Easy Money
One of the reasons the legendary comedy star Rodney Dangerfield was in many ways so enigmatic was mainly due to the fact that he had such a limited career acting in films, not producing nearly the body of work as others of his era, that one wonders what could have been if he had really been into the acting thing. Take a look at this release from 1983, Dangerfield’s first solo starring role after the ensemble classic Caddyshack, and one can see Rodney in perhaps his purest form, a rude, crude, R-rated laughfest much removed from his later watered-down PG-13 efforts like Back To School. Dangerfield plays a baby photographer (whose opening scene on the job contains a hilarious gag beyond description) who enjoys cigarettes, booze, weed, gambling, fatty foods, and nearly every other vice imaginable, leading to a more than antagonistic relationship with his rich, uptight, mother-in-law (Geraldine Fitzgerald). When the old woman dies in a plane crash, she has her will state that Rodney and his family will inherit her fortune if he just gives up all his bad habits for one year, leading to Rodney going through literal Hell to get the dough. One thing that is apparent early on is just how well EDITED the film is for comic effect, as director James Signorelli expertly has the film cut to a funny scene or moment after a initial setup. Also the script (by Dangerfield and others including PJ O’Rourke) smartly takes its time getting to the main premise by showing the main character in his debased element among his friends, leading to many early and hearty laughs before really kicking into high gear with a subplot concerning his daughter’s impending wedding. While Rodney’s crass sense of humor is more than enough to carry things, the film boasts an excellent supporting cast as well: Joe Pesci as Rodney’s best buddy gets plenty of laughs in what looks to be a comedic warmup for his later run playing mafia short fuses, such as attacking a jockey on the track for throwing a race that he got a hot tip on, or just partying, drinking while driving (and getting stoned) and having a good time in general (“I’m so hungry I could eat the waitress.”); Fitzgerald as the mother-in-law is suitably imposing; Candice Azzara as Rodney’s loyal wife is sweet and likable; Val Avery and Tom Noonan get some laughs as Rodney’s other drinking buddies; Lili Haydn is the precocious younger daughter who makes sure her father stays on the straight and narrow; Jeffrey Jones plays his stock role as the uptight in-law who intends to get the money for himself; a young Jennifer Jason Leigh is possibly more appealing than she’s ever been since as the virgin daughter worried about her wedding night; and Taylor Negron (best known as Milo from Last Boy Scout) waltzes in and steals the movie outright from everyone as Rodney’s new son-in-law (“Can I call you…Dad?”), leading to several hilarious scenes as he tries to win back his new bride after they quarrel, including a scene involving a talking hedge that Seth Rogan and his ilk can take notes from. The only thing that slows things down a bit is about a ten minute stretch towards the end dripping with sap and sentimentality, but even then Negron’s Julio manages to come in and save the movie regardless. Watching great comedies from the 80s like this really gives one a sense of the anything-goes creative freedom of the era, even throwing out funny bits involving a child molester or Rodney’s swinger neighbor shamelessly trying to sell him drugs right in front of his underage daughter that would never get filmed in today’s PC-strangled environment. Overall, easily Rodney’s best besides Caddyshack, and one of the most underrated lost gems from that era…
9/10