        Ŀ
          GREEDY:  Jonathan Lynn, director.  Lowell Ganz & Baba-   
          loo Mandell, screenplay.  Starring Michael J. Fox,       
          Kirk Douglas, Nancy Travis, Olivia D'Abo, Phil Hart-     
          man, Ed Begley, Jr., Colleen Camp, Bob Balaban, Jere     
          Burns, Siobhan Fallon, Joyce Hyser, and Mary Ellen       
          Trainor.  Universal.  Rated PG-13.                       
        

          What would *you* do for 25 million dollars?  A bad Jimmy
     Durante impression?  Spy on your relatives to cut them out of the
     inheritance?  Have sex with someone who disgusts you?

          Would you sit through this movie?

          Okay, that last question is a cheap shot, and unfair,
     because I enjoyed GREEDY, starring Michael J. Fox, Kirk Douglas,
     Nancy Travis, and Olivia D'Abo.  Sure, the film has large, truck-
     sized plot holes; sure, it's stultifyingly and numbingly predic-
     table; and sure, you've seen this plot done to death several
     times before, but GREEDY is still funny and entertaining, while
     almost making the situation seem fresh.  Uncle Joe (Douglas) is
     filthy-rich and ill, and the whole McTeague clan is just waiting
     for him to crumple over in his wheelchair so they can divvy up
     the loot.  A more simpering, whiny, craven lot you'd be hard-
     pressed to find anywhere else, but Joe tops them all as the
     deceptive, manipulating old fart who drove them this crazy.
     When Joe takes in a sexy pizza-delivery girl, Molly (D'Abo) to
     "nurse" him, the clan panics and brings in its own big gun, long-
     lost nephew Danny McTeague (Fox), Joe's favorite.  Danny's a
     bowling pro who's just come off the circuit, with plans to buy
     into a bowling center.  When he reunites with Uncle Joe, he sees
     the chance to realize that dream.  And, as he gets sucked deeper
     and deeper into the McTeague greed, Joe gets more manipulative,
     until he's pitting Molly and Danny against each other and the
     rest of the clan.

          GREEDY's a lot more fun than other movies of this ilk, like
     a Bob Hoskins starrer from 1992, PASSED AWAY, but it's nowhere
     near as sharp and well-made as DADDY'S DYIN', WHO'S GOT THE WILL?
     (1990), starring Beau Bridges, Keith Carradine, Beverly D'Angelo,
     Tess Harper, and Judge Reinhold.  DADDY'S DYIN' comes from a
     stage play, has richer dialogue, and more well-developed charac-
     ters, and has yet to be topped in the disputed-inheritance- movie
     category.  GREEDY, though, profits from a cute screenplay by
     veterans Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandell (SPLASH, 1984, PARENT-
     HOOD, 1984, and CITY SLICKERS, 1991) and slick, coherent direc-
     tion from Jonathan Lynn (MY COUSIN VINNY, 1992).

          One scene between Joe and Molly lies to the audience.  Mis-
     directing the audience is one thing, because the clues are there,
     either visible or completely buried, to allow the audience a peek
     around the edges.  But when Joe deceives Molly about whom he's
     giving control of his finances to, it's a scene just between the
     two of them.  Danny can't hear, though he's nearby.  As a result,
     it cheats the audience because Molly is genuinely duped, although
     there's evidence later that she knew about Danny's deception from
     the first.  Danny *can't hear* what they're saying, so to mark
     Molly as a victim of deceit defrauds the story of what little
     integrity it has.

          You'll guess the final two or three plot twists before
     they're introduced.  Still, I think you'll enjoy GREEDY, but see
     it at a matinee.

     RATING:  $$
