Folks! (film)

Folks! is a 1992 dark comedy film, directed by Ted Kotcheff. The movie starred Tom Selleck. The movie's tagline is: "Jon Aldrich is about to come face to face with the most terrifying force known to man... his parents." The film earned a Razzie Award nomination for Selleck as Worst Actor.

Plot

Folks! tells the story of Jon Aldrich (Tom Selleck), a successful stockbroker who is living the good life with a wife and kids until his aging father with dementia accidentally burns down his own house. Jon tries to get his sister, Arlene Aldrich (Christine Ebersole) who has two sons of her own but is an irresponsible gold digger, but she won't even open the door. As a result his father Harry Aldrich/Pop (Don Ameche) and his mother Mildred Alrdich (Anne Jackson) have to move in with him and his family. That is the moment that his good life starts going down hill.

The company he works for was apparently doing illegal things which Jon knew nothing of, but no one believes him therefore he loses his job. The problems for Jon continue to mount up as the family becomes broke, his wife Audrey (Wendy Crewson) thinks moves out with the kids, and they lose all their furniture and belongs except their apartment. Harry continues to unintentionally injure Jon, causing him hearing lost, a broken hand, a car runs over his foot, and he manages to lose a testicle.

Jon slowly starts to lose his own sanity, but in a brief moment of his own sanity Harry tells Jon that he never wanted to be a burden on him but he soon slips back into his state of dementia, where he is just happy all the time and often yells out "McDonalds". Jon talks with his mother who also says that she and his father never wanted to be a burden on him. She then tells him that she and his father have discussed it, and they want Jon to help them die so he can collect the insurance money. Jon is totally against this at first but after a while he changes his tune.

Jon helps his parents try to commit suicide many unsuccessful times and half way through the attempts Jon's sister Arlene shows up on his doorsteps with both of her corpulent sons in need of a place to live. Jon refuses at first due to the fact that she would not even open the door for them but he eventually caves in and lets them stay. Arlene also joins in on the attempts to help their parents die, hoping for a cut of the insurance money. Though her attempts are also unsuccessful.

Things slowly start looking up for Jon as Audrey eventually shows up home to tell John she was wrong for leaving and how much she loves the fact that he was willing to take in both of his parents. Upon her arrival she realizes all all the injuries Jon has suffered since she saw him last, including the missing testicle. As they are reconciling Jon realizes that Arlene and his parents are gone and he knows they are going to try to commit suicide again with the help of his sister, so he tracks them down in an attempt to stop them which he successfully does, but not without facing a bit more injury.

Alrdich eventually get their lives on track. Jon and Audrey buy a house and Jon's parents live with them. Arlene is now with a man who knows how to handle her bad behaving children. At the end we finally find out that Harry hasn't been yelling McDonalds because he was hungry, he was yelling it because he bought stock in McDonnell Douglas years and years ago, meaning he is worth tons of money.

Cast

Tom Selleck - Jon Aldrich
Don Ameche - Harry Aldrich
Anne Jackson - Mildred Aldrich
Christine Ebersole - Arlene Aldrich
Wendy Crewson - Audrey Aldrich
Michael Murphy - Ed
Robert Pastorelli - Fred
Lynn Stalmaster - Actor/Actress
Jane Alderman - Actor/Actress
Jackye Roberts - Gail
James Andelin - Lenny
Thomas Richter - Agent
Kevin Timothy Chevalia - Kevin
George Petrie - Sammy
T.J. Parish - Steve
Doris Carey Ferguson - Nurse
Joseph Miller - Jerry
Connie Scurlock - Mother
Margaret Murphy - Maggie
John McCormack - Howard
Rom Milanovich - Thug #2
Frank Dominelli - Thug #1
Bob Gordon - William
Joseph R. Ryan - Patient
George O - Doorman
Gerald Owens - Dr. Bush
Mike Barger - Paramedic
Kevin Barry Howe - FBI Agent
Juan Olmedo - 1st Cousin
Omar Cabral - Dr. Aviano
Mario Nieves - 2nd Cousin
Robert Escobar - Florida Cop
Mike Geselbracht - Stan Key
Marilyn Dodds Frank - Mrs. Henney
Tony Mockus, Jr. - Chicago Cop
Evan Lionel - Gang Leader
Magic Slim - Blues Singer
Teri McEvoy - 1st Reporter
Ilse Earl - Lois Elliott
Wanda Christine - County Nurse
Billy Brugh - Seafood Chef
Jerry Hotchkiss - 1st Neighbor
Ross Gottstein - 2nd Reporter
Frankie DaVila - Shoe Salesman
Mary Seibel - Condo Manager
Peter Burns - Another Trader
Mal Jones - Retired Doctor
Richard Sullivan Lee - Police Officer
Toni Fleming - Lady Shoe Buyer
Christopher J. Campbell - 1st Taxi Driver
O. Boyd Clow - Lenny's Partner
Will Knickerbocker - 2nd Taxi Driver
Angela Anthony Buscaglia, Jr. - Tow Truck Driver
Sid Raymond - Retired Attorney
Juan Ramirez - Shoe Store Owner
Dee Dee Deering - 1st Neighbor's Wife
Jon Favreau - Chicago Taxi Driver
Evelyn Brooks - Retired Lawyer's Wife
Nydia Rodriguez Terracina - Show Store Owner's Wife