MOVIE · 1980
How to Beat the High Cost of Living
ComedyCrime105 min
Three suburban friends in recession-era Eugene, Oregon decide the only way out of their mounting money problems is to rob a shopping mall giveaway. Susan Saint James is Jane, a divorcée juggling bills and an unexpected pregnancy, while Jessica Lange's Louise is trying to keep a failing business afloat; alongside them, newly single Elaine joins the plan. Their target is $1 million sealed inside a giant plastic ball on display at the local mall, a very public prize that suddenly looks like a private solution. Fred Willard and Dabney Coleman circle the trio’s increasingly risky scheme as domestic frustrations tip into crime.
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