Down and Out in Beverly Hills

Play trailer

Down and Out in Beverly Hills

R

1986

1h 43m

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

31 Reviews

52%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Unlucky and homeless, Dave (Nick Nolte) decides to call it quits, and so sneaks into a stranger's backyard and tries to drown himself in the pool. However, Jerry's plans are stopped by the pool's owner, white-collar businessman Dave (Richard Dreyfuss), who pulls the tramp out of the water and into his home. But Dave's hospitality and his status-obsessed wife, Barbara (Bette Midler), don't impress Jerry, who ignores them and instead pursues the family's maid, Carmen (Elizabeth Peña).

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

An enjoyable farce that relocates Jean Renoir's Boudu Saved From Drowning to '80s California, offering fine comedic performances from Nick Nolte, Richard Dreyfuss and Bette Midler.

Read Critics Reviews

Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

Sep 13, 2023

You’re often at a loss to know why you’re laughing, but jokes you can’t explain may be the best kind, and Mazursky is a master of them. When he gets rolling, you’re not responding to single jokes -- it’s the whole gestalt of the movie that’s funny.

Go to Full Review

Paul Attanasio

Washington Post

Jan 4, 2018

"Down and Out,"... is a failed fish-out-of-water story.

Go to Full Review

Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

May 23, 2011

On the basically farcical level where it chooses to stay, it is a funny and likable movie.

Go to Full Review

Dan Webster

Spokesman-Review (Washington)

Jul 27, 2024

2.5/4

Why isn't it funnier? That it's an American remake of a French comedy seems to say it all.

Go to Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Mar 15, 2022

3/4

...an almost inherently appealing premise...

Go to Full Review

Octavi Marti

El Pais (Spain)

Mar 10, 2020

The result is a very foolish comedy. [Full Review in Spanish]

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

thiago S

@Thiagostone Jun 20, 2026

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

See more

Karen F

@foster.karen Apr 1, 2026

Review from a Gen Xer 2026 first time seeing this movie I really liked it. Good old days silly 80s movie . The Dog should have won an Oscar 🐕‍🦺

See more

Ed .

@RT01276001 Aug 29, 2025

See what happens when your community isn't gated? Trousdale trash.

See more

Jonathan F

@RT16134280 Jul 10, 2025

Poorly conceived and executed as farce. Go watch Auntie Mame with Rosalind Russell (1958) instead.

See more

PanProduction T

@ChunPan9 Jun 9, 2025

Same setup as Pier Pasolini’s “Teorema”. Except it is made as a comedy.

See more

Scott M

@RT75128960 Jan 5, 2025

Really silly comedy about a homeless man who is offered to live with a rich family in Beverly Hills. He teaches them that life is more than just the stuff we own. Nolte carries this movie.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Paul Mazursky

Director

Nick Nolte

Jerry Baskin

Richard Dreyfuss

David 'Dave' Whiteman

Bette Midler

Barbara Whiteman

Little Richard

Orvis Goodnight

Tracy Nelson

Jenny Whiteman

Tin Men

82%

64%

Tin Men

Watchlist

Ruthless People

93%

73%

Ruthless People

Watchlist

Good Morning, Vietnam

90%

82%

Good Morning, Vietnam

Watchlist

The Inkwell

25%

83%

The Inkwell

Watchlist

Outrageous Fortune

58%

60%

Outrageous Fortune

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Moana, Star Trek Beyond, and More on Netflix and Amazon Prime This Week

View more photos

Synopsis

Unlucky and homeless, Dave (Nick Nolte) decides to call it quits, and so sneaks into a stranger's backyard and tries to drown himself in the pool. However, Jerry's plans are stopped by the pool's owner, white-collar businessman Dave (Richard Dreyfuss), who pulls the tramp out of the water and into his home. But Dave's hospitality and his status-obsessed wife, Barbara (Bette Midler), don't impress Jerry, who ignores them and instead pursues the family's maid, Carmen (Elizabeth Peña).

Director: Paul Mazursky
Producer: Paul Mazursky
Screenwriter: Paul Mazursky, Leon Capetanos
Production Co: Touchstone Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 2, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $60.2M
Runtime: 1h 43m
Sound Mix: Surround

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings