Splitting Heirs

Director - Robert Young (Vampire Circus)
Starring - Eric Idle (Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, Life of Brian), Rick Moranis (Ghostbusters, Little Giants), and Barbara Hershey (Insidious)
Release Date - 1993
Genre - Comedy
Tagline -  "A wickedly funny comedy of royal proportions"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was growing up my cousin had hundreds of VHS.  His mom had been buying and recording movies for years because his dad was building them a cabin out in the middle of nowhere.  They needed movies to watch because the area did not have cable.  It was at his house that I saw this film for the first time.  I was not able to finish the film because my dad came to pick me up...the inconsiderate prick.  Anyway, I completely forgot about this movie until one day I was at Big Lots and found it for $3.  I quickly grabbed it and about five other comedies.  

     The film begins with the Duke of Bournemouth and his American bride as they lose their baby while dining at a restaurant during the 60's.  The film then jumps to what they say is present day (film was released in 1993).  Here we meet Tommy Patel (Idle) who is a white stockbroker living with his Indian family.  He is clearly nothing like his family but has never questioned his bloodline.  One day his supervisor has him play host to an American representative of the firm,  Henry Bullock (Moranis).  The two hit it off and become close friends.  Henry makes Tommy take cash out of the petty cash box at the firm and Tommy is caught.  His supervisor reports him to the President, aka The Duke of Bournemouth.  The following Monday he has a meeting scheduled to fire him.  When Monday rolls around Tommy reports to his office expecting to be fired when he is greeted with Henry sitting in his chair.  Henry tells Tommy about the duke dying and how he is now the duke.  Henry also tells Tommy about how when he was little his parents left him in a restaurant and when they returned he had disappeared.  The police then find him hours later in a telephone box in the same bassinet but missing his silver rattle.  His mother then left the duke and returned to America where he was raised.  Tommy slowly starts to piece together his life and concludes that he is the real Bournemouth baby.  His Indian family adopted him and when they got him he had the silver rattle.  Tommy visits the man who handled his adoption and discovers he was found and put up for adoption the same day the Bournemouth baby went missing.  The man makes a joke that if Henry does have an accident and Tommy can provide evidence he is the real duke then he would earn the title.  Tommy thinks nothing of the matter and leaves.  Tommy, after thinking about what the man had said, decides to kill Henry so he can have what is rightfully his.  After many failed attempts he begins to care for Henry again and stops.  However, the man that handled the adoption has decided to help Tommy out and tries to kill him.  Just like with Tommy, many of his assassination attempts fail miserably.  Henry marries a beautiful young girl and the pair have a child.  The young girl has a fling with Tommy before her wedding day and sometime after discovers she is pregnant.  She tells Tommy the baby is his so he will stop trying to kill him.  One day when the baby is crying, Tommy goes in to check on it and gives it his silver rattle.  The baby's grandmother walks in and sees the rattle and discovers he is the real Bournemouth baby.

     I did not remember a lot about this movie before watching it again, but what I do remember was that I really enjoyed what little bit I got to see.  I often talk about my favorite actors and directors and I might as well add Rick Moranis to that list.  What movies I have seen him in I absolutely love.  His film Little Giants and both Ghostbuster flicks shaped my childhood.  Anyway, the acting in this film is great.  Everyone in the cast did an amazing job with Eric Idle putting on a great performance.  The story is pretty in depth and could have easily went the black comedy route but instead pursued the straight forward comedy.  Unfortunately, the film does not offer as many laughs as it could have.  Instead, the film makes up for it by offering an interesting plot that keeps you watching.  Overall, this is a great movie but a weak comedy.  I highly recommend it.