Main Cast: George Segal, Jane Fonda, Ed McMahon, Dick Gautier, Allan Miller
Release Year: 1977
Country: US
Run Time: 95 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
Dick Harper (George Segal) and his wife Jane (Jane Fonda) have always lived way beyond their means. Just because Dick has just lost his high-paying job is no reason for Jane to stop spending like there's no tomorrow. To make ends meet, Jane takes up a new career: armed robbery. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
This light comedy lacks the satirical edge and ambitious plotting that would have made it a classic but still manages to be an amusing, watchable affair thanks to a solid combination of star power and craftsmanship. The script suffers from some problems in the area of pacing -- it takes a while to really get rolling and the ending is a bit abrupt -- but Fun With Dick and Jane delivers plenty of sharp comic dialogue, especially in the scenes where George Segal and Jane Fonda discuss the pros and cons of thievery. Director Ted Kotcheff keeps the story moving at an agreeably snappy pace and manages to create a few nicely understated comic set pieces along the way: The best is when Segal attempts to rob an all-night drug store and the druggist mistakenly believes he has snuck in to buy condoms. However, what really holds Fun With Dick and Jane together are the performances of its leads: Segal and Fonda both exhibit a combination of down-to-earth warmth and sharp comic timing that make the larcenous heroes both likable and amusing. Ed McMahon also scores points in a broadly comic supporting turn as Segal's boozy, lecherous (and thoroughly corrupt) boss. Ultimately, Fun With Dick and Jane is a bit too quaint and modest in its storytelling to qualify as a top-flight comedy but offers enough charm and laughs to make it worth a look to comedy enthusiasts. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
John Dehner - Jane's Father; Mary Jackson - Jane's Mother; Walter Brooke - Mr. Weeks; Sean Frye - Billy Harper; James Jeter - Immigration Officer; Maxine Stuart - Blanchard's Secretary; Fred Willard - Bob; Selma Archerd - Beverly Hills Matron; John Brandon - Pete Winston; Burke Byrnes - Roger; Ji-Tu Cumbuka - Guard; Jean Carson - Paula; Richard Crystal - Motel Manager; Thayer David - Deacon; Cora Lee Day - Cleaning Lady; Art Evans - Man at Bar; Richard Foronjy - Landscape Man; Louis Guss - Phone Company Customer; Harry Holcombe - Pharmacist; Darrow Igus; DeWayne Jessie - Robber; Robert Lussier - Unemployment Clerk; Santos Morales - Raoul's Friend; Mickey Morton - Tippy; Tom Peters - Restaurant Owner; William Pierson - Nesbitt; Anne Ramsey - Employment Applicant; Thalmus Rasulala - Mr. Johnson; Debi Storm - Baby-Sitter; Gloria Stroock - Mildred Blanchard; William Callaway - Record Store Clerk; Richard Karron - Pool Builder; Jimmy Martinez; Richard Keith - Senator; Ed Marshall - Phone Company Clerk; Hank Garcia - Raoul Esteban
Credit
Donfeld - Costume Designer, Margo Baxley - Costume Designer, Lambert Marks - Costume Designer, Charles Okun - First Assistant Director, Ted Kotcheff - Director, Danford B. Greene - Editor, Lamont Dozier - Composer (Music Score), Ernest Gold - Composer (Music Score), Gene Page - Composer (Music Score), The Movies - Songwriter, James Hulsey - Production Designer, Fred Koenekamp - Cinematographer, Peter Bart - Producer, Max Palevsky - Producer, Jack Stephens - Set Designer, Jack Stevens - Set Designer, Darin Knight - Sound/Sound Designer, Richard Alexander - Sound/Sound Designer, Les Fresholtz - Sound/Sound Designer, Verne Poore - Sound/Sound Designer, Paul R. Baxley, Jr. - Stunts Coordinator, Gerald Gaiser - Screen Story, Jerry Belson - Screenwriter, David Giler - Screenwriter, Mordecai Richler - Screenwriter
Fun with Dick and Jane is a 1977 film starring George Segal and Jane Fonda as an upper-middle-class couple who fall through the cracks of society in the United States and then become high-class thieves to get back all they lost. The comedy was directed by Ted Kotcheff and is caustically critical of the 'anarchy' of the American way of life. Other actors include Ed McMahon and Richard Gautier.
The character names come from the Dick and Jane series of children's educational books and the title is taken from the title of one of the books in the series.
