Fun with Dick and Jane (1977)

A film review by Christopher Null - Copyright © 2004 Filmcritic.com

Never mind the silly title, Fun with Dick and Jane is fun indeed but it's not for kids. George Segal loses his job, and his domineering wife (Jane Fonda) pushes him to get a new job immediately, seeing as they're crushed by debt. Jane tries to land something too, but fails miserably, and in one of the most dryly pointed moments in the film, Dick notes that the only job she's qualified for is as a prostitute. After giving welfare a try, Dick and Jane's fun really begins: they turn to armed robbery. Very lighthearted and surprisingly witty, it's not just a caper comedy, it's also an indictment of the 1970s class struggle. Poor director Ted Kotcheff would end up directing mostly TV and Red Shoe Diaries installments later in his career. Watch for the remake with Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz in 2005.

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Rating

4.0 out of 5 Stars

Cast and Crew

  • Director: Ted Kotcheff
  • Producer: Peter Bart, Max Palevsky
  • Screenwriter: David Giler, Jerry Belson, Mordecai Richler
  • Stars: George Segal, Jane Fonda, Ed McMahon, Richard Gautier, Allan Miller, Hank Garcia
  • MPAA Rating: PG