The Beverly Hillbillies (released in theaters on October 15, 1993), directed by Penelope Spheeris, arrived during a specific Hollywood era obsessed with reimagining classic 1960s sitcoms for the big screen. Following her massive success with Wayne’s World, Spheeris took on the Clampett clan, attempting to translate the fish-out-of-water charm of the original series into a 1990s slapstick spectacle.
The film remains a colorful, high-energy tribute to the source material, anchored by a cast that leans heavily into the caricatured warmth of its legendary predecessors.
The story begins in the Ozarks, where widower Jed Clampett (Jim Varney) accidentally discovers oil while hunting on his land.
Suddenly worth a billion dollars, Jed heeds the advice of his kin and moves the family to Beverly Hills. Accompanying him are the feisty, moonshine-brewing Granny (Cloris Leachman), his dim-witted but hulking nephew Jethro (Diedrich Bader), and his beautiful, animal-loving daughter Elly May (Erika Eleniak).
Upon their arrival, they are met by Milburn Drysdale (Dabney Coleman), a sycophantic banker desperate to keep the Clampett fortune in his vaults, and his loyal, high-strung assistant Miss Jane Hathaway (Lily Tomlin).
The plot thickens when a scheming con artist, Woodrow Tyler (Rob Schneider), and his accomplice, Laura Jackson (Lea Thompson), pose as French nobility to swindle Jed into a fraudulent marriage.
As Jethro tries to find his “calling” as a double-naught spy and Elly May navigates the pressures of high society, the family must rely on their simple virtues – and Granny’s intuition – to sniff out the gold diggers.
Along the way, characters like Morgan Drysdale (Kevin Connolly) find themselves swept up in the hillbillies’ chaotic, well-meaning wake.
Buddy Ebsen (Jed Clampett in the original tv series) appears as Barnaby Jones (another of his popular tv shows), a private investigator Jane enlists to help find Granny and expose Laurette.
Dolly Parton and Zsa Zsa Gabor appear in cameos as themselves.
Jim Varney and Erika Eleniak in The Beverly Hillbillies (Photo/20th Century Fox)
Reception for The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies grossed $9.5 million on its opening weekend, finishing second at the box office behind Demolition Man, which earned $10.3 million on its second weekend.
The film would take the top spot the following week, topping the aforementioned Demolition Man $88,000 and go on to gross $44 million in its theatrical run.
Legacy
The legacy of The Beverly Hillbillies is often defined by its status as a nostalgic touchstone for 90s kids. While critics at the time were lukewarm toward its broad humor, the film has endured as a showcase for the physical comedy of Varney, providing a rare leading role outside of his “Ernest” persona. It also features a masterclass in character acting from Leachman and Tomlin, who both inhabited their iconic roles with effortless precision.
The film’s legacy lies in its commitment to “gentle” comedy; unlike the more cynical satires of the decade, it maintained the original show’s heart, emphasizing that wealth cannot corrupt a truly good spirit.
Today, it stands as a breezy, campy artifact of 90s nostalgia, remembered for its vibrant costume design and the enduring appeal of the “country folk in the city” trope that continues to reappear in modern sitcoms.
