I watched “Brewster’s Millions” once when I was a kid. Old enough to love and remember its original and zany plot. Too young to appreciate the immense talents of its cast, and specifically, its lead.
Released in May of 1985, “Brewster’s Millions” stars iconic standup comedian Richard Pryor as Montgomery Brewster, a has-been baseball player who inherits a fortune from a distant relative.
Ripe with mid-80s flavor, I can’t picture this sort of movie being successful today. There are some inconsistencies with the script, and editing gaffs with the production. Who cares. It’s funny, its charming, and its plot is completely bonkers.
Inheritance with a Catch
Montgomery Brewster (Richard Pryor) is a baseball pitcher for the fictitious Hackensack Bulls, a low-level minor-league team. Brewster spent time in the major leagues, playing for the Chicago Cubs, but is now a washed-up former star who can’t let go of his past.
We learn quite a bit about the character from the opening scene. He loves baseball and will do anything to play in a big game situation again. He’s also strapped to the lowest of the low; a minor league squad so basement-level an active train runs through the outfield, causing the game to be put on a temporary delay.
And he’s broke.
But the tides change one day when Montgomery Brewster is summoned to a law firm. He learns that an ornery uncle whom he has never met has died. The uncle has bestowed his massive fortune of $300 million dollars to Brewster, but there is a catch; he has 30 days to spend $30 million dollars, with a list of qualifiers, or he receives nothing.
Comedy Done Right
It’s tough to sell such a goofy plot, but Richard Pryor manages to do exactly that. I think what works best is his even-keeled temperament. I can see a lesser film putting a slapstick comic in the lead. But not here. Montgomery Brewster acts as the straight man for much of the story. It renders the character more realistic, and someone we can follow throughout the 30 days with the hope that they will succeed in the end.
John Candy leads the supporting cast, and here is where we get our over-the-top hijinks. Candy plays Montgomery’s teammate and best friend, Spike Nolan. It’s a perfect pairing of talents, that plays so well off each other, it’s a shame they only shared the screen this one time.
Lonette McKee plays a paralegal and potential love interest, and Stephen Collins known for of “7th Heaven” and other less than saintly antics, is a smarmy lawyer and her fiancé.
Old school veteran Hume Cronyn is hilarious in one scene as Brewster’s crazy uncle, communicating via a video message all the rules that must be followed to get the money. The rules are what make the story so good, and you’ll be thinking of what you would do in the same situation.
NYC, 1985
We all know my fondness for the decade’s past. What’s not to love about 1985? It’s a simpler time with bad (but great) fashion, personal style, and simplicity. I loved watching scenes at the stadium or in a bar, with no phone screens to stare at, and a shared comradery that’s missing from today’s world.
And the setting of New York City is the finishing touch. It’s hustle and bustle for sure, with big law firms, corporate offices, and Manhattan finance in every scene.
There’s the flawless architecture, and the iconic skyline shot of the Twin Towers looming over the Brooklyn Bridge.
Chef’s kiss.
A New Fave
“Brewster’s Millions” is a comedy from a bygone era. We can never replace the talents of Richard Pryor or John Candy. But we can honor them in the film.
Its an investment of 100 minutes that will payoff bigger than any fortune.
