‘The ‘Burbs’ Overstays Its Welcome

“The ‘Burbs” is a very underrated movie that blends dark humor with social commentary on who are the weird people in your neighborhood and who are just quite. Why is our society always focusing on being socialable? 

Dana Olsen who wrote the movie said when he told people what he was doing everyone had a story to tell them about the weird family or strange house at the end of the street they remember from their childhoods. Filmmaker Joe Dante helmed the movie and aside from the opening zoom in and closing zoom out, the setting is contained to the cul-de-sac area and the houses. 

When a grouchy neighbor turns up missing leaving behind his furbaby, the neighbors begin to suspect the worst. Tom Hanks plays the rational suburbanite dad who is at first skeptical but becomes complicit in the antics of his neighbors (Bruce Dern, Rick Ducomon, and Corey Feldman).

The movie was a modest success financial when released during the winter of 1989. Over time it has become a cult classic. Unfortunately, a reboot/remake or legacy series was bound to happen. But the movie was only about 100 minutes with credits and you still got a sense of all the characters. Yet the eight-episode series also titled “The ‘Burbs” stretches it out in more than a quadruple length. And it poorly ends on a cliffhanger for a potential second season for a resolution that can be 10-15 minutes. It’s also trying too hard to capitalize on the success of “Only Murders in the Building” but never really does have the same appeal. The jokes feel dated and overused. There’s a subplot of an HOA and an overpowerful president Agnes Festersen (Danielle Kennedy) who’s ok the first time you see her but neither the writers nor Kennedy give her much to do. I guess they thought people would get a kick out of her last name but funny names aren’t funny just because. 

Julia Duffy does have some good moments as Lynn sending up the WASP suburban stereotype who starts to lust after a widowed neighbor as she is a widow as well. 

Paula Pell has a few funny scenes as a Marine vet but Mark Porksch never does really work. Mainly because his character Tod Mann, an eccentric, has been done before. 

What do you think? Please comment.