Montgomery "Monty" Capuletti (Rodney Dangerfield) is a hard-living, heavy-drinking, pot-smoking, gambling family man who makes his living as a baby photographer. He loves his wife Rose (Candy Azzara) but has a very tense relationship with his wealthy, snobbish mother-in-law, Mrs. Monahan (Geraldine Fitzgerald), who runs a successful department store chain and hates the way Monty acts and lives (the film lightly touches on ethnic rivalry---Dangerfield's character is a stereotype of Italians often invoked by the Irish, while his wife's family represent the more puritanical, staid lace curtain Irish stereotypes).
The irresponsible Monty cannot even pick up a wedding cake for his engaged daughter Allison (Jennifer Jason Leigh) without fouling up. He and his best friend Nicholas 'Nicky' Cerone (Joe Pesci) are smoking marijuana while driving and an accident destroys the cake.
After Mrs. Monahan dies unexpectedly, his family is in for an inheritance. Attorney Scrappleton (Tom Ewell) reveals that Mrs. Monahan left a stipulation in her will that if Monty is able to curb his vices for a year by going on a diet and giving up drugs and gambling, he will receive $10 million. If not, the family gets nothing. Allison's wedding to the peculiar Julio (Taylor Negron) goes off without a hitch, at least until the wedding night. The guys Monty would often drink and gamble with are also interested in whether or not Monty can really give up everything they did together, and are betting whether or not he will make it. Monty and Nicky go to the mother-in-law's department store and find awkward fashions and catering to a clientele which clearly do not include the likes of Nicky and Monty. Nicky then argues that it may not be worth it to Monty if this is the kind of atmosphere he will be exposed to, but Monty points out he must tough it out in order to provide for his wife and daughters, not just him. Meanwhile, Mrs. Monahan's scheming right-hand man Clive Barlow (Jeffrey Jones) does his best to undermine Monty's resolve so the money and department store can instead be left to him.
Monty ultimately reforms. When the entire year is up, he and the family celebrate board a boat. To his chagrin though, Mrs. Monahan turns up. She had faked her own death simply to persuade her slovenly son-in-law to straighten up. Ultimately though, she gives the money to Monty on the basis he upheld her stipulation. Now rich, Monty and his family live in a mansion. However, Monty hints the "clean living" clause has just expired as he kisses his mother-in-law good night and fakes heading to bed. Monty then proceeds to a hideaway to join Nicky and his friends for pizza, poker, and beer.
Easy Money opened theatrically on August 19, 1983 and earned $5,844,974 in its opening weekend, ranking number one in the domestic box office, toppling the prior three-week #1 of National Lampoon's Vacation.[3] By the end of its run, the film grossed $29,309,766.[2]
Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 50% rating based on 8 reviews.[4]
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