For Richer or Poorer

"Hmm. It's actually soft over here."
"Probably because you're sitting in cow dung."
"Excuse me?"

The Sexton's have an idyllic life: they are successful and celebrating the 10 year anniversary.  But appearances can be deceiving.  Brad (Allen) and Caroline (Alley) disagree about most subjects and have not been happy for years.  After their anniversary party, they decide to get divorced, but before they can start the proceedings something bigger happens.  Brad is the owner / visionary of a successful corporation... his slimy accountant (Knight) has been skimming money from the company and making the books look shady.  The IRS are investigating the company account and are preparing to arrest the Sextons for tax fraud.  When their bank accounts are frozen and the IRS, legendary recluse Inspector Lester (Miller) and the new and creative Inspector Hall (Nunez Jr.), attempt to arrest Brad, he hijacks a taxi and his wife and they escape.

But their plan is thwarted when they swerve to miss a stray cow and end up in a pond.  They are stranded in Amish country in Intercourse, Pennsylvania.  Their attorney, Phil (Lerner), tells them to stay where they are for a few days while he looks for a way to save them.  With minimal money and the IRS still looking for them, they decide to pose as visiting cousin Jacob & Emma Yoder and stay with Amish Samuel (Sanders) and Levinia (Megan Cavanagh) Yoder for a few days.  Can they survive the 4:45AM wake up call, plowing the fields with an unruly horse, scrubbing the floors, teaching sewing classes, outhouses, and taking a bath out of a pitcher of water?


Not the greatest comedy ever, but it always makes me laugh.  I'm from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania... there is more to Pennsylvania than the Amish, but I digress... and have seen Witness, probably the biggest / best known film about P.A., many times and can point out factual errors in the film.  The filmmakers even acknowledge Witness, when Brad tells Caroline, "I've seen Witness" and uses that film as a basis for their Amish wardrobe.  Funny stuff.

This film features several well-known comedy actors: has Wayne Knight ever played a none slimy / shady character?  Tim Allen and Kirstie Alley were doing well.  He had "Home Improvement" and she was making films in a post-"Cheers" world.... it's interesting how far they have fallen from the spotlight.  He makes a slapstick movie occasionally, but they don't tend to do well... and she has a reality-esque show about weightloss.

It will never win awards, but it's mindless fun (and sometimes you need that) and everyone involved seems to be having fun!

For Richer or Poorer (1997) 115 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some sexual innuendo and one use of strong language
Director: Bryan Spicer
Starring: Tim Allen as Brad Sexton
Kirstie Alley as Caroline Sexton
Jay O. Sanders as Samuel Yoder
Michael Lerner as Phil Kleinman
Wayne Knight as Bob Lachman
Larry Miller as IRS Inspector Derek Lester
Miguel A. Nunez Jr. as IRS Inspector Frank Hall