The Amazing Adventure (1999)

Uselessness and boredom have gotten the best of wealthy heir Ernest Bliss. A doctor suggests that he work for a living to gain a sense of fulfillment, and to encourage this, he makes a little wager with Ernest Product Description

A movie of its time

I enjoyed this movie. It's Cary Grant, after all! The plot was predictable, the sound was sometimes difficult to distinguish, and it was often unrealistic. However, I still enjoyed watching it, mostly to see a bit of the 1930s, with the cars, clothes, and styles. It has a great fight scene that is so staged it's fantastic. For under $10, if you like old movies, this one is worth seeing. June 15, 2008

Absolutely wonderful!!

Me and my husband loved this movie. Some of the things done by Cary Grant are things one wishes they could do if they had money. The acting is really good in this movie...and it is really enjoyable. A must see for a Cary Grant fan!! October 26, 2007

average cary grant

This is an only average cary grant vehicle. I suggest it for only serious cary grant fans.



October 22, 2007

A Spiritual Adventure - Heart Warming Story of Ernest Bliss

Cary Grant plays modern day Buddha in this classic movie set in London (1937) during the post depression era. Ernest Bliss (Cary Grant) temporarily gives up his riches to become working poor to understand his apparent illness, and seek enlightenment. He rents an apartment in from an old lady who is compassionate and understanding. He works for a limousine service company as a driver where he meets a caring worker. He falls in love with a young woman named Frances Clayton (Mary Brian), and learns a crucial thing in life; to be in love, the lady doesn't have to be beautiful or wealthy, but all heart will do. During his adventure; he sees life, people, poverty, suffering, and sadness. He understands that people in spite of all uncertainties in life find happiness with what they have, and they care about another human being. He gradually realizes that his wealth is an obstacle in pursuit of happiness and to have peace in eternal life. Cary Grant has performed brilliantly with his usual caliber and charm, but I was impressed most with the performance of Mary Brian, who is loving, yet so vulnerable in life. My favorite scenes are when she interviews Ernest Bliss for his first job and later when he proposes to her on the steps of the building Frances works. This is a heart warming movie which doesn't have Christmas theme or set in Christmas time, but very appropriate for Christmas time viewing. June 4, 2007

Cary Grant Did Have an Amazing Adventure

If you like old movies, and you like Cary Grant, this is definitely one you should see. Cary Grant, who plays Ernest Bliss, starts out as an unhappy, unsatisfied rich man with no meaning or direction in his life. Thinking he is ill, he seeks professional help from a doctor who seems to have become cynical towards his wealthy patients. The doctor prescribes that Ernest start over with no money and work and live on his own using none of his inherited fortune for himself for an entire year. The doctor, of course, doesn't think that rich Ernest can handle that so Ernest makes him a bet that he can.

What follows, is Ernest's "amazing adventure" with different jobs that teach him the lessons of life. He meets average ordinary people on his journey and learns that there is definitely more to happiness than money. Sometimes, it is the people with the least or the people you least expect who end up giving the most.

The movie is only about an hour long so it doesn't feel like parts of it get dragged out. I got the Alpha Video DVD release which was OK. The visuals definitely looked like an old movie with scratches and blacked out sections of frames that go by in a split second here and there. There are even a couple of minor skips which don't take away from the movie, but they were a little distracting to me. The audio was slightly muffled in spots but again, not enough to deter me from this film. If anything, these minor flaws add to the charm of this old movie. Of course, if the visuals could be made crisp and clear and the audio cleaned up enough to sharpen the sound, I wouldn't complain.

Cary Grant is what makes this film very enjoyable. The supporting cast is alright but it is Cary Grant who you can see emerging as the legendary star. When he smiles, he warms your heart and this movie's overall lessons are things all of us can be reminded of often. March 17, 2006

More reviews at Amazon.com ...