Funny Farm (film)

Funny Farm is a 1988 film starring Chevy Chase and Madolyn Smith. The film was adapted from a 1985 comedic novel of the same name by Jay Cronley. It was the final film to be directed by George Roy Hill.

Plot

Andy Farmer (Chevy Chase), a New York sports writer who moves with his wife, Elizabeth (Madolyn Smith) to the seemingly charming town of Redbud, Vermont, so he can write a novel. They do not get along well with the residents, and other quirks arise such as the Farmers being given funeral bills for a long-dead man buried on their land long before they acquired the house. Marital troubles soon arise from the quirkiness of Redbud as well as the fact that Elizabeth was critical of Andy's manuscript, while secretly getting her ideas for children's books published. They soon decide to divorce, and entice the town's residents with a $15,000 donation to Redbud, as well as a $50 cash bonus to whoever would appear as a friendly small town person in the presence of prospective home buyers visiting the area, which causes everyone in Redbud to join in on the charade of remaking their quirky town into a Rockwellesque small town. The townspeople's charade dazzles a pair of prospective buyers, who make the Farmers an offer on the house; however, Andy declines to sell, realizing that he genuinely enjoys small-town living. He and Elizabeth decide to stay together and stay in Redbud, much to the chagrin of the locals, who are now angry that they lost their promised money. Ultimately, the mayor does not hold the Farmers liable for the $15,000, as the sale of their house did not occur, which had been the deal that the donation would occur after sale. However, because the people did do their part of appearing like friendly small-town folk, Andy decides to pay everyone in Redbud their $50, which helps to significantly improve his standing among the townspeople. The film ends with Andy taking a job as a sports writer for the Redbud newspaper, and Elizabeth, now pregnant with their first child, has written multiple children's stories.

Cast

• Chevy Chase as Andy Farmer
• Madolyn Smith as Elizabeth Farmer
• Kevin O'Morrison as Sheriff Ledbetter
• Mike Starr and Glenn Plummer as Crocker and Mickey, the movers
• Kevin Conway as Crumb Petrie, the mailman (uncredited)
• Joseph Maher as Michael Sinclair, the publisher
• Bill Fagerbakke and Nicholas Wyman as Lon and Dirk, the Criterion brothers
• William Newman as Gus Lotterhand
• Sarah Michelle Gellar as Elizabeth's Student (uncredited)

External links

• Funny Farm at the Internet Movie Database