Brewster's Millions
Tags: entertaining

Plot synopsis:
Montgomery "Monty" Brewster (Richard Pryor) is a second-rate minor league baseball pitcher with the Hackensack Bulls. One night after winning a game, Monty and his best friend, the Bulls' catcher, Spike Nolan (John Candy), are hitting on two women at a local bar. When they try to leave with them, they're confronted by two large men who claim they are the women's husbands. Monty and Spike are punched out by the men and a large bar brawl starts. They are later arrested and thrown in jail. Their coach, Charley, tells them that management has decided to kick them off the team. In court, Monty tries to explain the fight to the judge, who is wholly unsympathetic. The photographer that had been following Monty suddenly rises and tells the judge that he represents an unidentified party that will post bail for both Monty and Spike if they plead guilty.J.B. Donaldo (Joe Grifasi) (the same photographer from the courtroom) takes them to New York City with him. At the Manhattan law office of Granville & Baxter, Brewster is told that his recently deceased great-uncle Rupert Horn (Hume Cronyn), whom he has never met, has left him his entire fortune because Monty is his only living blood relative (by way of Monty's grandmother, Rupert's half-sister), but with several conditions.Rupert's last will is on film and features the wheezy and ill-tempered Rupert himself. He relates a story from his youth where his father made him smoke a whole box of cigars to punish him for smoking just one. Rupert tells Monty that he wants Monty to hate spending money. Monty will be given $30 million to spend in 30 days. If he's successful, he'll be awarded the full inheritance of $300 million. Brewster is challenged to either take $1 million upfront (as part of a 'Wimp' clause) or spend $30 million within 30 days to inherit $300 million. If he chooses the former, the law firm becomes executor of the estate and divides the money among charities (after taking a sizable fee). In the latter case, after 30 days, he must spend the entire $30 million within one month under the following rules:1.) With the exception of those who witnessed the will reading, whom are the firm's two senior partners George Granville (David White) and Norris Baxter (Jerome Dempsey) and Rupert's estate lawyer Edward Roundfield (Pat Hingle), Brewster cannot reveal to anyone the will's terms. He may only tell everyone else he inherited $30 million.2.) Brewster must spend the money on tangible items. If anything he buys accrues value, such as an investment that earns money, that is considered part of the money he inherited and he must spend that as well.3.) Directly giving away money is capped at 10%, split between 5% in gambling losses and another 5% maximum to be donated to charity.4.) Brewster may not willfully damage anything he buys with the money.5.) After 30 days, he may not own any assets that are not already his (in other words, nothing but "the clothes on his back").If any of these rules are violated, the challenge is forfeited. Also, any remaining money that he has left after 30 days will go to the law firm and Brewster will be left with nothing. Despite the tempting offer just to "wimp out" and walk away with a one-time payment of $1 million, especially after the law firm reveals that they already did a background check on him and showed that the highest annual salary he ever earned was $11,000-a-year while a member of the Toledo Mud Hens, Monty decides to take the $30 million challenge.After leaving the offices, Monty goes to a bank across the street where the money is waiting for him. He appoints Spike as the vice president of an investment corporation he's building and hires one of the bank's security guards as his personal guard for the next month. He also asks to rent the bank vault where the cash is stored and is granted a 30-day lease and refuses an account that will earn him interest.On the street, Monty hires a Russian taxi driver (Yakov Smirnov) to be his personal driver. He has the driver rent a fleet of limousines and other drivers. He takes everyone in earshot out for an expensive dinner in Manhattan. At dinner he talks with the accountant that Granville and Baxter have assigned to him, Angela Drake (Lonette McKee), an attractive woman and law student clerking in the firm, who Monty is instantly smitten with. Monty tries to convince her that he's not another newly rich snob and asks her out, thinking he can hire someone to do her work for her. He is coldly rebuffed by Angela, who has a fiance, Warren (a junior partner at the law firm).Monty rents a large penthouse in the Plaza Hotel and a large amount of office space in the same building. He has also hired a couple of high-priced tailors to make custom suits for him, renting the clothes themselves. With the salary that Monty is paying him, Spike fixes himself up. Down in the new office that Monty is renting, he meets Angela's boyfriend Warren (Stephen Collins) and his former girlfriend Margaret, whom Monty has hired to redecorate the office space. Unknown to anyone, Granville and Baxter have slyly charged Warren with spying on Monty to make sure he does not complete the challenge so they can get his millions for themselves.In Monty's office over the next few days, are hundreds of people looking to either do business with Monty or scam him. One man has an investment offer; a large iceberg will be outfitted with giant engines and be sailed to the Middle East where the ice will be used to supply water to the farmers in the region. Monty is also allowed to gamble 5% of his $30 million, so he hires a bookie to bet on every long shot he can. Monty calls his old Bulls coach and tells him he plans to fix up their old playing field in Hackensack and that he'll arrange a three-inning exhibition game where the Bulls will play the New York Yankees.Monty continues his spending campaign for a few weeks. One night he's inspired by an idea from Spike to invest in expensive items like stamps. Monty goes to a fine collectibles store and asks to see the most expensive stamp the owner has. The stamp is the infamous Inverted Jenny which Monty buys for $1,250,000. Granville and Baxter read the story in the newspaper, thinking Monty has violated the terms of the will. Baxter finds a postcard in the daily mail that has a photo of the Hackensack Bulls and a bland message from Monty. After a few moments, Baxter realizes that Monty has used the Inverted Jenny stamp to mail the card, thereby devaluing it. Both men are furious and have a private meeting with Warren where they show him the will (the conditions of not revealing the $30 million spending plan in 30 days does not apply to the others of the will reading). They then order him to cause a small error in bookkeeping amounting to $20,000 that will be discovered at the last moment. They promise Warren that he'll be made full partner and that Monty's real $300 million inheritance will go to the firm.Spike and the rest of Monty's friends and associates become very worried about Monty's frivolous spending and try to convince him to curtail it. When Monty finds out that the iceberg investment has turned out to be lucrative, he immediately wants to sell his stock in it. Moments later the bookie he hired storms in and tells him he's won a large amount of money on the bets he placed and that he's banned from any more gambling in New York. Monty decides to donate the money to charity (he's also allowed to donate 5% of the $30 million).Spike and his financial adviser, Eugene (David Wohl), both rush into Monty's office one day with exciting news. Spike had invested a large amount of Monty's money in a venture and earned Monty's company $10 million. Monty becomes upset, realizing that he's "right back where he started" and orders everyone out of his office. On television, he sees a news commentary about New York's upcoming mayoral election. The reporter says that his news station has chosen not to endorse either candidate. Monty enters the race himself, declaring a ticket called "None of the Above" where he wants to buy the votes of New York. The campaign involves a large amount of advertising, staffing and televised ads and drains much of the $30 million in a short amount of time. When Monty's two opponents, Heller and Salvino, figure out that Monty's campaign could defeat them both, they both agree to sue him for libel. Monty settles out of court for a huge amount of several million.Meanwhile, Angela has grown increasingly cold toward Monty, thinking he's foolish for spending the $30 million so rapidly. Earlier, Monty had tried to give her a new Aston-Martin convertible -- a violation of the will that Monty can't tell Angela about. While he talks to her on the street, he's overseen by both Warren and Margaret, who mistakenly assume Monty and Angela are having an affair.The day of the big Bulls vs Yankees game arrives. At the game, the Bulls start out doing very well against the Yankees, until the Yanks fight back and defeat the Bulls. After the game, Roundfeld approaches Monty in the locker room and tells him if he wins the election, the $60,000 annual salary given to him as mayor could be considered an asset in accordance with the will. Monty announces to the crowd that he's withdrawing from the election. He also invites everyone to a final party which he'll pay for with his last $38,000.At the party, Monty plans to get very drunk. Spike and Melvin take up a small collection to give to Monty so he won't be flat broke. Monty refuses the money. Spike suggests that he and Monty buy a nice sports car and leave New York for a new life. Monty still turns him down. Alienated, Spike walks away from Monty for good.The next morning (on the 30th day), the landlord for Monty's office and penthouse politely evicts him. The tailors take back all the clothes he rented and he finds his old Chicago Cubs jersey in the closet. Monty leaves the Plaza in his old street clothes and wanders off into Manhattan... alone. That evening, a local newscaster (Peter Jason), wondering where Monty has vanished to after declaring that he is now flat broke, announces that the mayoral race will be held again in a run-off election after primary election results showed that Monty's campaign had worked to sink the campaigns of Heller and Salvino, with the voters indeed voted for "none of the above". The run-off election will be held in a few days with neither Heller or Salvino running for office ever again.At 11:50 pm, Monty reappears at Granville & Baxter that night to finalize the will. Before he enters the meeting with the two, he's stopped by Warren who eagerly gives him the $20,000 he'd withheld. Monty is immediately upset thinking he'd lost and, with the clock about to strike the midnight deadline, agrees to sign whatever paperwork the two men have. While Warren watches, Angela suddenly appears. Warren discloses the conditions of Monty's will and shows her the receipt she'd missed for the money he'd given Monty. Angela is furious and rushes in to stop Monty from turning over the money to the firm, saying that Warren had cheated him. Warren tells Monty and Angela that he'd suspected they'd been having an affair all along and Angela tries to hit him. Monty stops her and punches Warren himself, in which Warren promises to sue him. When offered an out-of-court settlement for the money he'd been given, Warren refuses. Monty suddenly decides to hire Angela on retainer for $20,000. She frantically writes him a receipt by the stroke of midnight and Roundfeld declares Monty's inheritance complete. He also promises to investigate Granville and Baxter for any wrongdoing for revealing to Warren the terms of the will. Monty and Angela leave the office together where they agree to talk about his legal options and of his new inheritance.

Review: Montgomery Brewster (Richard Pryor) is a down and out baseball player in the lower leagues along with his best friend Spike Nolan (John Candy).
Out of the blue he inherits 30 Million Dollars that he must spend in 30 Days and have nothing to show for it, so he can get his real inheritance of 300 Million Dollars; oh yes and he he can't tell anyone why he has to waste all this money.This excellent and hilarious story is played out brilliantly by Pryor and Candy, and it takes us on a spending spree that has its up and downs for poor Mr Brewster.
Because of the nature of the movies theme, Brewsters millions is quite firmly rooted in the 80's when it was made, but it still entertains with ease and is well worth watching.7/10.
You can imagine that any movie that stars Richard Pryor and John Candy must be a funny one, and this definitely qualifies.The plot is disarmingly (and misleadingly) simple.
Montgomery Brewster (Pryor) stands to inherit a $300 million fortune from a long lost uncle (played by Hume Cronyn), whose will is videotaped.
To get the money, Brewster must first spend $30 million in 30 days.
At first I still didn't think there would be that great a challenge, but in fact, as Monty discovers, it's hard to spend $30 million without actually purchasing anything of lasting value.The movie progresses through Monty's spending spree on hotel rooms, parties, employees, the minor league baseball team he played for and finally his campaign to NOT be elected mayor.
It's also interesting to see the reactions of his friends (especially Candy) to his squanderings, because another condition to the will is that he can't tell anyone what's going on.It's really quite a lot of fun, and Pryor and Candy together make it worth watching.7/10.
His manic energy, his sheer frustration with the impossibility of his dilemma (spend 30 million dollars until you are dead broke and not have a single penny or asset left at the end, in order to inherit three HUNDRED million) and the fact that he channels so much believability into what would otherwise be absurd are highly laudable.
With an excellent supporting cast that included the likes of John Candy and Jerry Orbach, it's hard to imagine anyone too jaded to enjoy this film.
Whether it's on your personal "best comedy" list or not, it's not a film you can easily excuse not watching whether a Pryor fan or not.
From third rate baseball playing bum, to toast of the town millionaire, back to a bum again before a highly rewarding ending comedically and emotionally, "Brewster's Millions" pulls off the best trick of all - it makes the viewer feel like a million bucks for having watched it..
I cant understand the low IMDb rating for what is a very funny film with two great stars in Richard Pryor and John Candy.
Pryor is outstanding and with the talented John Candy in support the film certainly doesn't lack laughs.
Richard Pryor stars as a minor-league baseball pitcher in New Jersey who gets an inheritance, but the inheritance has a large catch.
The film is a comedy of how Brewster finds creative ways of spending the 30 million dollars and not always getting it right.
In one of his all time best film performances, Richard Pryor portrays Montgomery Brewster, the pitcher for a minor league baseball team in New Jersey.
Believe it or not, "Brewster's Millions", in which Richard Pryor plays a guy who has to spend $30 million in 30 days so that he can inherit $300 million from his late uncle (Hume Cronyn) but can't tell anyone the second part, is based on a 1902 novel.
Brewster's Millions starring Jack Buchanan, Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Edward Abeles, Dennis O'Keefe, and now, Richard Pryor.
Yes, this is the 5th reincarnation of this story, and probably the funniest Richard Pryor movie out there, A simple story: to inherit millions, Monty (Pryor) must spend a certain amount of money in a certain amount of time without ending up with anything he didn't originally own.
Its hard to believe that both comedy actors from this 1985 film have both passed on in the last 20 years and its quite sad watching the film knowing this specially when you see the high energy performances from both Richard Pryor and John Candy.
Brewster's Millions is a fun and engaging lightweight comedy from the summer of 1985 which tells the story of Monty Brewster a down on his luck baseball player that dreams of fame and fortune.
The movie is really fun, its fantastic to watch Pryor trying to spend every last penny.
A fun and feel good kind of film, a trip back to a childhood film, pulled off greatly by the comedy great Richard Pryor..
"Brewster's Millions" is a fun film starring the late Richard Pryor (See No Evil, Hear No Evil,Harlem Nights) as Monty Brewster and the late John Candy (The Great Outdoors, Delirious) as Spike Nolan.
Monty Brewster has a chance to inherit over 300 million dollars from his late great uncle.
However, Brewster has only 30 days to spend 30 million dollars without accumulating assets.
While Brewster's Millions is not a perfect movie by all means, but it is a bright and breezy film that does have its heart in the right place.
And although the story is quite simple, there is enough material to engage throughout, and a lot of it is to do with the fun chemistry between Richard Pryor and John Candy.
There is also a hilarious cameo from Rick Moranis and Jerry Orbach is always good value.All in all, Brewster's Millions is a fun film with heart even if there are parts/aspects that could have done with more work.
If he could spend $30 million in 30 days 1.) having no assets 2.) not give it away philanthropically or otherwise 3.) and have receipts for all money spent (and no he can't buy the Hope Diamond and give it away) all without telling anyone.
Wrong!The movie was a wacky series of events perpetrated by Monty Brewster to the bemusement of his friend Spike Nolan (John Candy) and his accountant Angela Drake (Lonette Davis).
Sadly, at least three of the main characters are dead today: Richard Pryor, John Candy and Jerry Orbach..
Brewster (Pryor) has to spend 30 million $ in 30 days and end up with no possessions but the shirt on his back as a condition to inherit 300m$ from his uncle.
This movie, with Richard Pryor and John Candy stacks up well with the other films.
This is the second filmed version of the Brewster's Millions story I watched that I managed to enjoy.
It starred Richard Pryor as Monty Brewster, here a minor league baseball player who sees film of his late grandpa (Hume Cronyn) who tells him the conditions of his will.
John Candy is Pryor's baseball buddy, Lonette McKee-who previously co-starred with him in Which Way is Up?-is his accountant, Candy's "SCTV" co-star Rick Moranis is someone who likes to repeat whatever someone next to him says, and David White-who I remember as Larry Tate on "Bewitched"-is one of the executers of the will.
This wasn't as funny as the previous version I watched but I still had some good laughs watching Pryor, Candy, Moranis, and some of the changes in some scenes.
The down-on-luck baseball player Brewster (Richard Pryor) is about to have his life drastically changed after being the sole heir of a big fortune.
But in order to get the millions of dollars he's forced to spend U$30 million in the period of a month without getting having any properties or certain things to himself or wasting money away, those are the rules given to him.
He's closely followed by his best friend (John Candy), an accountant (Lonette McKee) from the bank, and also a colleague of her whose mission is to make Brewster lose this "game" and let the money stay in the bank.Despite the great premise, the problem is that "Brewster's Millions" is never so much funny like it could have been.
Examples: Rick Moranis, playing the greatest impersonator of all and Joe Grifasi, playing Brewster's "personal photographer", they both offer such an enjoyable good time for us, more rewarding than all the fuzzy events with Pryor's character.
"Brewster's Millions" deals with ethics, moral, the money's importance in people's lives and manages to be a little funny.
The greatest thing is that it touched some poignant themes but it never got too serious or tacky (sure, Brewster understands even under contradictory circumstances, that even with all that money he gets he doesn't necessary feel better about it), it simply stick to the cheerful comedy with plenty of humor.
The story is a remake of an earlier movie and based on a book about a minor league ball player given an inheritance by his uncle on the condition that he's able to spend 30 million dollars in 30 days and not have one asset to his name after those 30 days are up.
What then happens is Pryor's character doing a whirlwind of things to spend his money with an accountant close by to keep track of everything so they know when he's hit the magic number.
Richard Pryor and John Candy were really good in the film!
Pryor's Worst Movie By Far. More Like Brewster's Penny..
Various other conditions are also made painfully clear.REVIEW: A well-constructed cast including Richard Pryor and John Candy, and decent character actors of yesteryear such as Lonette McKee, Stephen Collins, Jerry Orbach, Pat Hingle and Hume Cronyn, make the most of a great idea that is otherwise ill-served by a mediocre script and perfectly standard direction from the usually quite brilliant Walter Hill.
The writing is fair, but more laughs are derived from Pryor and Candy's performances than dialog and situations(though the film tries quite hard, sometimes too hard; basically throwing everything its got at the viewers at times).
I recommend it to fans of 80's comedies, Richard Pryor and/or John Candy.
It's a pretty unlikely and totally ridiculous premise, and for me it resulted in a film that wasn't entirely successful.I think the main problem with this film is that it didn't focus on the right areas in order to generate humour; the whole premise of Monty Brewster being able to inherit the $300,000,000 is to spend $30,000,000 without telling anyone about the deal.
In many ways, this felt like a complete waste as the idea was a good one for a bit of goofy fun, but unfortunately the writers made it very much a one joke film that failed to exploit other avenues of potential that were most definitely there for the taking.On a positive note, there were some laughs to be found here and there - the funniest scene in the film was probably the scene where Brewster's uncle is reading his terms of the Will to Brewster.
Pryor and Candy are both excellent comedy actors and they were both very good here (although I did think that they both 'overacted' at times).
Well the pitcher who is played by the late great Richard Pryor takes the challenge and begins a spending spree that on the surface would seem to be very easy.
I could easily spend thirty million in 30 days, but there is a catch as at the end of the thirty days he must have only what he had at the beginning of the challenge which means he is basically going to have to rent not buy, throw lavish parties and come up with other ways to spend money without actually owning anything.
It has some funny moments though, but the film is just rather annoying in a lot of places too to be a good movie..
Brewster's Millions (1985) ** (out of 4)Montgomery Brewster (Richard Pryor) is a failed minor league ball player who gets the chance of a lifetime when a relative he didn't know he had dies and offers up a $300 million dollar inheritance.
The only catch is that he must enter into an agreement where he gets $30 million and must spend every penny of it without having any assets after a thirty day period.If you're going through the career of Pryor then it's easy to see why he'd want to make this movie.
That's the good thing but the only problem happens when there's nothing more to do.I mean, the film starts off quite good as Pryor is in good form and his wild and maniac-style works very well early on when his character first gets the money and starts blowing it.
Even the comedy runs out because how many times can you get the same laugh from the same type of joke?As I said, Pryor is in fine form as is John Candy.
Montgomery Brewster (Richard Pryor) pitches minor league ball in Hackensack, New Jersey with his loudmouthed catcher best friend Spike Nolan (John Candy).
Now unless Richard Pryor spends 30 million on a homeless woman for that kind of challenge then that sounds like a terrific idea.
Like Richard Pryor should spend 30 million on Erin Brockovich..
Richard Prior has to spend 30 million dollars in thirty days to inherit 300 million dollars sounds easy, not.I won't tell you why not you'll have to watch it to figure that out.
It has a good story to as you slowly watch Prior begin to hate money,& the fact he can't tell anybody whats going on, you now why he's spending money like a mad man makes it even better.
Brewster's Millions (1985) was another sell out role for Richard Pryor and another eighties remake.
Find out when you watch Brewster's Millions!Another time waster from Richard Pryor.
Richard Pryor steals the show in this one as a minor league baseball player who must spend $30,000,000 in 30 days.
Richard Pryor's performance isn't extremely memorable; the actor to see this film for is John Candy, who steals the show as soon as we see him.Pryor plays Brewster, a man who is offered a strange proposition by some elderly men.
There are only so many gags available when you are talking about a man having to waste money in a certain amount of days.For some reason, the eighties comedies really sparked an interest in films with people in odd places doing odd things.
If you like "Trading Places," and all those other campy comedies from the eighties where people are put in odd situations, see "Brewster's Millions." The only other reason to see it would be if you are a fan of the actors.
Monty Brewster is a minor league baseball player who finds himself with a rich relative who leaves him £300 million.
However to prove he knows the value of money Brewster must spend £30 million in 30 days and have no assets to show for it.
Pryor and Candy generate few laughs in this comedy about a man who stands to inherit a vast fortune with one: He must spend $30 million in thirty days and have no tangible assets at the end..
You know the story, Brewster (played so-so by Richard Pryor) has 30 days to spend 30 millions.
John Candy is funny as the friend/manager who wants to make the money profitable.It's good for a 6 out 10..
If you catch this movie lazing on a Sunday afternoon - it's worth watching -- richard pryor and john candy are good and to hear john candy get all excited over gaining an extra 10 million dollars thru the stock market while pryor is trying to spend 30 million in 30 days makes you want to sing along with candy as he pumps his fists - 10 million 10 million 10 million dollars...
This is a story about a minor league baseball player, Richard Pryor, who is well liked and comes into money!
Pryor is very funny with all the excitement of spending a lot of money recklessly and trying not to receive any back, but he has to have receipts for all spent.
The casting of some great comedians like John Candy, Jerry Orbach, and Hume Cronyn are a great asset to this film.
Someone hired by those who would like to see Brewster fail to acquire the 300 millions tricks him to still have money before the deadline to spend everything.
It is am homage to a couple of fine film comedians who are no longer with us.Richard Pryor & John Candy did not work together enough, and this movie makes up for that loss.
The funny thing is these older films don't have quite the same impact, for example...the 1945 version sees Brewster having to spend a mere 1 million Dollars in 60 days or less to inherit 7 million (slight alteration from the original novel which has a full year to spend the 1 million).
A rich old relation leaves Monty Brewster (Pryor) a tough decision in his will, he can either take 1 million Dollars no questions asked right away or he can take the challenge.
The challenge being he has 30 days to spend 30 million Dollars and not have any assets (that he doesn't already own) at the end of it.
Richard Pryor and John Candy are both good, clean actors and comedians and the jokes are seriously funny in this one.
Monty Brewster, played superbly by Richard Pryor, gets into a fight after pitching in a little league baseball game.
Basically Montgomery 'Monty' Brewster (Richard Pryor) is a minor league baseball player, and after a fight ending up appearing before a court, and being cut from his team, a man who has been following him pays his bail.
So, now Brewster is doing every crazy thing he can think of to blow his $30m, with the help of his baseball friend Spike Nolan (John Candy) and personal accountant Angela Drake (Lonette McKee).