Today’s quick review: Funny Money. Henry Perkins (Chevy Chase), a boring man, gets the shock of his life when he accidentally picks up a briefcase with $5 million from a stranger on the train. Realizing that the owner of the briefcase will be coming for him, Henry makes plans to leave the country with his wife Carol (Penelope Ann Miller). But their escape is delayed when a nosy detective (Armand Assante) tries to get a piece of the cash.
Funny Money is a comedy starring Chevy Chase. A couple’s quiet life erupts into chaos when they try to flee the country with a fortune in stolen cash. Hours before their flight, Henry and Carol find themselves besieged with visitors, forcing them to come up with a series of lies to cover for their hasty departure. Funny Money aims for madcap comedy but suffers from weak gags, mediocre performances, and uneven pacing.
Funny Money has a hard time calibrating its comedy. The backbone of the movie is supposed to be the edifice of lies Henry and Carol erect to keep the police off their backs. The trouble is that the lies are poorly chosen. Henry comes up with needlessly ridiculous cover stories that are meant to be comedy fodder, but they come across as overbearing. Furthermore, the situation gets too complex too quickly, making the movie difficult to follow.
The execution also leaves something to be desired. The movie frequently gets stuck on certain jokes, repeating the same material until it becomes grating. The performances of Chevy Chase and Penelope Ann Miller both miss the mark, with Chase erring too dry and Miller too histrionic. Later on, when the movie has built up some momentum, these issues abate. But by that point the movie has been locked into its early questionable decisions.
Funny Money is a movie that never stirs up the right kind of excitement. Some of its jokes line up right, but many of them are either too subdued or too forced. Chevy Chase brings his talents to bear for a few scenes, but largely they are untapped. Finally, the play-like staging limits the kinds of things the movie can do. Funny Money may be worth a watch for devoted fans of Chevy Chase, but most viewers will want to steer clear.
For a more serious movie about ordinary people finding stolen cash, check out Good People, Blood Money, or No Country for Old Men. For another comedy about a couple facing a never-ending string of domestic issues, try The Money Pit or Christmas with the Kranks.
[5.2 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0244521/). I give it a 5.5 for miscalibrated humor.