Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)

In "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," the opulent lives of the Whiteman family—Dave, a workaholic businessman, and Barbara, his New Age-obsessed wife—belie their profound unhappiness. Their seemingly perfect existence in Beverly Hills is fractured by Dave's affair with the maid, a son grappling with his identity, and a daughter battling an eating disorder. This domestic turmoil unfolds against the backdrop of extreme wealth. The film's pivotal moment arrives during their lavish Thanksgiving, when homeless drifter Jerry Baskin, down on his luck and having lost his dog, attempts to drown himself in their pristine swimming pool. Rescued by Dave, Jerry is unexpectedly invited to stay, setting the stage for a comedic and insightful exploration of how this raw, unpolished outsider disrupts and ultimately reshapes the Whitemans' detached, privileged world. "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" stands as a quintessential Paul Mazursky film for its masterful blend of sharp social satire and heartfelt human observation. Mazursky, a chronicler of the American dream's evolving landscape and its discontents, expertly uses the arrival of Jerry Baskin to expose the hollow core of the Whitemans' material success. It perfectly embodies his recurring themes: the clash between disparate social classes, the search for authentic connection amidst superficiality, and the often-comic unraveling of bourgeois anxieties. Like many of his best works (e.g., *Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice*, *An Unmarried Woman*), Mazursky navigates the complexities of relationships and identity with both biting wit and genuine empathy, ensuring that even as we laugh at the Whitemans' foibles, we also recognize the universal yearning for meaning that Jerry inadvertently awakens. Its insightful commentary on American excess and the transformative power of unexpected encounters solidifies its place among his most significant and beloved films.