Remember when renting a movie at the video rental store was a thing? I do. When I was a kid, one of my favorite places to go was our local video rental shop called VideoMan. Like most movie rental places, it was decorated with multiple posters, cardboard stands, and other cinema memorabilia. One of the many pieces of art I remember distinctly was a large poster for this film, Brewster's Millions. For reasons I could not understand back then (I was five years old at the time), my parents would not allow me to watch this movie. As I grew up and became more familiar with the comic (and raunchy) genius, Richard Pryor, I gained a better understanding of my parent's concerns at the time. As I got older, the image of the film's poster remained forever ingrained in my mind as one of those films I always intended to see but kept forgetting about. That is until I stumbled upon it available for free on PeacockTV, a free extension of Comcast Xfinity. I decided it was finally time for me to check this film off my mental list of must-see movies. Needless to say, I could not stop laughing throughout the entire runtime.
The story follows a man named Montgomery Brewster (Richard Pryor), a Minor League Baseball pitcher eager to make his way into the big leagues along with his best friend and catcher, Spike Nolan (John Candy). Brewster has hit rock bottom and is about to give up his pursuit. That is until a strange and promising opportunity presents itself. Turns out, Brewster's great uncle was a multi-millionaire and recently passed away, leaving Brewster as his only living relative. As such, he is to inherit his great uncle's fortune of three hundred million dollars...but there's a catch. Per the stipulations in his great uncle's will, before Brewster can inherit his wealth, he must accept a significant challenge: to spend thirty million dollars within thirty days. By the end, he must have no assets and no possessions, save for the clothes on his back.
Furthermore, Brewster must have receipts for all of his spending. Even more challenging, he cannot tell anyone else, especially his best friend, about this challenge. Will he succeed in winning the challenge, or will the whole endeavor make him regret having fortune?
The best way I can describe this film is controlled hyperactivity. Unlike most modern comedies that try to be fast-paced, Brewster's Millions does it right. I think the main reason for this is because it has a firm understanding of pacing and comedic timing. Even when Brewster is frantically trying to spend as much money as possible as quickly as he can, the film never lost my attention. Granted, part of that might have something to do with my own case of ADHD, but don't we all have a version of that?
Another aspect of this film I greatly admired was how ahead of its time it is. Yes, it's primarily a comedy, and it never runs out of ways to make you laugh, but it also has the good sense to provide some variety in the form of subtle commentary. The movie has a surprising amount to say about wealth in all of its forms, as well as personal happiness, equal opportunity, and politics. It's great to be funny, but it's even better to have a point to make while being entertaining.
I am so glad I finally had the opportunity to see this film. I deeply regret not seeing it sooner. If you need a good laugh (and we all do right now) and you haven't seen this movie yet, get on that ASAP.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.
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