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Promotional Line: "Sam Stone's wife has
just been kidnapped... And he doesn't want her back!"
A married couple, Ken Kessler (Judge Reinhold)
and Sandy Kessler (Helen Slater) cheated by a unscrupulous fashion
designer, Sam Stone (Danny DeVito) who had stolen Sandy's fashion
designer ideas, and made a bundle of money off them,kidnap Stone's
vulgar wife, Barbara Stone (Bette Middler), in hopes of getting
some money back through her ransom. However, Stone was planning
to kill her, and when she's unexpectedly kidnapped, Stone refuses
to pay the ransom; the laughs begin!
DeVito and Middler excel as the rich guy and his vulgar wife.
Few can portray crassness and vulgarity as well as Middler and
DeVito. At their best, individually, DeVito and Middler are
at their best vigorously portraying the low life. Ideally cast
as husband and wife, they present the King and Queen of low
culture.
Judge Reinhold and Helen Slater delight as some really "good"
kidnappers. Anita Morris is very memorable as DeVito's mistress,
Carol Dodsworth, and her Bill Pullman is a delight as her really
"dumb" hunk, Earl Mott. The fact that ten years later,
Pullman would go on to play the President of the United States,
in "Independence Day," shows what a great country
America is, or something.
"Ruthless People," based on O. Henry's story, The
Ransom of Red Chief", is the first produced screenplay
for Dale Launer, who sold stereos while working on the spec
script. This launched him on a successful screen writing career,
leaving his stereo days behind him, which I'm sure was music
to his ears.
The fine direction is by Jim Abrahams, who
has a lot of talent for directing comedies, and keeps the spirit
of the script alive and pumping, resulting in a hilarious movie.
If you liked RUTHLESS PEOPLE you may enjoy
"Down and Out in Beverly Hills," "Hot Shots,"
"Hot Shots Part Deux," "Top
Secret," Police Squad," "Airplane," "My
Cousin Vinny," and "Other Peoples Money."
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