Greedy

The New York Times
The Living Arts
Friday, March 4, 1994

BEWARE OF FEUDING KIN BEARING BIRDS OF PREY
By Janet Maslin

"Greedy," which has the makings of a gleefully malevolent family comedy, begins on a note of inspired wickedness. Members of the McTeague clan are making their slavish pilgrimage to the home of Uncle Joe (Kirk Douglas), the foxy old millionaire whose health is very much on their minds. Nobody likes Uncle Joe, but the McTeagues can agree on this much: they want his money. Bearing stuffed birds of prey (which the old man apparently loves) and shepherding children with names like Joette and Jolene, they will do anything to win their uncle's favor.

"Try and bring up my cousin Tina's drinking," Carl McTeague (Ed Begley Jr.) advises his family as they all head for the mansion. Once they arrive, "Greedy" spins out a hilarious scene in which the cousins do their best to embarrass each other for Uncle Joe's benefit. Fending off one such attack, Frank (Phil Hartman) typically declares: "I guess you have a lot of time to notice these things, Ed, now that you're out of work." Uncle Joe originated the McTeague mean streak, and he thrives on this sort of thing.

"Greedy" gives all the McTeagues something to worry about, in the eye-catching form of Molly (Olivia d'Abo), the young British blond who is Uncle Joe's new companion. Formerly a bikini model and pizza deliverer, Molly has lately moved in and turned the old man's head. "Her tongue is practically in his wallet!" exclaims Frank, who, as played by Mr. Hartman, is the funniest member of this miserable clan. Taking it upon himself to browbeat Molly, Frank delivers the nastiest slur he can think of. "I didn't like the Beatles," he sneers, "and I don't like you."

Far from the bosom of his family is Daniel McTeague (Michael J. Fox) a professional bowler whom nobody much misses. His cousins have not forgiven Daniel for once being nicknamed "Uncle Joe's special boy." But when the cousins decide to produce Daniel as a birthday surprise and send a detective (Khandi Alexander) to find him, Daniel becomes reimmersed in his family's craziness. He also discovers, to his horror, that he, too, is becoming interested in Uncle Joe for the wrong reasons. It turns out that there is a bowling alley Daniel would invest in if he had the chance.

"Greedy" works fine whenever it allows all this venality to run free, preventing its principals from becoming any more charitable than the characters in a Preston Sturges comedy. At times, the director, Jonathan Lynn, ("My Cousin Vinny"), displays a refreshing misanthropy that Mr. Sturges himself might have appreciated. Mr. Lynn also happens to give one of the film's funniest performances, playing Douglas, the butler whom Uncle Joe likes to splash when he's in the swimming pool. Upon hearing that Molly, whose interest was formerly platonic, is about to sleep with the frail old millionaire, Douglas says: "Sir? May I ask for a reference before you go upstairs?"

There hangs over "Greedy" a terrible possibility that these characters may get over their avarice and develop some form of fellowship. The screenplay, by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, flirts too often with this kind of danger. Once Daniel and Uncle Joe are reunited, the film finds time for much more soul-searching and value-questioning than any audience really wants to see, and its momentum suffers accordingly. It's a great relief when the film shakes off its doldrums to end on a sneaky note.

Mr. Fox, who has been the unsung hero of many a movie comedy, once again displays deft timing and all the sprightly energy his role demands. (This film may incorporate a few beefcake shots of Mr. Fox and show him to be a good bowler, but it keeps him on familiar territory; his screen personal here is still determinedly boyish.) Mr. Douglas has great fun with the role of the old reprobate, and he and Mr. Fox work well together even when the material shows its maudlin side.

Also in the cast are Bob Balaban, Colleen Camp and Jere Burns as various nattering McTeagues. And Nancy Travis plays Daniel's level-headed girlfriend. Those looking for cinematic allusions will be made mindful of both Erich von Stroheim (whose "Greed" had its own McTeague, from Frank Norris's novel) and Nora Ephron. Like "Sleepless in Seattle," "Greedy" treats Jimmy Durante as an old friend.

"Greedy" is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). It includes profanity, sexual suggestiveness and very brief nudity.