Fun with Dick and Jane (1977 film)
Fun with Dick and Jane is a 1977 American comedy film starring George Segal and Jane Fonda. Directed by Ted Kotcheff, the film is caustically critical of the "anarchy" of the American way of life.
| Fun with Dick and Jane | |
|---|---|
.png) Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Ted Kotcheff |
| Produced by | Peter Bart Max Palevsky |
| Screenplay by | David Giler Jerry Belson Mordecai Richler |
| Story by | Gerald Gaiser |
| Starring | George Segal Jane Fonda |
| Music by | Ernest Gold |
| Cinematography | Fred J. Koenekamp |
| Edited by | Danford B. Greene |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $4.5 million[2] |
| Box office | $13.6 million (US/Canada rentals)[3] |
The character names come from the Dick and Jane series of children's educational books, and the title is taken from the title of one of the books in the series.
Plot
Dick Harper is a successful aerospace engineer in Los Angeles, where he and wife Jane have a lovely house, with a swimming pool and new lawn under way. Jane (Jane Fonda) takes care of their son, Billy.
Due to financial reversals at the business, however, Dick's boss, Charlie Blanchard, suddenly fires him. Dick and Jane owe more than $70,000 and abruptly find themselves with no income. Their attempts to find other gainful employment fail. Jane lands a fashion modeling appearance at a restaurant that becomes a fiasco. Dick ends up applying for unemployment and food stamps, while Jane's wealthy parents, rather than helping, advise them to use this experience positively as a life lesson.
Unable to come up with any other solution to their problems, Dick and Jane turn to a life of crime. They make an effort to select their victims judiciously – robbing the telephone company, for example, which makes the customers in line cheer. In time, Dick and Jane weigh their guilty consciences against their needs, trying to get back their old lives and stay out of jail.
Cast
- George Segal as Dick Harper
- Jane Fonda as Jane Harper
- Ed McMahon as Charlie Blanchard
- Dick Gautier as Dr. Will
- Allan Miller as Loan company manager
- Hank Garcia as Raoul Esteban
- John Dehner as Jane's father
- Mary Jackson as Jane's mother
- Walter Brooke as Mr. Weeks
- Sean Frye as Billy
- Fred Willard as Bob
- Thayer David as Deacon
- Burke Byrnes as Roger
- Dewayne Jesse as Robber
- Anne Ramsey as Employment applicant
- Jon Christian Erickson as Transsexual
- Jay Leno (uncredited) as Carpenter
Reception
Fun with Dick and Jane received mixed reviews from critics. The film currently holds a 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 14 reviews.[4]
The film was Columbia's third highest-grossing film in the US in 1977[5] with rentals returned from the United States and Canada of $13.6 million.[3]
Remake
The film was remade in 2005 with the same title, starring Jim Carrey and Téa Leoni.[6]
References
- "FUN WITH DICK AND JANE (A)". British Board of Film Classification. 1976-12-15. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
- Studios Are Picking Up More Films From Independents By ALJEAN HARMETZ. New York Times 26 June 1978: C18
- Cohn, Lawrence (October 15, 1990). "All-Time Film Rental Champs". Variety. p. M160.
- "Fun with Dick and Jane (1977)" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
- "Big Rental Films of 1977". Variety. January 4, 1978. p. 21.
- Fun with Dick and Jane at Box Office Mojo
Bibliography
- McMahon, Ed; Fisher, David (1998). For Laughing Out Loud: My Life and Good Times. New York: Warner Books. ISBN 9780446523707.