Themes: Inheritance at Stake, Family Gatherings, Eccentric Families
Main Cast: Michael J. Fox, Kirk Douglas, Nancy Travis, Olivia D'Abo, Phil Hartman
Release Year: 1994
Country: US
Run Time: 113 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
It's been said that nothing can bring two men closer together than a dollar placed between them, and a large family finds themselves becoming far closer than they'd like over several million dollars in this satiric comedy. Uncle Joe McTeague (Kirk Douglas) is an elderly man with a multi-million dollar fortune that he made in the scrap metal business and has no immediate heirs. While Joe has no children, he has plenty of relatives, most of whom don't really like him but want to curry his favor in hopes of inheriting his money when he dies (and Uncle Joe is just shrewd enough to know this). However, Uncle Joe has hired a "nurse," Molly Richardson (Olivia D'Abo), who considers modeling bikinis in Joe's Jacuzzi to be therapeutic. The family is afraid that Molly will end up with the lion's share of Joe's money after they've been bending over backwards to earn his approval, so they bring in a ringer. Daniel McTeague (Michael J. Fox) is one of the only members of the family that Uncle Joe actually likes; a professional bowler of no particular skill, Daniel is the son of the family's black sheep, a leftist activist who decided years ago and wanted nothing to do with Uncle Joe. But Joe has a soft spot for Daniel and his imitation of Jimmy Durante, so the family tracks him down and has him come to visit his uncle. The idea is that if Daniel can get on Uncle Joe's good side, he'll be rewarded in his will, and then Daniel will share his fortune with the rest of the family. So Daniel and his wife Robin (Nancy Travis) move to be closer to Uncle Joe, but Daniel soon discovers that he doesn't like his family much more than Uncle Joe does. Greedy also features Phil Hartman, Ed Begley, Jr., Bob Balaban, Jere Burns, and Kirsten Dunst as some of the venal members of the extended McTeague Family; incidentally, the name "McTeague" is a reference to the lead character in Erich von Stroheim's silent epic Greed. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Dan Webster - Art Director, Karen Rea - Casting, Shay Cunliffe - Costume Designer, Matthew Rowland - First Assistant Director, Jonathan Lynn - Director, Tony Lombardo - Editor, David T. Friendly - Executive Producer, Randy Edelman - Composer (Music Score), Victoria Paul - Production Designer, Gabriel Beristain - Cinematographer, John J. Smith - Production Manager, George Folsey, Jr. - Producer, Brian Grazer - Producer, Anne H. Ahrens - Set Designer, Cheryl Smith Dimont - Set Designer, Robert J. Anderson, Jr. - Sound/Sound Designer, Lowell Ganz - Screenwriter, Babaloo Mandel - Screenwriter, Tom Perry - Re-Recording Mixer
The greedy relatives—played by Ed Begley, Jr., Bob Balaban and Phil Hartman among others—of a wealthy and wheelchair-bound scrap metal tycoon, Uncle Joe McTeague (Kirk Douglas), continually suck up to him in order to gain his favor and to inherit his millions after his death. With their attempts constantly failing and irritable Uncle Joe showing a decided interest in his new "nurse" (Olivia d'Abo), the family decides to bring in Daniel, who turned his back on the family years ago, believing if they can make up, Uncle Joe will thaw towards them.
Instead of finding him they find cousin Danny (Michael J. Fox), Daniel's son, of whom Uncle Joe had always been especially fond. Pro bowler Danny left the family when his father did, but he accepts the cousins' invitation to return, particularly after blowing a certain victory in a big tournament and also finding out that he has a pre-arthritic condition developing in his wrist.
Danny's girlfriend, Robin (Nancy Travis), a television sports producer, encourages him to ask Uncle Joe for a $300,000 loan to invest in a bowling alley. A typically rude and crude Joe says he will lend the money only if Danny sides with him and against his own father. Danny is offended, but he begins to compete for Uncle Joe's money, if only to keep it out of the hands of "nurse" Molly and the greedy relatives.
In the end, Uncle Joe agrees to leave everything to Danny, only to reveal that he is actually swimming in debt. He simply needed to find out "who really loves me." Danny and Robin agree to take care of him from now on, but Uncle Joe has another surprise or two in store for them.
