Slums of Beverly Hills (1998)

Wonderfully entertaining

This is a wonderful movie, thoroughly enjoyable. Beautifully drawn characters, really interesting people. The writing and direction by Tamara Jenkins are glorious. The actors are so good in their roles. It's one of those movies where you keep thinking "I hope I can remember that line to use myself". Funny and also moving and heart-warming. This will be a favourite of mine to be watched many times. August 27, 2008

Not for all tastes, but...

If you have a fetish for the 1970s, can relate to a transient lifestyle and grew up in the acquaintance of that peculiar breed of earthy, middle-class Jews, you'll love this movie as much as I did. If not, your results may vary. I intended to see this when it was released to theaters a decade ago, but never got around to it. At my girlfriend's suggestion, I finally took the time to watch it and realized how dumb I was to have waited so long.

Two of this movie's highlights include great performances from a terrific cast and spot-on costume design that ably exhibits the tacky glory of the middle '70s. My only gripe pertains to Lyonne's monotone narration, which is unsuitably dull.

Recommended on a double bill with "Welcome to the Dollhouse" or "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." August 19, 2008

Slums of silliness.

Slums of Beverly Hills had all the potential to be a great indie flick but to my chargin, I couldn't relate or tolerate any of the characters. Natasha Lyonne is an unique actress but even her talent can't save this uneven and boring film. Alan Arkin and Marisa Tomei also try to make this dud into something great but after awhile you can't stand how their characters are so inane and pathetic. Slums... is a critics darling and I can't figure out why? August 11, 2008

A little bit of everything

It is 1976 and Murray Abramowitz (Alan Arkin) is a 65 years old car salesman who also happens to be the single father of three children. He moves from one cheap apartment complex to the next because he can't afford the rent, but stays within the city limits of Beverly Hills so his kids can go to the public schools there. To help make ends meet, he makes a deal with his brother Mickey (Carl Reiner). Murray will take in Mickey's troubled daughter, Rita (Marisa Tomei), and help her get through nursing school. Murray's teenage daughter, Vivian (Natasha Lyonne), is perhaps the main focal point of the story as she struggles to make the transition from being a girl into a young woman.

Slums of Beverly Hills barely hit movie theaters in 1998 before bowing out, grossing a whopping $5.5 million in the process. It isn't a great movie, but it's worth watching. Marisa Tomei, Alan Arkin, and Natasha Lyonne all give great performances even if the script isn't always sharp enough to take full advantage of their capabilities. Fortunately, there is one scene involving Carl Reiner along with the rest of the family that is truly funny and worth watching the movie for. The rest of the cast is also very well portrayed and as goofy as they are, it's easy to believe that this really is a family.

I recommend this movie to anyone looking for something off-beat and different. It's part comedy, part drama, part teenager-coming-of-age story. It's not likely to make your short list of all-time favorites but it's an enjoyable enough way to spend 90 minutes. December 24, 2007

not your everyday movie

i first saw Slums of Beverly Hills when i was about... 10. Not to mislead anyone [this is NOT a movie for 10 year olds] but i've found that even at that age, it's outlandish humour made an impression. I never really forgot it. It's really just a great original movie with intense sexual undertones. Well, that's being nice, you see about 4 shots of boobs. And at times it may seem ridiculous. Like when some of the more emotional dialogues are spoken in gibberish.

quite recently i decided to buy this movie of my childhood and wouldn't you know it, someone ELSE who had seen it with me the first time, had just as many 'THAT movie' stories [scars] of it as me.

it may be corky, it may be random, but Slums of Beverly Hills paints the picture of a coming to age movie that is just flat out memerable. April 11, 2007

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