Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

Personalized picks at your fingertips

Get the mobile app on iOS and Android

Get the app
Parents' Guide to

The Money Pit

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Classic '80s fix-it comedy has some mature themes.

Movie PG 1986 91 minutes
The Money Pit Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 14+

Based on 5 parent reviews

NicolleS224
NicolleS224 Adult
June 3, 2020
age 18+

Highly Crass and Not For Children

I (a young adult) started watching this with my parents and it was extremely uncomfortable. There are some very explicit scenes between the main couple in bed... complete with screaming and onlookers. There are many sexualized conversations throughout the movie. Additionally, there is a scene in which the lead woman is sexually harassed and the situation laughed off. Somehow, this film pulled a PG rating but it absolutely should be rated PG-13. The film had a comical premise, but it with was paired with crass displays of relationships and lacked any positive moral message or developed storyline.
Chazo
Chazo Adult
October 26, 2021
age 16+

Worth a watch classic

This is an adult film.
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Tom Hanks plays Walter, an entertainment lawyer living in a fabulous Manhattan apartment with his girlfriend Anna (Shelley Long), a classical musician. When Anna's ex, an egotistical conductor (the stunning dancer-turned-actor Alexander Godunov) returns from abroad, the couple loses their place. Unluckily for them, their realtor finds them a gorgeous mansion upstate. The house, they find out, is anything but a steal -- it's literally crumbling to pieces, usually on top of Walter and Anna. As they begin the laborious but process of fixing up the house, anything that can possibly go wrong does, from Walter missing the house inspector because he's stuck in a hole in the floor to Anna getting attacked by a raccoon living in the dumbwaiter. In between all of the construction mishaps, Walter and Anna's relationship ends up needing some improvements as well. Will they survive their money pit or crumble like their old foundation?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5 ):
Kids say (14 ):

Whether or not you're a fan of broad comedies, you won't be able to keep from laughing out loud in this one, especially since Hanks proves a genius with the physical humor. Nowadays, with the exception of the occasional romantic comedy or animated character, Hanks tends to star in big-budget dramas or action thrillers. But as all but the youngest of moviegoers know, in the '80s Hanks was a comedian extraordinaire, starring in laughfests like the home-improvement comedy THE MONEY PIT. This being an '80s comedy, the happy ending is all but guaranteed.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about persevering despite many obstacles. Anna and Walter take turns bemoaning the purchase of their new home. How does the home improvement project change their relationship? Was buying the house a risk that paid off?

  • How did you feel about the way Walter handled the contractor groping Anna? What do you wish would have happened? Do you think that scene would be in a more modern movie?

  • Kids: Would you want to live in the Money Pit house?

  • Is there any evidence here that the comic Hanks would end up to be a big Oscar winner?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate