THE MONEY PIT

US, 1986, 91 minutes, Colour.
Tom Hanks, Shelley Long, Alexander Gudonov, Maureen Stapleton, Joe Mantegna.
Directed by Richard Benjamin.

The Money Pit is a farcical comedy with the yuppy touch. It was produced by Steven Spielberg and his staff. It was directed by Richard Benjamin, who brings some comic touches.

Tom Hanks and Shelley Long, popular stars of the '80s, work well together. There are some enjoyable cameos from Alexander Gudonov, the Russian ballet dancer, as a self-centred maestro, Maureen Stapleton as a seemingly befuddled woman trying to sell her house, Joe Mantegna as a Lothario-like carpenter and Philip Bosco as the enthusiastic foreman.

The film echoes such movies as Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House as well as playing on the haunted house and old dark house movies where everything goes wrong.

1.Entertaining comedy, farcical touches, one-liners? A yuppy comedy of the '80s?

2.The world of the city and the country? The house, interiors and exteriors? The world of pop music, classical music? The range of the score with popular songs, classics?

3.The title, the focus on money, the house swallowing up the investment, fraud and success?

4.The prologue and Walter's father (and the end with his being deceived by Estelle)? His leaving Walter to run his business and pay the debts? Anna and Max, their divorce, the apartment and their being ousted?

5.Tom Hanks and Shelley Long and their comic styles? Working well together? Enjoying all the pratfalls, especially Hanks? The relationship, to be married or not? Walter and his groups, the cross-dressing group and their wanting to be called Meryl Streep? The child prodigy - and his borrowing money from him on the pain of not liking him? Anna and her world, the violin, the concerts, rehearsals?

6.Walter and his friendship with Jack, his collapse, hospital, the deal? Estelle and her anxiety to sell the house, discovering her husband was Hitler's pool man? Anna and Walter believing her?

7.The buying of the house, the raising of the money? The house itself - the audience attracted by it, its piece by piece collapse: stairs, the front door, the roof, the water, the bed, floors? The range of comedy with the various collapses? The physical humour, visual humour?

8.Art and his womanising, Anna's reaction, their having to get him to do the carpentry work? His brother wanting a drink, giving the quote? Curly and his arrival, the foreman, the strange group of bikies, dwarves that he brought with him? Their work, collapsing the outside of the house, the rubble heaps? The jokes about the workers and their overhearing all the domestic secrets, the arguments? Walter getting tangled with all the work? Trapped in the floor and unable to answer the door to the approvals man?

9.The build-up of the farcical elements? The verbal humour and deadpan reactions, especially from Walter?

10.Max and his style, self-centredness? The separation from Anna? The argument about the painting? Spending the night with her - and his deceiving her? His finally telling the truth - and conducting the classic for their wedding? Anna and her fears and lies for Walter? His demand to know the truth - his hearing it and his bad reaction? The tensions, the clash, the separation?

11.The finishing of the house, the truth about Anna and the night with Max, Walter not caring - the bond of love between them, the wedding?

12.The film tradition about haunted and collapsing houses - a yuppy variation?