Decorating movies
What, you didn’t know that was a thing? Apart from Dirty Dancing, the one movie that all my oldest friends seem to associate with me is, appropriately, the mother of all decorating movies: The Money Pit. Come on, tell me you’ve seen it. It was on tv just the other week – I know because a friend texted the words “Money Pit. Channel 5. Get it on.”
It’s about a broke couple (Tom Hanks and Shelley Long) who are evicted from their apartment and end up buying a mansion at a forced sale from a lady who later turns out to be a con artist. It’s enormous, it’s a doer upper, but it seems like a good bargain so they raise the funds to buy it by borrowing from sources they shouldn’t borrow from (like Shelley’s ex). Look how big it is, this could happen to any of us.
As soon as Tom and Shelley move in, massively bad things emerge – the front door falls off, the taps spew gunk instead of water, there’s a racoon in the dumbwaiter, there are enormous leaks in the roof.
And it’s all very hilarious. Though not for Tom and Shelley. Look at Shelley’s face here – that’s not the face of a women getting to weigh up fourteen different grey paint samples for one of her walls. That’s the face of a women about to blow up the electrics.
Tom takes the whole staircase down just by walking on it.
And has to deal with Shelley’s slick European ex (who’s trying to win her back) while he’s in his painters.
He also gets trapped in a rug covering a hole in the floor for hours until Shelley gets home from work.
But hands down the funniest bit is when the bath falls through the floor.
Honestly, never mind Forest Gump, the hysterical laughing scene in The Money Pit is Tom Hanks’s finest acting hour.
I prescribe this movie to anyone becoming disenchanted with their house project. It’ll perk you right up.
Please do add your recommendations of other decorating movies to the end of this post – I might start a niche film club.
Its not a decorating movie, but the absolutely most gorgeous house/set on any film is Diane Keaton’s Hampton’s house on Somethings Gotta Give… the cast are beautiful too (except Jack Nicholson who has his own charm), but the house wins, hands down.
Ooh thank you, will check that out.
Thank for reminding me to put it on my lovefilm list…I might even be able to watch it with the kids…now there’s a first, a film I like that they may also like.
Good idea I’m going to do the same. It was Anna who texted btw – love it that in the space of two weeks two friends referenced this movie. x
In addition to finding The Money Pit one of the funniest films of all times it taught me an important lesson about instructing decorators and tradesmen in my adult life…
…Two weeks doesn’t mean two weeks in home improvement language.
Double your time and double your pot of cash and you’ll have a more realistic project plan!
Oh and “the turkey’s done”.
i am having a bit of a ‘worry day’ and just looking at those shot of Tom Hanks laughing at the bath has cheered me up and made me smile thank you.
going to you tube that scene right now….. 🙂
….oh my god, just watched that bath clip on you tube and i seriously have tears down my face and i think my neighbour (who also works from home in his garden office) is looking at me thinking i am having a breakdown
brilliant – mademyday.com !!!
THANKS FI – SEEMS TO WORK ON EVERYONE. JILL AND I DIDN’T KNOW EACH OTHER AS TEENAGERS, BUT I, TOO, REMEMBER BEING AS HYSTERICAL AS TOM HANKS HIMSELF WHEN I FIRST SAW THAT BATH SCENE.
Oh… sorry for the caps. Hysterical again… x