats on his wife with the family maid, Carmen (Elizabeth Pena). Their son is a sexually confused person and their daughter is really anorexic. The family’s lives are changed with the homeless tramp Jerry Baskin (Nick Nolte) shows up. His dog leaves him and makes him not want to live no more, so he decides to drown himself in the Whiteman’s pool. Dave rescues him and that sets off some complicated adventures.

I found it hard to judge the performances when I found the characters despicable. In that notion, I guess the actors did a good job? Hmmmmm. Nick Nolte definitely sold the homeless part well. He never intentionally became homeless, but he just ended up being a wanderer. Dreyfuss and Midler are excellent actors, but I think they deserved a better script. The scene towards the end where Dreyfuss chases Nolte around the house is pretty funny I suppose. Little Richard, in addition to providing some excellent music, is great as the neighbor. And of course, the dog! There should be a sequel with only the dog!

Mazursky based his script off the French play “Boudo Saved from Drowning.” He just took that play and moved it into Beverly Hills. I found it rather interesting that Mazursky shot the film just a block away from his own place. Judging from the characters, is he trying to say that people are unhappy with the California city’s lifestyle? Does being rich mean not being happy? I liked that he tackled this concept, but the script is really lackluster. The maid turning into a political radical out of nowhere it seems does not fit the film well. Yeah, it’s a farce but not developed well enough.

Down and Out in Beverly Hills is not void of any interesting moments, just interesting characters. There are some cool scenes such as the house chase. Nolte does his best. The dog definitely won my heart, so that counts for something. It’s a fast-paced comedy that some people will enjoy and others will won’t. Sadly, I am one of those.

My Grade: C