Why do I keep coming back to this late 1970's politically incorrect story of a suburban couple who finds out they were one paycheck away from calamity? Oh, because so many people out here can relate to that on some scale. Our couple, portrayed by George Segal and Jane Fonda are really, really good a defining how we saw ourselves at that time. The man, upwardly mobile and celebrated as successful. The woman, liberated (and who more liberated than Jane Fonda?) and choosing to stay at home. yet they were both fooling themselves with their false sense of superiority. Sounds like the while middle class. We are laughing at ourselves, of course, and mostly because it's so true! Ed McMahon makes for a believable drunken ploy, so we are set. Put it in the player and enjoy!

I waited a long time to finally see what I thought was going to be a fun caper flick and was shocked to discover shoddy direction, awkward dialogue, a lackluster pace, unmotivated slapstick gags and an overall coarseness that permeated the film throughout. Just not funny! The sets looked cheap, the costumes by the usually excellent Donfeld are garish and distracting. Even the title song is annoying. The whole children's book characters doesn't come close to representing the married couple whose life is turned upside down when he loses his job. For a film that seems to aim a dart at the unfairness of welfare and unemployment systems, the filmmakers have no problem in being unfair themselves, allowing Hispanic, black and gay stereotypes played at such a cruel level. The look of the film resembles any episode of Love American Style. This is not a compliment. Tacky seventies fashions abound in this world of white collar theft that only lends an air of implausibility to every situation. Outside of a clever initial idea, and two capable stars in Jane Fonda and George Segal, this dated exercise in social commentary comes off as forced and mean spirited to minorities, especially to gay people. If you want a better caper film, you're better off with The Hot Rock with George Segal and Robert Redford or What's Up Doc with Ryan O'Neal and Barbra Streisand. Now that's funny!

I saw this movie in the theaters back in 1977 and it is one of my favorites.The chemistry between George Segal and Jane Fonda is good and there are some very funny moments like when he tries to hold up an Afro-American bar and they just look at him and ask "When did they start busing the white robbers to the black neighborhoods?" The other crack that was risqué for the time is when Dick shoves the pistol in his waistband and screams. Jane sweetly looks at him and says, "Don't go off half-cocked."Dicks career as a car thief isn't going very well as even his aerospace knowledge can't seem to help him hot wire a car. Jane points to a convertible next to the car he is try to steal and he says, "I don't know anything about foreign cars." She says, "I think you can handle this one. The keys are in it." And off they go in a 1974 Jaguar XK-E convertible. Later at the party, someone is admiring his Jaguar and he cracks, "I took one for a test drive and loved it."Ed McMahon is great as the drunken manager firing everyone, playing off his reputation from the Johnny Carson show and connections with Budweiser as their spokesman.It's really a very funny movie for it's time and wears well with age. The remake with Jim Carrey is nearly unwatchable. I have both on DVD and haven't been able to watch the remake more than once.

The Excellent George Segal And The Equally Excellent Jane Fonda, Play Dick And Jane, A couple who have it all, a large dream home complete with maid, and swimming pool(Under Construction) and a young son, and even a dog named Spot!George Segal, is a successful Aerospace Executive, who get's laid off due to some unforeseen cutback's, unfortunately the couple who are living beyond their mean's, and soon hit rock bottom as the pair struggle to find employment, with exceptionally hilarious result'sBut where there's a will their's a way as Dick And Jane 'Accidently receive stolen money from a botched bank raid, the couple who develop an appetite for robbery then devise various and ingenious method's of grand larceny to pay off their mortgage/Bill's,Unfortunately they had to unnessesary remake this gem for the attention deficit generation,(which is nowhere as great as this!