Crazy People
Tags: insanity

Plot synopsis:
Emory Leeson is an advertising executive who experiences a nervous breakdown. He designs a series of "truthful" advertisements, blunt and bawdy and of no use to his boss Drucker's firm.
One of his colleagues, Stephen Bachman, checks him into a psychiatric hospital. Emory goes into group therapy under the care of Dr. Liz Baylor and meets other voluntary patients, such as the lovely and vulnerable Kathy Burgess. There is also George, who can speak only one word: "Hello."
By mistake, Emory's advertisements get printed and the new campaign turns out to be a tremendous success. Campaigns like: "Jaguar — For men who'd like hand-jobs from beautiful women they hardly know." and "Volvo — they're boxy but they're good."
Drucker grabs credit for the ads. He assigns Stephen and the rest of his employees to design similar new ad campaigns featuring so-called honesty in advertising, but nothing works.
Emory is approached in the sanitarium about creating new ads himself. He insists that his fellow mental patients also be involved and suitably rewarded for their work, transforming the sanitarium into a branch of the advertising industry.
They come up with wild advertising slogans, like one for a Greek travel agency that goes: "Forget Paris. The French can be annoying. Come to Greece. We're nicer." And another one called "Come… IN the Bahamas" for the islands' national tourism board.
The patients experience happiness at being needed and improve from their various illnesses. The evil Drucker and the doctor in charge of the hospital get greedy and try to separate the team. But it doesn't work. Dr. Baylor defies her boss and Emory negotiates to get new automobiles for all of the patients. Emory and Kathy, who have fallen in love, leave the hospital in an army helicopter piloted by Kathy's long-lost brother.

Review: Nor is it the most believable plot - but it is funny, whimsical and charming, and occasionally surreal.
If you want a film to brighten up your life, this fits the bill just nicely.
The supporting cast are also very engaging, being far more than just a backdrop to Moore and Hannah.
I saw this movie back when it was in theatres, and busted up laughing when I saw it, it can make an excellent addition to your home video collection.
It makes you wonder whether advertisers in real life should start acting like the ones in the film...
This movie won't just make you laugh, it'll make you stop breathing and die..
The first time I saw Crazy People, I thought it was a work of comic genius.
Now, several years later, I still do.Emory and Steve (Dudley Moore and Paul Reiser) are ad executives who need to come up with new advertisements in a hurry.
When Emory's relationship falls apart, he becomes disillusioned with the whole business of lying and makes up some honest ads.
People everywhere are told that they should fly United Airlines because, quote, "Most of our passengers get there alive." This is just one of the hilarious and truthful ads we get to see in the film.When the honest ads become wildly popular, the head of the ad agency wants Emory to come back to work.
He doesn't want to leave the hospital, so the members of his group therapy group become ad writers to help him.
As it turns out, the lunatics are very good at writing honest commercials.
Ad #1 told us that "It's not as filthy as you think," whereas Ad #2 assured us that "There were fewer murders last year."There is a bit of tension in the middle of the movie, but I'm not going to spoil that for those people who haven't seen it yet.
If you're looking for a good laugh, get ahold of this movie.
If you're looking for intelligent discourse on the subject of dishonesty in society or mankind's relative dishonesty with himself or others, rent something else along with this movie.One more ad, in case you're not totally convinced yet: "Metamucil: It helps you go to the toilet.
This is in my opinion Dudley Moore's funniest movie.
However, the cast of characters in this movie also aid in helping with the laugh's.
Of course the advertisement's (Designed to be brutally honest about products/services) that are created by these members of a mental hospital are the highlight of this film.
Even though the advertisement's probably would not work in real life and would probably cause consumer outrage in this politically correct society we live in today,(e.g., Visit New York it's not as filthy as you think), it makes for some good laughs.
I highly recommend this movie for those that enjoy a good comedy..
Half of this movie is the most hilarious I have seen this decade, the other half I could very well have lived without."Crazy People" talks about two types of nut cases: ones that are committed to institutions and the others who think they are normal and live on the other side of the wall.
Of course, the main crux of the story is when Moore's life takes a nose-dive and he cracks, writing brutally savage ads for some very well-known products ("Quaker Oats - How does it taste?
His bosses put him away and then, when his printed ads catch fire and turn advertising on its ear, they recruit him to write more.
Only this time, he gets the others in the asylum with him to write ads, too.Now, this part is funny.
What isn't funny is when they start to take the story seriously and try to shoehorn drama into parts where it doesn't make every single person out as some level of wacko.
Drama has its place but not in a movie that takes potshots at Metamucil.Moore is really great, this is his last really funny role since "Arthur".
Reiser has some good scenes as does Hannah, Walsh, Paymer and Ruehl and then there's the ads.
Not since "Mad Magazine", really."Crazy People" is at least half great; the craziest things in it, though, are the people who thought it should have serious parts.Five stars for "Crazy People" - watch it for the ads..
No, it's not the slickest film and the performances are just a bit flat, but there's a lot of good material to work with.
here's a slogan for Hollywood screenwriters: "We're really stupid dullards, but we say 'F---' a lot so you'll think we're smart!"), but if you can stand it, this movie has a lot of funny moments.
Darryl Hannah playes a cute dysfunctional inmate who falls for a stressed-out and temporarily committed Dudley Moore - there's a lot stolen from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" here, but it's entertaining enough that you shouldn't mind.
We sometimes enjoy watching stupid movies just for the hell of it and thought thats what it was going to turn out to be.
Take out the throughly unnecessary love story and this movie could be an hour shorter and would probably get a much higher rating.
It's the kind of movie that you get excited about showing friends, and glow with pride at finding such a great movie for a good part of but then sit around uncomfortably for stretches of it because you know they are inexcusably boring..
"Crazy People" is about an advertising executive who goes nuts and starts writing "honest" television commercials, as opposed to the puffery and outright lies we have come to know and expect.
But, lo and behold, the honest approach actually works, so the agency enlists the help of the entire population of the mental hospital to write ads.The ads themselves are hilarious, as are some of the scenes.
There is one very funny scene in which calloused and savvy advertising execs try to write honest ads, but find they are too jaded.The film could have done without a subplot involving a romance between Dudley Moore and Daryl Hannah.
Emory Leeson (Dudley Moore) and Stephen Bachman (Paul Reiser) are writing partners in a New York ad agency.
He's tired of lying and his painfully honest ads infuriate their boss Drucker (J.T. Walsh).
The execution has some fun moments with the crazy people group.
The first 20 minutes are easily the film's strongest, taking on the status quo and delivering a hydrogen truth-bomb right on top of Madison Avenue's best and brightest.The main criticism of Crazy People - the unnecessary romantic sub-plot - can easily be overlooked when compared to how solid it is at its core.
There is real value to be found here, which is not something that can be said for most pieces of entertainment.Roger Ebert said it "has more really big laughs in it than any other unsuccessful comedy I've seen." Entertainment Weekly gave it a "D-" calling it out for "unintentionally celebrating" advertising.
(Whatever, Vince - if you wanted to see people eating their own poop in the quest for realistic depictions of asylums, you were squarely in the minority.) I feel that Variety hit the nail on the head with their brief synopsis: "Crazy People combines a hilarious dissection of advertising with a warm view of so-called insanity." Hollywood's daily V-rag also noted that two weeks into shooting, two big changes were made: Dudley Moore replaced John Malkovich, and writer/director Mitch Markowitz lost the directing gig to Tony Bill.
"Crazy People" takes an amusing look at the Advertising Industry.
How I wish the hilarious commercials and billboards in this film were real!
The basic premise of this film is that an advertising executive, Emery (played by Dudley Moore), decides that he wants to be honest and stop lying to the public.
The CEO of the advertisement company decides that Emery is an advertising genius and the fun begins, as Emery and his fellow mental patients write the most hilarious commercials you can imagine.
There are some silly parts to this film, but you will not be able to stop laughing at the ads written by the crazy people.
Darryl Hannah also stars in this film.
In addition, there is a great character in this film that is a particular favorite of mine.
He is one of the mental patients who writes commercials.
For anyone who is in the marketing or advertising business, it's hysterical - the fact that mental asylum residents can produce more effective ads than most of the art directors at the agency is a riot.
This movie is full of fun, and will have you remembering a few clever lines.
I enjoyed this movie for its advertisements which show the power of truth.
Even if this light film falls out of your head, the sympathy given the "crazy people" will stick with you about as long as the catchy ideas they dream up.Overall rating: 8 out of 10..
This movie is incredibly funny when the Hello song is verbalized (and it is never done enough times for me:-) I like the plot and all the characters!
I believe (unlike most people who have not seen it or have no sense of humor or emotion) this movie should be rated as a classic comedy!
However it is not shown more than once a decade on the all of the 129 movie channels I am able to view!!
I love this movie...
If you miss this movie tomorrow you won't see it for nearly a decade.
looking to purchase this movie in Oklahoma city.
I would just like to know where to buy this movie, without having to purchase it online.
I have looked everywhere for this movie to purchase but a lot of people have never heard of it.
I bet I come up with and use lines from this movie at least once or twice a week.
Working for a telephone answering service fits right in with the Hello song!
I ask a lot of people about this movie and they look at me as if I'm crazy!
I would love to buy this movie, I just don't have the luxury of purchasing things online.
This is definitely one of the movies that portrays the best the way advertising should be...
It's a very witty, gentle film with some great actors in support and Dudley Moore at his relaxed best.
Best of all are the advertising slogans: 'Buy Volvo: they're boxy.' Wonderful..
I picked up this movie some years ago and watched it twice, just to get all of the gags.
The ads are a great part of the show, but the characters are (almost) representative of the ad biz.
Dudley Moore, a man, left short again.
Unfortunately for Dud, the writers didn't lose much sleep drafting some of the patchy story lines, in this average advertising/mental home comedy romp (is it still safe to say that?
The man who has said nothing but Hello since 1977, comes alive in what is without question, the funniest 'crazy' character to come out of the silver screen, .er...ever.
This film is worth watching for one reason and one reason only.
George Cartelli, a man who hasn't said anything but hello since 1977.
Usually, for me at least, Dudley Moore would make a good second reason, but he's lumbered with a decidedly saggy script, and is inevitably outdone by George.
Delightful as it is to see a movie featuring a tall woman and a short man, Crazy People sacrificed much of its potential hilarity for a schmultzy ending.
While the outlandish advertisements were funny, and still make for great interjections today, Dudley Moore's English exasperation wore thin faster than Daryl Hannah's croaky optimism.
The antics of the other mental patients were occasionally funny, but there could have been a lot more character development on their part.
I guess Crazy People was intended to be taken lightly, and - at times - it is an amusing satire on advertising (but unfortunately does not even attempt to make fun of psychological institutions).
This film analyzes the creative impulse for advertising & finds it in a asylum...Don't worry: it is not a psychological study but a comedy.
The only problem is that I don't laugh often: maybe with the taglines of the ads, the performance of David "Hello" Paymer...How much the leading actor (Dudley Moore), the endless casting of J.T. Walsh as a bad guy, or a bad script (I didn't see much insanity from the patients) have to do with my dozing, it's hard to tell.In conclusion, an average movie where the only flavors are its 80's spirit in America and Hannah in a romantic character..
This is an overall dull comedy that contains some funny moments.
Most notable are the print advertisements of which some are hilarious.
The "hello" bit is also funny as well..
i wanted to like this movie,and i really tied.but in the end,i just couldn't justify it.it's billed as a comedy,except it's not funny.or even amusing.i will say that the two lead actors,Daryl Hannah and Dudley Moore are appealing,as are their characters.but the movie is just too slow and talky for my tastes.and there's also too much swearing for no good reason.it doesn't add anything to the movie,and it doesn't really have any relevance.the movie has an ensemble cast of well knowns from the time period(in this case,1990),but they can't save this movie.it's not quite horrible,but it certainly isn't very good,either.for me,Crazy people is a 3.5/10.
Top-notch advertiser Dudley Moore is committed to an insane asylum after he comes up with some whacked campaigns for famous products.
However his work is accidently exposed and everyone loves the new advertisements.
Thus the agency convinces Moore to come up with more ideas with the help of the other patients at the institution.
Daryl Hannah, J.T. Walsh and Paul Reiser are good in supporting turns.
The film is a hit-and-miss comedy that has some really great moments, but in the end there is just nothing really above average when all is completed.
[Possible spoilers] The general plot is that an advertiser, Emory (Dudley Moore), is sent to a lunatic asylum.
His work is exposed and everyone loves the advertisements, so he does his work with the other patients inside the asylum and is a hit.
Crazy People was a really funny movie.
Dudley Moore plays a man who works at an advertising agency and it is his job to come up with ads for companies to run.
The problem is that he starts to go nuts and has a huge breakdown because he wrestles with the morals of what he is doing, that is to say he gets tired of lying to everyone through his ads and starts telling the truth.
A lot of the ads he makes are really funny and they end up going into magazines and onto television without his bosses knowing, so that when they are discovered he gets fired and sent to live in an insane asylum because they assume he's crazy.
While living there he meets Daryl Hannah who he falls for and a lot of other nice people with mental problems, and when his ads are surprisingly a huge hit his company wants him to come back to work, but he wants to take all his new friends along for the ride.
"Who here wants to be a fire truck?" Big laughs in this movie!.
The premise of this movie is simple and hilarious.
Moore play an advertising executive who experiences a minor nervous breakdown.
He begins composing advertisements that tell the truth.And this is where the comedy really takes off.
Moore's character is confined to an institution, but in the meantime his spoof adverts are accidentally sent to press.
A romantic sub-plot is farcically attempted by the introduction Of Darly Hannah as a love interest for Moore.
Dudley Moore was 55 by the time he worked this movie, and much too old to play a romantic lead with a 20-something inmate.
Unless you're a fan of Ms Hannah's physical charms, that is.This was pretty well Dudley Moore's last Hollywood outing.
But the studios needed a younger vulnerable-funny-guy, and Tom Hanks seems to have been Moore's natural successor.
This movie is pretty dated but it is still funny.
It's about a guy who kind of goes nuts because he has to lie all the time in his job as an advertising executive.
He suddenly starts only making ads that tell the truth, and they're hilarious and the public really responds to them, because they're sick of the lies too.
Unfortunately he has been sent off to a funny farm, where he befriends other crazies (like Doc Brown from Back to the Future) and he wants them to write ads with him too.
Pretty silly but a very funny film with some really great parodies in it..
Emory works in advertising, and is beginning to crack-up.
Meanwhile, back at the office, Emory's work is accidentally sent to the printers.
But now Emory has fallen for Kathy (another patient) and so doesn't want to leave.....This is one of those simple movies, that disappeared without a trace, but is funny and endearing, thanks to the characters and some of the ads on display.The story is simple, it's good versus bad, the rich versus the insane, and just when you think they are all on a par, the rich people take all the credit and leave the insane, well, sane.But then it all goes well at the end.
Films like this are ten a penny, but thanks to Moore and the writers, this film is very witty, occasionally verging on silly with the use of profanity (there was really no need for it).
The only problem with this, and it is a big problem, the relationship with him and Hannah is boring and pointless, and slows the whole film down.But if you want a laugh at genius ads, and random lines, you can do a lot worse.Plus J.T Walsh is brilliant.