Richie Rich (sometimes stylized Ri¢hie Ri¢h) is a 1994 live-action film adaptation of the Harvey Comics comic book character Richie Rich. Directed by Donald Petrie, the film stars Macaulay Culkin as the title character (this would be his final movie as a "child actor"). Michael McShane, Christine Ebersole, Jonathan Hyde, and John Larroquette serve in supporting roles, while Claudia Schiffer and Ben Stein appear in cameo roles. Culkin's younger brother Rory Culkin played the part of little Richie. In 1998, it was followed by a direct-to-video sequel, Richie Rich's Christmas Wish. While in theaters, the film was shown with a Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon called Chariots of Fur.
Synopsis
Richie Rich is the world's wealthiest kid, a billionaire, being raised with anything money can buy, but with only loyal butler Cadbury as a companion. But he thinks he might get his chance when, at a dedication to the reopening of the factory of a company his father, Richard Rich Sr., recently acquired (intending to modernize the factory and give it away to the workers as a token of goodwill), he encounters a group of sandlot kids playing baseball. Meanwhile, the elder Rich's greedy corporate financial advisor, Laurence van Dough, is planning to take the Rich financial fortune, believed to be stored in the Rich family vault that Richard had made vague references to, for his own. With the Rich family's head of security, Ferguson, they plot to blow up the plane carrying the Rich family to England by disguising a bomb among the presents that they were to give to the Queen. However, seeing Richie's loneliness, Cadbury makes a suggestion to Richie's mother, Regina, and arranges for Richie to stay home with the sandlot kids for a weekend of fun. The weekend allows Richie to earn the friendship of the sandlot kids.
Thanks to the new invention of the Rich family scientist, Dr. Keenbean, the bomb is detected, but Richard is unable to get rid of the bomb before it detonates. The bomb destroys part of the wing tips, sending their plane into the ocean. However, both manage to survive on a lifeboat. Believing that the Rich family are dead, van Dough assumes the head of the Rich corporation, and proceeds to cut the many charitable contributions the Rich family were known for. This includes closing the recently-reopened United Tool factory, which the parents of the sandlot kids relied upon on their living. This angers Richie, who proceeds to the company headquarters and, as a living Rich family member, assumes the leadership position.
Van Dough, however, saw this as a minor setback: as Richie is still underage, his ability to run the business was limited by the powers granted to him by someone who was able to give it to him — namely, Cadbury. Cadbury is framed for the Rich family's murder. With this, Richie is forced from his home, and the Rich family's loyal servants are all fired en masse by van Dough's edict, effectively isolating Richie from the outside world and making Richie prisoner within his own home. However, he does get the assistance of Keenbean, who had also been hiding in the Rich house, distrustful of van Dough and not willing to let his inventions fall into van Dough's hands. He manages to sneak Richie out with a plan to let Cadbury escape from prison. Rescuing Cadbury, he regroups with his new friends, who are willing to assist him in whatever it takes to get his home back.
During this time, Richie was left with the Dadlink: a satellite-assisted tool meant to let Richie find his father if they are apart. However, Richard's receiver was broken in the crash, and, when Richard manages to fix it, the signal that his father is found is intercepted by Ferguson, who disconnects Richie's modem, leaving Richie (remoting in from a friend's terminal) in the dark as to where his parents may be. Assisted by Keenbean, the kids manage to sneak Richie back into his own house, only to discover that the Dadlink shows that Richie's parents are inside the Rich's house. He is shocked to discover that van Dough had anticipated his own arrival, and had arranged for his parents' rescue. Held at gunpoint, van Dough forces the Rich family elders to the Rich vault, while Rich and his friends, who were captured by Ferguson's security, to one of Keenbean's machines, intending to kill them. Keenbean intervenes with Ferguson's plan, and manages to save the children. Richie proceeds to take a bag full of Keenbean's inventions in a bid to save his parents.
Van Dough is eventually lead to Mount Richmore, a stone mountain portrait of the Rich family, where the vault is located. There, he is surprised to find that the vault held the Rich family's childhood keepsakes — nothing that was valuable to him. Demanding an explanation, he finds the Rich family keeps their money in banks, stock, and the real estate market, because they simply did not value money. Desperate to get the money, he attempts to shoot Richard and Reggina, only for Richie to interfere. Van Dough attempts to shoot Richie instead, but manages to barely faze him, his clothes having turned bulletproof due to one of Keenbean's inventions. The Rich family take the opening caused by Keenbean's invention to escape. The chase eventually leads them down the side of the mountain, where they are under further attack by Ferguson and a special rock-blasting laser that had been used to build the mountain vault. Cadbury manages to disable Ferguson, and manages to keep the Rich family safe as van Dough hangs on for dear life. Though Richard abhors firing staff, he allows Richie to fire van Dough, who is then subsequently arrested.
Later, as Richie is playing baseball with his new friends on the Rich mansion's yard, Richard and Reggina state that Richie found the true treasure in life — friends.
Production
The house and grounds at which Richie Rich is filmed are those of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. The roller coaster in the back yard is the Iron Wolf at Six Flags Great America.
Reaction
The movie maintains a "rotten" 25% rating on RottenTomatoes.com. However, Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars saying he was surprised how much he enjoyed it and though it wasn't the greatest movie, he liked that it had style and didn't go for cheap payoffs.
Connections
- In one scene Van Dough is seen watching North by Northwest. Later in the movie, a scene of North by Northwest is spoofed in the scene dealing with Mount Richmore.
External links
