Life Stinks
Seen it?1991 | 92 min | Comedy
Weeknight WatchWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With middling reviews (25% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a lukewarm 49% audience score, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Best for anyone who likes comedy with a point and anyone looking to switch off and smile. The jokes have targets, and it hits most of them. Set in sun-baked Los Angeles.
- The mood
- Provocative satire that goes after everyone.
- The pace
- Zips along, at 1 hr 32 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG-13. Probably too much for younger kids.
- Skip it if you're after something serious tonight.
Affluent and arrogant businessman Goddard Bolt, feuding with rival Vance Crasswell over a land deal, makes a bet with Crasswell that he has the wits and street smarts to live penniless and anonymous on the rough streets of Los Angeles for thirty days. But Bolt has a rude awakening when the reality of homelessness hits him. Still, he finds a silver lining in a burgeoning romance with Molly, a former Broadway dancer who has fallen on hard times.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsBelow par
25% on Rotten Tomatoes, 54 on Metacritic
- AudiencesBelow par
Our audience score: 49%
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$4 million worldwide on a $13 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 73K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Mel Brooks
- Mel BrooksGoddard Bolt
- Lesley Ann WarrenMolly
- Jeffrey TamborVance Crasswell
- Stuart PankinPritchard
- Michael EnsignKnowles
- Howard MorrisSailor
- Matthew FaisonStevens
- Rudy De LucaJ. Paul Getty
- Teddy WilsonFumes
- Stanley BrockStore Owner