Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- wacky
- frantic
- absurd
- lazy sunday
- nostalgic comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film’s repetitive sight gags and contrived slapstick exhausting, despite chemistry between the leads and a memorable supporting performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Walter and Anna buy a mansion at an implausibly low price, then face collapsing fixtures, failed repairs, and mounting renovation disasters.
The staircase, bathtub, chimney, and renovation work each fail in succession, turning home maintenance into broad visual chaos.
Walter and Anna must manage financial pressure, construction disasters, and the strain of rebuilding a home together.
The mansion purchase and renovation project channel period aspirations around home ownership, status, and domestic stability.
Films like The Money Pit, and why
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
Shared screwball romance, escalating domestic chaos, and comic conflict over an expensive dream home.
The Out-of-Towners
Shared physical comedy, romantic friction, and an ordinary domestic crisis spiraling into absurd disaster.
The 'Burbs
Shared 1980s slapstick, stressed couples, and comic battles against malfunctioning homes and institutions.
HouseSitter
Shared broad physical humor, romantic chemistry, and escalating property-related mishaps.
Movie Details
- Director
- Richard Benjamin
- Release Date
- 1986-03-26
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (1286)
Cast
- Tom Hanks
- Shelley Long
- Alexander Godunov
- Maureen Stapleton
- Joe Mantegna
- Philip Bosco
- Josh Mostel
- Yakov Smirnoff
- Carmine Caridi
- Brian Backer
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Money Pit about?
- A cash-strapped couple’s bargain mansion becomes an escalating slapstick catastrophe that tests their relationship and their resolve to build a home.
- What is The Money Pit like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Money Pit as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Money Pit violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Money Pit as mild.
- What did critics think of The Money Pit?
- Critics broadly found the film’s repetitive sight gags and contrived slapstick exhausting, despite chemistry between the leads and a memorable supporting performance.
- Which films are like The Money Pit?
- Films with a similar feel include Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, The Out-of-Towners, The 'Burbs, and HouseSitter.
- How long is The Money Pit?
- The Money Pit runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Money Pit?
- In United States, The Money Pit streams on Philo.
