Ruthless People (1986)

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6.7	Rating (146 ratings)
6.9	IMDB rating

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Directed by (View all)

Jerry Zucker

David Zucker

Starring (View all)

Danny DeVito
Sam Stone

Bette Midler
Barbara Stone

Judge Reinhold
Ken Kessler

Helen Slater
Sandy Kessler

Anita Morris
Carol

Bill Pullman
Earl

Art Evans
Lt. Bender

Clarence Felder
Lt. Walters

Written by

Dale Launer
(written by)

O. Henry
story The Ransom of Red Chief

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Ruthless People Videos

Ruthless People 1986 TV trailer

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Reviews

So many laughs, equals a silly funny hit.

14 years ago at Jan 11 18:14

Lexi

2 votes

''So, if I look like his mother and you look like his father, this is what our son would look like. Pretty strong argument for birth control.''

A couple, cheated by a vile businessman, kidnap his wife in retaliation, without knowing that their enemy is delighted they did.

Danny DeVito: Sam Stone

Back in the 80s there were many examples of comedies and ... read more

An average movie

11 years, 8 months ago at May 25 13:23

johanlefourbe

2 votes

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this flick but since I always had a weak spot for Danny DeVito, I thought I might as well give it a try. The interesting thing about this flick is that it was the first ‘straight’ comedy (meaning = not a parody) directed by the trio Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker and, if I’m not mistaken, it was quite a success when it was released.... read more

An Ensemble You Will Never See Again

3 months, 3 weeks ago at Oct 8 18:13

Kyle Ellis

2 votes

Warning: SpoilersNot everyone will like this movie but there are many who do. My mom and I absolutely fell out of our seats laughing when we watched this; my brother, on the other hand, barely cracked a grin. Anyway, with an ensemble made up of people like Bette Midler, Danny DeVito, and Judge Reinhold, what more could you possibly ask for? The way I see it, this is a take-off of any kidnapping st... read more

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Slime ball businessman Sam Stone plots to murder his horrible wife for her money, so he can marry his mistress. He can't believe his luck when she is kidnapped by Ken and Sandy Kessler who wanted revenge from Sam for stealing their savings, and Sandy's money making fashion design, then marketing it as his own. When Barbara learns of what Sam has done to this couple and then realises that he isn't doing anything to secure her release, she becomes friends with her kidnapper and they plan to teach Sam a lesson.

Release date: 27 June 1986
UPC: 717951005106

Tags: Comedy (12), Crime (11), Kidnapping (7), 1980s (6), Ransom (5), Black Comedy (5), Murder (4), Blackmail (4), Police (4), 1986 (4), Chloroform (3), Champagne (3), Satirical (3), Serial Killer (3), Kidnap (2), Faked Death (2), Hooker (2), Yuppie (2), Wife (2)

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1986 Awardie Awards (47 movies items)

"Also nominated Best Musical or Comedic Film "

Kyle Ellis posted a review 3 months, 3 weeks ago

An Ensemble You Will Never See Again

“Warning: SpoilersNot everyone will like this movie but there are many who do. My mom and I absolutely fell out of our seats laughing when we watched this; my brother, on the other hand, barely cracked a grin. Anyway, with an ensemble made up of people like Bette Midler, Danny DeVito, and Judge Reinhold, what more could you possibly ask for? The way I see it, this is a take-off of any kidnapping story that you will see in the news or on true crime TV shows...only there's nonstop comedy at every turn. As my mom and I have said, this is one movie that is not meant to be taken seriously.

Mr. DeVito plays a husband who desperately wants to get rid of his wife, who is played by Miss Midler herself. Then you have Judge Reinhold, who plays one of the bumbling kidnappers. DeVito and Reinh” read more

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" First Viewing Viewing Date: March 30th Via: DVD Plot: Before wealthy businessman Sam Stone can murder his wife, she is kidnapped and held for random. Happy for the kidnappers to just kill his wife, Sam consistently disobeys the kidnappers, while the police work to solve the case. Rating: 7.1/10"

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