Greedy (film)

Greedy
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Jonathan Lynn
Produced by	Brian Grazer
Written by	Lowell Ganz Babaloo Mandel
Starring	Michael J. Fox Nancy Travis Kirk Douglas Ed Begley, Jr. Phil Hartman Bob Balaban Olivia d'Abo
Music by	Randy Edelman
Cinematography	Gabriel Beristain
Editing by	Tony Lombardo
Studio	Imagine Entertainment
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	March 4, 1994 (1994-03-04)
Running time	113 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$23 million
Box office	$13,137,484

Greedy is a 1994 comedy film starring Michael J. Fox, Kirk Douglas, Phil Hartman and Nancy Travis, directed by Jonathan Lynn and written by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel. The original music score was composed by Randy Edelman. It was the last film Kirk Douglas completed before suffering a stroke in 1996 that altered his acting method significantly.

Plot

The greedy relatives Carl McTeague (Ed Begley, Jr.), Ed (Bob Balaban) and Frank (Phil Hartman) among others of a wealthy, wheelchair-using scrap-metal tycoon, Uncle Joe McTeague (Kirk Douglas), continually suck up to him to inherit his millions. With their attempts constantly failing and irritable Uncle Joe showing a decided interest in his new "nurse" (Olivia d'Abo), the family decides to bring in Daniel (who turned his back on the family years ago) believing if they can make up, Uncle Joe will thaw towards them.

Instead of finding Daniel, they find his son Danny (Michael J. Fox) of whom Uncle Joe had always been especially fond. Professional bowler Danny left the family with his father, but he accepts the cousins' invitation to return—after rolling a gutter ball in a big tournament and finding out that he has a pre-arthritic condition developing in his wrist.

Danny's television sports producer girlfriend Robin (Nancy Travis) encourages him to ask Uncle Joe for a loan to invest in a bowling alley. A typically rude and crude Joe says he will lend the money only if Danny sides with him against his own father. Danny is offended; but he begins to compete for Uncle Joe's money if only to keep it out of the hands of "nurse" Molly and the greedy relatives.

In the end, Uncle Joe agrees to leave everything to Danny only to reveal that he is actually swimming in debt. He simply needed to find out "who really loves me." Danny and Robin agree to take care of him from now on, but Uncle Joe has another surprise or two in store for them.

Cast

• Michael J. Fox as Danny McTeague, Jr
• Kirk Douglas as Uncle Joe McTeague
• Nancy Travis as Robin Hunter
• Olivia d'Abo as Molly Richardson
• Phil Hartman as Frank
• Ed Begley, Jr. as Carl McTeague
• Jere Burns as Glen
• Colleen Camp as Patti
• Bob Balaban as Ed
• Joyce Hyser as Muriel
• Mary Ellen Trainor as Nora McTeague
• Kevin McCarthy as Barlett
• Khandi Alexander as Laura Densmore, P.I.
• Tom Mason as Actor "Daniel McTeague Sr."
• Jonathan Lynn as Douglas the Butler
• Francis X. McCarthy as Daniel McTeague Sr.
• Adam Hendershott as Joe (9 years old)
• Eric Lloyd as Joe (6 years old)
• Kirsten Dunst as Jolene
• Lisa Bradley as Joette
• Ryan Zach as Super Man

Trivia

• The main character's name "McTeague" is a reference to the movie Greed (1924), and novel McTeague, which deal with the effects of greed on people.
• The film's director, Jonathan Lynn, portrays the butler of Uncle Joe, the aptly named "Douglas."
• Lowell Ganz, the script's co-writer, appears as a director of TV bowling and basketball telecasts.
• A young Kirsten Dunst plays Jolene, one of the greedy relatives' children, all of whom are named after Uncle Joe in an attempt to impress him.
• In the final scene, when Danny & Robin find out about the complex charade that Uncle Joe has been playing, Mollie & Douglas are seen standing across the street next to Joe's Rolls Royce - parked beneath a movie marquis aptly advertising the film, Charade...

External links

• Greedy at the Internet Movie Database
• Greedy at AllRovi
• Greedy at Box Office Mojo
• Greedy at Rotten Tomatoes