Rick Moranis and John Candy’s underrated ’80s comedy is a must-see for Prime Video users

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Many fans of 1980s comedy are very familiar with Walter Hill’s 1985 film, “Brewster’s Millions.” The film was a big success for Universal, further cementing the star status of its lead actor, Richard Pryor. Its premise is amusing: Monty Brewster (Pryor), a minor league baseball player from New Jersey, stands to inherit $300 million from a recently deceased uncle. There is, however, a strange game show-like stipulation: Brewster can either get $1 million now or win the $300 million by somehow spending $30 million in 30 days. He’s only allowed to donate a limited amount to charity and – here’s the strange thing – he’s not allowed to have anything to show for it. He cannot keep the trinkets he buys. The $30 million must be spent on non-tangible assets. If he fails, he gets nothing.

Brewster initially thinks he can spend a lot by moving into an expensive hotel, but that’s not enough. He ultimately decides to run for mayor of New York on the cynical “None of the Above” ticket. After all, an application is expensive. And if he loses (as he intends to), he’ll have nothing to show for it.

“Brewster’s Millions” is a quick examination of how money clutters everything. Social interactions become suspect when money is involved. Millionaires live totally disconnected from the rest of the world. Brewster likes the idea of ​​being rich at first, but then discovers that it’s some kind of curse. John Candy plays Brewster’s best friend Spike, a catcher on his baseball team and a pragmatic soul. The film also features cameos from many notable guest stars, including Rick Moranis as a bizarre professional impersonator who only appears in a single scene.

“Brewster’s Millions” is readily available on Blu-ray (I hear the commentary track is amazing) and can be instantly started on Prime Video. It’s an excellent comedy with salient comments about class and wealth.

Why is a professional impersonator on ‘Brewster’s Millions?’ » I think Moranis’ character is there to reveal that the ultra-rich often attract people with questionable job roles. He doesn’t play a major role in the film, but it’s nice to have a scene where two “SCTV” co-stars share the big screen.

Walter’s Hill’s “Brewster’s Millions” is actually one of several films based on the 1902 novel by author George Barr McCutcheon, written under the direction of Richard Greaves. The premise of the novel is the same (Brewster will inherit a fortune, but only if he can spend one first), although the amounts have changed since 1902. (Brewster has one year to spend $1 million in order to inherit $7 million.) The novel was adapted into a play in 1906 and first made its way to the big screen in the form of the film adaptation of Cecil B. DeMille and Oscar Apfel in 1914. (This film, unfortunately, is lost to time.) “Brewster’s Millions” was later adapted into American and British films in 1921, 1926, 1935, 1945 and 1961, before Hill took on the role in 1985. The 1945 version, with Dennis O’Keefe as Brewster, could be the version best-known cinematic film before 1985. There is also a radio version of the story from 1937, starring Jack Benny.

Additionally, “Brewster’s Millions” was made into two Telugu-language film adaptations in 1954 and 1985, so the story clearly has universal appeal. In fact, several other film adaptations have appeared since Hill’s version. In total, there are more than a dozen “Brewster’s Millions” films.

Hill’s is the most famous, however, and has all the class commentary offered by the original novel. Pryor is perfect as the sarcastic man tasked with suddenly crossing over into the realm of extreme wealth.

The most obvious comment in “Brewster’s Millions” is that wealth leads to chaos. Everyone wants in on the action, so the ultra-rich develop an aloof, almost Olympian attitude that they can lord it over the courtiers they attract. Brewster, a regular middle-class guy, is shocked and baffled by how the rich live and how easy it is to stay rich. There is an idea that wealthy people can afford the resources to do things like invest, take out loans, and provide huge amounts of collateral. Money, almost effortlessly, attracts even more money. Poverty, for its part, only attracts more poverty. The system is designed to multiply, not to create economic equality.

And of course, Hill’s film also contains some amusing political commentary. Brewster sees that two rich white men are running for mayor, and personally, he can’t tell the difference between them. He’s running against them, hoping to lose and wanting people to stop voting. Why vote if the candidates only care about the rich? Brewster spends considerable sums of money to get this message across. Unfortunately, his comment proved popular among the population, putting Brewster at risk of being elected. If he is, he will have landed a comfortable job with a high salary. Once again, money attracts money, so it gets out of the running. The other candidates threaten to sue him, so he settles out of court, happy to spend the money. Wealthy candidates get his money. Money attracts money.

Through it all, though, Hill infuses “Brewster’s Millions” with an undeniable comedic energy. Everyone is funny and it’s fun to spot all the cameos. Besides Moranis, you should watch Archie Hahn, Lin Shaye, Jerry Orbach and Yakov Smirnoff. It’s funny.