Review of The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) by Stuart K — 27 Apr 2014

Directed by Penelope Spheeris (Wayne's World (1992) and The Little Rascals (1994)), this modern updating of the classic TV series created by Paul Henning which ran between 1962 and 1971. This film adaptation had been in development for years, and had switched studios a couple of times before it did, and it's not as bad as it's reputation precedes it, but it could have been a lot worse, and better for that matter.

In rural Arkansas, Jed Clampett (Jim Varney) discovers a gusher of crude oil on his land. Ozark Mountain Oil offer Jed $1 billion for his land. After a little uncertainty, Jed agrees, and with his new found wealth, moves his family, including daughter Elly May (Erika Eleniak), nephew Jethro (Diedrich Bader) and mother-in-law Granny (Cloris Leachman) to a new life in Los Angeles.

Where they're greeted by bank manager Milburn Drysdale (Dabney Coleman) and his assistant Miss Jane Hathaway (Lily Tomlin), however bank employee Woodrow Tyler (Rob Schneider) and his girlfriend Laura Jackson (Lea Thompson) want to get the Clampett's money for themselves.

It is a very silly comedy, with the sort of purile humour that's usually reserved for those horrible movie spoofs you get these days. However, the film works, and it doesn't outstay it's welcome either.

It does seem a bit rushed in places, but it was filmed, edited and released within 8 months at the time.