Score: 3/10
Ughhh... a popular theme in the 90's was rehashing television shows from the 50's and 60's. Like how the 80's and 90's are popular now. Television shows that are popular in re-runs, should stay being re-ran, not made into major motion pictures. (Of course if someone asked me to pen a script or produce or even direct a film based of a popular television series, I'd do it)The ever so popular "Beverly Hillbillies" gets the treatment here. If your not familiar with the story, Jed Clampett (Jim Varney) was shooting after some food, he missed, struck oil and became a billionaire. His kin folk said "Hey Jed move away from here (Arkansas), Cali-fornie is the place you ought a be." So they loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly. Yes indeed, Beverly Hills.
The television show is addicting and fun to watch with the innocence of period when it was created. It didn't transcend well to 1993. The simplicity of the story didn't fair well. It was more of a caricature of the television show, than a character driven movie. Honestly, these films would do better if they kept it fun, simple and didn't try to impress people. This is just the first of many films that punished beloved TV shows.
In the film it doesn't take long for the story to get going. The Clampett's move to Cali. and start there life, immediately the socially awkward family is propelled into modern living. The innocence that the TV show had, is lost. Mr. Drysdale (Dabney Coleman) and Miss Hathaway (Lili Tomlin) have the best interest for Jed, but a Junior Executive at the Bank, Woodrow Tyler (Rob Schneider) and his girlfriend Laura Jackson (Lea Thompson) want to embezzle his money. Meanwhile Elly May (Erika Eleniak) and Jethro (Diedrich Bader) want to help Jed find a wife. Doesn't take much to see where the story can go. Tyler and Ms. Jackson plan to get Jed to marry Ms. Jackson so they can get his money. Jethro and Elly May, lost by country bumpkin ignorance let it happen, and only the old and wise Granny (Cloris Leachman) notices something wrong with Ms. Jackson, except she is sent off to a retirement home. It s like a house of cards with half the cards made of tissue paper, there is just no way to make a good structure. It falls on itself and they trip over each other. I felt bad for all the decent actors who fell sucker to be in this film. I loved the old television series and this film was a disaster. I feel dirty for betraying the beloved show with this floozy of a film.
Starring: Jim Varney, Diedrich Bader, Lily Tomlin, Dabney Coleman, Cloris Leachman and Erika Eleniak
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
Budget/Gross: n/a / $44,029,386 (USA)
IMDB Rating: 4.4/10
Tomatometer: 24% critics and 39% audience liked it
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