Fire Sale

"The Fikus Family: They're Not Roasted. They're Not Salted. They're Just Plain Nuts."

1977 1h 28m EN

😐

5.2

MID

★5.2TMDB · 9

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Benny and his wife Ruthie are getting set to drive down to Florida, but Benny needs someone to look after his department store while he's gone. Though he doesn't think much of him, Benny hands the responsibility over to his son, Russell. While Russell doesn't get much respect from his parents, he's better off than his brother, Ezra, whom Benny has gone so far as to disown. Ezra is currently battling with his work (coach of a high school basketball team that hasn't won in ages) and his wife (who keeps nagging him that she wants to have a baby as soon as possible) at the same time.

“The Fikus Family: They're Not Roasted. They're Not Salted. They're Just Plain Nuts.”

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Cast

Alan Arkin
Ezra Fikus
Rob Reiner
Russel Fikus
Vincent Gardenia
Benny Fikus
Anjanette Comer
Marion Fikus
Kay Medford
Ruth Fikus
Barbara Dana
Virginia
Sid Caesar
Sherman
Alex Rocco
Al

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Alan Arkin
Writers: Robert Klane
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

88 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

49 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Alan Arkin, shot by Ralph Woolsey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Dave Grusin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Richard Halsey shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Alan Arkin and Rob Reiner and Vincent Gardenia carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The Fikus Family: They're Not Roasted. They're Not Salted. They're Just Plain Nuts.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Alan Arkin directs. Ralph Woolsey behind the camera. Dave Grusin scores. Richard Halsey cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $1.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
349 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by Alan Arkin, shot by Ralph Woolsey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Dave Grusin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Richard Halsey shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Alan Arkin and Rob Reiner and Vincent Gardenia carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The Fikus Family: They're Not Roasted. They're Not Salted. They're Just Plain Nuts.".
9IMDB entry: tt0076029 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 9 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.