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The Money Pit (1986) was very early on in tom hanks's Hollywood career, and I'm so glad he decided to do it! Him and Shelley Long that is. I mean this is just a classic to me. From both Long and Hanks's very talented comedic performances to the funny script and some of the best physical comedy I've ever seen done. Tom hanks can play very serious roles in dramatic movies, exhibit A: Forrest Gump, and he is very good at it, but he also is very gifted comedic actor too. He has a lot of great moments that he just delivers the lines in such a way where it works and will have you busting out laughing. Shelley Long is good here, has some very funny scenes, she has some humor that's not very obvious such as slapstick, but it works very well and the two of them have very natural romantic on screen chemistry. They are believable as a couple. I hate it when filmmakers cast romantic leads that have absolutely zero natural chemistry between them. It just makes for awkward interaction and a poor couple. Tbankfully they avoided that with this movie. The movie has some quality physical slapstick style comedy while the house is being worked on, and it for the most part works. The movie isn't the best comedy or 80's movie you'll ever see, but it's cute at times, very funny, and well acted. I suggest it.

I know, the critics ripped at "The Money Pit" when it got released. They apparently didn't realize that it wasn't pretending to be a masterpiece; it was a big excuse to be funny, and they succeed. Some of the gags her seem to forecast the equally funny "Mousehunt". Personally, I think that Tom Hanks needs to act in some more comedies, and Shelley Long needs to get more roles in movies. My favorite scene? Well, I get the giggles whenever I think of the whole chain reaction. Just the kinds of things about which anyone should worry when moving into a new house (although my family didn't have such experiences when we moved into our house).

All in all, it shows that Richard Benjamin is as great a director as he is an actor. My generation ought to give him the recognition that my parents' generation gave him. Also starring Alexander Godunov (one of the Amish guys in "Witness"), Maureen Stapleton, Joe Mantegna and Josh Mostel.

Richard Benjamin, actor (Westworld, 1973) goes director, directed this entertaining film fun about a down-on-his-luck couple desperately fighting for the survival of their relationship while the roof over their heads - and their bank account - slip into an increasingly precarious predicament.

With Tom Hanks and Shelley Long prominently cast, both have convincing chemistry in this classic piece reminiscent of comedies of the '50s and '60s.

The humor comes more with slapstick interludes and is very physical. The film is very entertaining and diverting.

A compelling good-mood film with a young Tom Hanks.

I loved this movie. Granted, I was a teen when I first saw it, but even so, I laughed often and that is my standard of judgment. Shelley Long is as good as she was in Cheers (which is gooood). Tom Hanks shows off the early "Bosom Buddies" hopes of physical comedy genius here in a way that he never did again. The bee-attack scene to the flight of the Bumblebee violin solo is fabulous. the whole "We're Sitting on a Dream" sequence with the stairs and doorbell and raccoon and the bathtub is hilarious but PEOPLE. Come on. The entire collapsing stairs bit is the best, capped off by Hanks sweet little blown kiss at the end ... slayed me. My brother and I still reference it whenever everything is more crap than bearable, and we always will. I think this is an overlooked gem and will always have it in my video catalogue. Finally, a quote: Paint. Don't tickle. Alexander Gudonow will be missed.

One of the things that makes this movie so enjoyable is that millions of Americans can easily empathize and draw upon their own experiences with the travails of fixing up a dilapidated house.

The plot is a familiar one and follows in the footsteps (which usually collapse) of such classic films as "George Washington Slept Here," "The Egg and I" and "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House."

Shelley Long and Tom Hanks seem evenly matched as the tormented couple who suffer almost every wacky indignity and calamity imaginable. Tom Hanks has a flair for physical comedy, which he rarely got the chance to exploit in his later films. Unfortunately, except for Philip Bosco and Maureen Stapleton, the supporting players in "The Money Pit" are not in the same league as the actors who added so much flavor to films in the old studio days.

Indeed, as a classic movie buff, I find today's crop of character actors pallid in comparison with their counterparts of more than 50 years ago.

Who can forget Percy Kilbride and Hattie McDaniel as Mr. Kimber and Hester the maid in "George Washington," and Harry Shannon As Mr. Tesander, the well digger, in "Blandings"? Don't forget Donald MacBride and the coupling of Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride as Ma and Pa Kettle in "The Egg." We'll never see the likes of them again.

Still, "The Money Pit" is all good fun and very entertaining.