Brewster's Millions is a
1985 comedy film starring
Richard Pryor based on the 1902
novel of the same name by
George Barr McCutcheon. It is the seventh film based on the story, with a
screenplay by
Herschel Weingrod &
Timothy Harris. It was directed by
Walter Hill.
Taglines
- You don't have to be crazy to blow $30 million in 30 days. But it helps.
- Yesterday he was a relief pitcher in the minor leagues of life. Today he's been handed the American Dream...on a very hot plate.
- An American excess story.
- Why else would anybody spend ten million dollars to get a sixty-thousand-dollar-a-year job, unless he planned to steal it back with interest.
Plot summary
Monty Brewster is an aging
minor league baseball pitcher with the (fictional)
Hackensack Bulls. After he and his best friend Spike Nolan (John Candy) are arrested and consequently given their flat-out release from the Bulls; they soon discover a cameraman they believe to be a scout for the
New York Mets was actually hired to find Brewster and bring him to a NY law office. Brewster suddenly finds that his recently deceased long-lost great-uncle was an eccentric multi-millionaire who was also his only living relative includes him in his will. Under the terms of the will, Brewster is challenged to spend $30 million within 30 days in order to inherit $300 million. There are some conditions attached: at the end of the 30 days, he may not own any assets that are not already his, and he must get value for the services of anyone he hires. Furthermore, he may donate only 5% to charity and lose another 5% by gambling, and he may not waste the money by buying expensive goods and then destroying them or giving them away. Finally, he is not allowed to tell anyone about the nature of this challenge. However, his uncle has a "wimp clause" should Brewster feels he's not up to the challenge, offering $1 Million in cash and "forgetting the whole thing" and the law firm of his uncle would become the executor's of the estate and divide the money among charities...after a sizable fee to be paid to the firm, and urge Brewster to take the $1 Million. Monty heavily considers this offer but decides to take the challenge.
