All they wanted was a little getaway. All they got was nothing but trouble.
1991-02-15
$40.0M
94 min
While attempting to seduce gorgeous lawyer Diane Lightson, wealthy gadabout Chris Thorne agrees to drive her to Atlantic City, N.J. But, when some reckless driving draws the attention of a deeply critical cop, they and the flamboyant "Brazillionaires" who tagged along end up in the court of a grotesque and vengeful judge, who has a special vendetta against the wealthy and erudite.
Now, here's a film that doesn't quite know it's 1991 and attempts a bizarre ode to The <i>Texas Chainsaw Massacre </i> (1974), albeit with PG sensibility. Demi Moore is one of the film's main revelations and she masters its wackiness with a strangely befitting coolness. Ackroyd <i>is</i> the wackiness, but that's only if you can recognize him under the genius of the makeup-grotesquery.
Ackroyd directs here as well as plays the hick judge of a-town-time-forgot and has a lot of fun playing with unsuspecting passers-through. The set pieces are inspired too and this truly is an odd yet fun ride, once it gets going. The only real contention is Chevy Chase who's a real stick in the mud - Tom Hanks was unfortunately busy.
