Brewster's Millions (1985) * * *

Directed by:  Walter Hill

Starring:  Richard Pryor, John Candy, Lonette McKee, Pat Hingle, Stephen Collins, Jerry Orbach

Monty Brewster is an over-the-hill minor league pitcher who stands to gain a substantial inheritance from a recently deceased great uncle.   There are a few catches.   He must spend $30 million in thirty days without acquiring any assets in order to obtain his true inheritance of $300 million.     And he can't tell anyone why either.   And if he doesn't spend the money, he receives nothing.    Since he can only give 5% away to charity, he is left to his own creative devices to spend the money.   Brewster's Millions is an engaging comedy featuring Richard Pryor as a nice, decent guy in quite the predicament.    He now as a ton of money, but must spend it all while dodging questions from his friends and his accountant as to why he's in such a hurry to spend the money.   

Monty's best friend is his teammate Spike Nolan (Candy), who can't understand why Monty isn't happy when he nets him $10 million off of investments.   His pretty accountant Angela (McKee) has her theories, but is kept in the dark.   Angela's scheming fiancée Warren (Collins) wants to trip up Monty so he can win a partnership at the law firm that is awarded the $300 million if Monty fails.     Monty is smart and resourceful.    He comes up with unique and outlandish ways to squander dough, such as buying a rare stamp and mailing it, or running a mayoral campaign where he is sued for slander by his opponents, or sponsoring a 3-inning exhibition against the New York Yankees.

Brewster's Millions is a light comedy which is by nature farfetched, but has warmth to it.    Who can't feel for Monty?    Imagine struggling as he does to squander more money than most people have ever seen.    He is forced to keep secrets from Spike and Angela, with whom he falls in love.    She may even learn to love him too, if she understood the whole situation.     Director Walter Hill never made a flat out comedy before.    Most of his other films are action thrillers or violent dramas.   His closest was 48 Hrs. (1982) which made Eddie Murphy a star.     He has a pretty good feel for the light comic tone the film requires. 

You know things will turn out ok for Monty, although he survives a very close call at the end courtesy of Warren.    I wish the movie added a few more minutes of epilogue to show Monty's life after he wins the inheritance.    The action ends and then cuts right to the credits.    These days, there would be some credit cookies showing Monty spending the dough.     Brewster's Millions was made about twenty years too early for that.