Back
in the 90s, there was a bit of a boom of 1960s tv adaptions, from The
Addams Family, to The Flintsones, and others. Some of them were hits,
others not so much. One such [entry] was the 1993 film The Beverly
Hillbillies. Which side of the ridge does it fall one? Let's dig right
in and see...
Rural
farmer Jed Clampett is out hunting for food one day when she shoots at a
rabbit and uncovers an enormous oil deposit. = immediately come to pay a
fortune for the land ,and on the guidance of his relatives and friends,
Jed takes his family to go live in Beverly Hills. Once there they get
used/accustomed to their new life and all the strange attitudes and
devices the cityfolk have, facing adversaries in the process. While the
Clampetts are nothing but generous, a scheming banker and his girlfriend
hatch a plot to steal all their money...
The
Beverly Hillbillies is plenty of fun. It takes the show's story and
transplants it well to a film setting, never feeling barebones or
overstuffed. The tone and spirit of the classic series remains, with the
Clampetts being different and certainly more =cultured than =, but
otherwise smart in their own ways (besides Jethro), and always being the
kindest people in the room. They're like the Addams in a way, except
without all the death and macabre stuff.
The
movie begins with the Clampetts origins, and shows them as they go from
poor to rich, and the various struggles and fun they get through in
their new life. It's amusing, and never overstays its welcome, and the
conflict comes in a well-paced way, with the villains slowly unfurling a
plan of seduction and theft.
The
biggest issue that Beverly Hillbillies could have faced was that of one
of format. Since this is based off a tv show, there's a pretty sizable
cast. In a show you'd see some of them in some episodes, and others in
others, but as this is just one movie, it's gotta include everyone and
juggle them efficiently. Thankfully it succeeds. Some characters don't
get a huge amount of screentime, but no-one feels wasted or unnecessary,
and everyone contributes in at least some way. It's a shame there was
never a sequel, but ah well, at least this is a complete experience.
The
comedy here is all amusing. There's plenty of humour in various ways,
and it never just settles on one Nor does this feel like it's lowest
common denominator humour. Many scenes had me cackling away, and it's always good-hearted too, never obnoxious or mean-spirited.
Jim
Varney is a great lead as Jed Clampett, getting across a traditional
hillbilly persona that's amusingly exaggerated, but not to an obnoxious
degree. He never overdoes it, and he brings plenty of heart to the role
too. Diedrich Bader and Erika Eleniak are fun in different ways as
Jethro and Ellie-May, while Cloris Leachman is both gentle and fierce as
the manic Granny. Lily Tomlin is a standout/highlight as helpful assistant Jane Hathaway,
while Dabney Coleman does a fine job as the more ambiguous but
ultimately good Mildburn Drysdale. As the villain's are Lea Thompson
and Rob Schneider. The former is deliciously evil and pretty, while the
latter is thankfully more normal and restrained than in other films.
He's also surprisingly clean! =
The
music here is a fun mix of banjos and other hillbilly tracks, as well
as typical 90s family/comedy film music. All round a nice score, with
soft harmonies, bouncy pieces, and a good rendition of the famous theme
song.
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