Life Stinks

1991 • 92 minutes

About this movie

Mel Brooks directs this film about a ruthless billionaire, Goddard Bolt (Brooks), who wants to obliterate a poor section of Los Angeles and build a high-tech commercial center in its place. His only problem is that he owns only half the land needed for the construction, the other half belonging to equally ruthless billionaire Vance Craswell (Jeffrey Tambor), who has his own ideas for the land. The two try to buy each other out until, finally, a deal is struck: Craswell bets that Bolt cannot survive a month on the streets as a homeless man. If Bolt makes it, he gets the property. If he doesn't, Craswell gets it. Bolt agrees and, as a poor man, he begins to feel the pain of being uprooted and alone, even meeting a friendly homeless woman, Molly (Lesley Ann Warren) with whom he forms an attachment.

Ratings and reviews

Although "Life Stinks" score poorly with critics (20% RT score), it is perhaps the Mel Brooks charm that is lost on the critics that makes or breaks the movie. Full of innocent innuendo and charismatic cheese, this is a movie for people who appreciate the caricature that Brooks makes out of life. Taken seriously, this movie is a flop. Taken as a hyperbolic expression of social commentary from a man who has heart and cynicism that blends together into back-leaning criticsm, it works just fine. Mel Brooks appeal is always in his charisma and charm. He does jokes that no one else could get away with. Not because the jokes are non-PC (though some are), but because no one else can do it the way he does. He is the type of guy who is better than the sum of his parts, and so is "Life Stinks". Don't worry about the critics. If you take yourself so seriously that the only movies that count are 2001: A Space Odyssey (a fantastic film), then Life Stinks might not be for you. But if you love a wide breadth of movies, and you realized that the new Mad Max: Fury Road movie is great because it's a B-movie with an A-movie budget, then Life Stinks just might be for you.

Funniest movie I've ever seen, I've watched so many times & still laugh. Mel Brooks is so funny, I love him and am always recommending this movie to everyone

I watched this for the first time ever as a teenager and it is seriously one of my favorite comedies. If you love puns and situational humor; you will like this movie.