Directed by James Signorelli. Starring Rodney Dangerfield, Joe Pesci, Candy Azzara, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Jeffrey Jones, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Taylor Negron, Tom Noonan, Lili Haydn, Tom Ewell, Val Avery. (R)
Hard-living slob Dangerfield stands to inherit a fortune from his deceased mother-in-law (Fitzgerald), but only if he rids himself of all vices (drinking, smoking, eating, gambling, etc.) for one year. High-concept comedy premise is rife with possibilities, but rather than milking it for loads of laughs, the unfocused storyline is padded with aimless filler and there's very little comic energy to push the audience along; the movie is almost halfway over before the inheritance challenge is even issued, and the entire side episode with Dangerfield's daughter (Leigh) and her newlywed spouse (Negron) is D.O.A. Dangerfield, however, gets in a handful of quality one-liners (and can mug/react to the camera like a pro), and Pesci is sometimes funny as his pugnacious pal; together, they make this a passable watch.
50/100
Hard-living slob Dangerfield stands to inherit a fortune from his deceased mother-in-law (Fitzgerald), but only if he rids himself of all vices (drinking, smoking, eating, gambling, etc.) for one year. High-concept comedy premise is rife with possibilities, but rather than milking it for loads of laughs, the unfocused storyline is padded with aimless filler and there's very little comic energy to push the audience along; the movie is almost halfway over before the inheritance challenge is even issued, and the entire side episode with Dangerfield's daughter (Leigh) and her newlywed spouse (Negron) is D.O.A. Dangerfield, however, gets in a handful of quality one-liners (and can mug/react to the camera like a pro), and Pesci is sometimes funny as his pugnacious pal; together, they make this a passable watch.
50/100