Fun with Dick and Jane (1977)

Jane Fonda was so respected as a serious actress that her comedy chops sometimes were overlooked. But it should be remembered that her first real hits (Barefoot in the Park, Cat Ballou) were comedies. This underrated 1977 outing also played for laughs, though it had social-satire underpinnings that still ring true. Fonda and George Segal play an upwardly mobile couple in the time before yuppies--think of them as protoyuppies. But their status-oriented existence suffers what could be a fatal blow when hubby is maneuvered out of his job. Broke and unemployed, they become armed robbers--and discover that crime can pay for them to live in the style to which they've become accustomed. Segal and Fonda have a breezy ease as confused suburbanites who bring the same neurotic thoroughness to crime that they do to their careers. But the script (whose authors include Jerry Belson and Mordechai Richler) never uses either the Robin Hood angle or any other angle that could sustain a sharp edge; as a result, the comedy winds up more cute than knowing. --Marshall Fine Amazon.com

funny

This vendor shipped extremely quickly. The quality of the DVD is perfect also. I have both is movie and the remake. Both are equally good. January 13, 2008

Briliiant Movie

This one of my all time favourite comedy movies.
I saw it originally at the movies in 1977, I bought a copy on Betamax (yes, I did have one of those!) I then bought a copy on VHS and now have one on DVD.
The Jim Carrey remake is rubbish. Avoid it like the plague! Stick to the original
The George Segal and Jane Fonda chemistry works well (a bit like Grant & Hepburn in the 1940's)
Buy the movie and prepare for a couple of hours of nice simple fun! August 9, 2007

The Original

Long before Jim Carey starred in the remake, George Segal and Jane Fonda played the roles. Dick and Jane have an ideal life until Dick loses his job. As Dick's quest for a suitable new job drags on, the two must start to face the facts of just how bad their financial situation is. Their lawn has been repossessed and other creditors are banging on their door. But things change for the better when they are in a loan office that gets robbed. Jane pockets some of the stolen money. Suddenly Dick and Jane know how they can get more. It takes a while to get started but finally their criminal career begins and money is flowing in. Things are looking good.

But then one of their jobs goes a little wrong and they have to abandon their take in order to escape. The close call makes then give up their new criminal ways. But only for a bit. The opportunity rises to get back at Dick's boss and score a huge take. A little planning, some training, and the new game is afoot. Of course there are complications but Dick and Jane manage to rise to the occasion. As the tag line states, they lost everything and now they are stealing it back.

I had forgotten much of this film since I saw it decades ago. I was surprised to see how close the remake was to this original (i.e. the repossessed lawn and immigration trouble). But like with The Thomas Crown Affair, the original had a grittier ending. There is some harsh language but no nudity (although Fonda does use the toilet while talking to Segal). Segal and Fonda are delightful to watch as they go through their various disguises. Segal may not be as clownish as Carey but he carries the role very well and Fonda comes across as a much more competent Jane (despite being a homemaker to Tea Leoni's office worker). Strong acting and good comedy make this just as good as the remake although less wacky. Check it out. March 30, 2007

Upper-Class Citizens Become Crime Royalty.

Things were really tough in the mid and late-1970s. All around the country companies were laying people off. Union workers went on strike only to have their jobs given to scabs. Gas prices shot up at an incredible rate. Meanwhile, rich executives retired with huge bonuses or bankrupted their companies through seeming legal embezzling. FUN WITH DICK AND JANE is a social comedy commenting about everyone's foibles.

Dick Harper (George Segal) is an executive aeronautic engineer at an important company, Taft Aerospace. Dick has paid his dues. He has risen through the ranks and is on the verge of becoming a top man in the company. Dick's also a nice guy who is living beyond his means. He and his family live in a really nice home and only have the best of everything. When he goes to meet his boss, Charlie Blanchard (Ed McMahon), he's expecting to get a promotion. Instead, he gets fired. It's later revealed that Charlie has been tipping from the till and had to cut corners somehow. Dick and his beloved wife Jane (Jane Fonda) think that they will be able to get by, but they soon learn that getting a job is much more difficult than keeping one and that it's a lot easier to be poor if you already more than it is to become poor. An unexpected turn of events reveals to the couple how easy stealing money can be and soon Dick and Jane become a couple of wealthy thieves set on getting back at the man who caused all their misfortunes to begin with, Charlie Blanchard.

FUN WITH DICK AND JANE is a movie from the 1970s, but unlike many films of the era it has aged rather well (and thus was ripe for remaking). Some of the jokes won't make much sense anymore, such as when the couple robs the phone company only to be applauded by the customers. George Segal fits quite well in the shoes of Dick Harper while Jane Fonda actually displays that she had a little bit of talent (in fact, this is the movie that revitalized Fonda's career).

I enjoyed watching FUN WITH DICK AND JANE. It's a short and fun film. For a bit of trivia, look for Jay Leno's film debut as a carpenter working at the floor of the Harper home about four minutes into the film. January 30, 2007

Fun with Dick & Jane - the original

A very good movie with good acting. The story was very funny. I have watched it several times and still get a good chuckle. George Segal at his best, Jane Fonda was good too - and I really don't like her politics.
Enjoy it! January 6, 2007

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