"The Beverly Hillbillies" was a very well known and popular sixties TV show, that many people grew up with, and still enjoy to this very day. The show was about a very rural, and country family, who strike oil on there land, become immensely wealthy, and move out to the big city in California. Basically, it was "a fish out of water" story. However, the problem with this TV to movie adaptation is this: "What works in a TV show, won't work in a movie." You can't have a movie run on just one premise! A film's plot requires much more than that. The plot of the film is this: a sleazy con-man finds out about The Clampett's massive fortune, and he and his girlfriend devise a plan to steal all of their money, and The Clampetts and their friends must stop them. I really don't need to say anything else, because that's all that goes on in this movie. The plot is nothing new, and as a matter of fact, this movie, "The Addams Family", and "Addams Family Values" have the exact same plot! many of the jokes are flat, and unfunny. Not to mention, the film is as predictable as can be. It's a shame how the movie turned out. Especially considering how extremely talented the cast is! Jim Varney, Diedrich Bader, Erika Eleniak, Dabney Coleman, Lea Thompson, and Rob Schneider, all give very good performances. The film fails, because of its weak script, and rehashed plot. Despite all its flaws however, I will give the film a few positive accolades: The cameo with Buddy Ebsen (Who was the original Jed Clampett by the way.) was very funny. But most of all, the film did not make a mockery of what the original series was, nor did the film parody the original show. Which many TV- to-film remakes do. I'm very thankful that the writer/writers and director chose not to go with either of those options, and I tip my hat to them for that! So, here's what it all comes down to: "Is The Beverly Hillbillies a bad film?" No. "Is it a great film?" No. It had a lot of potential to be a great film, but it suffered from very poor writing. The best thing that I can say about this film, is that out of all the recent TV-to-film remakes, this one is the least bad. None of the TV-to-film remakes have ever come close to capturing the spirit or magic of the original series, and this film failed as well, but I must give credit to this film for actually trying.

Hollywood has produced uncountable numbers of remakes of old TV shows from the 1960's and 70's. I can't even begin to count them or make a list. I've seen some of them. A few have worked; most have been dreadful. This 1993 movie based on the 60's series of the same name falls somewhere in between those two categories, probably leaning a bit toward the dreadful side, but not dreadful in and of itself. The basic plot follows the TV story. Hillbilly Jed Clampett (played here by Jim Varney) strikes it rich one day when he was "shootin' at some food, and up from the ground come a-bubblin' crude. Oil that is. Black gold. Texas tea." (Couldn't resist!) Suddenly rich after he's paid $1 billion for his land, his family tells him that "Californy is the place you ought to be, so they loaded up the truck and they moved to Beverly. Hills that is. Swimming pools. Movie stars." (Couldn't resist again!)So, once more Jed, Granny (Cloris Leachman), Ellie May (Erike Eleniak) and cousin Jethro (Diedrich Bader) are left to the task of settling into their new life with the help of Mr. Drysdale (Dabney Coleman) and Miss Hathaway (Lily Tomlin) and along for the ride we get a couple of villains played by Rob Schneider and Lea Thompson, who set out to get Jed's money for themselves.This lacked the fun of the TV series. There were parts of it that were amusing. The Clampetts driving along the highway thinking that the middle finger was a California greeting springs to mind, for example. Overall, though, it really wasn't that funny. The cast was so-so. Varney and Leachman were all right. Eleniak, to me, didn't really capture Ellie May's sweet innocence, and Bader as Jethro didn't work for me. Jethro in the TV series was a dumb character, yes, but Bader's Jethro was both too dumb and too underplayed. Bader seemed to think he just had to look and sound stupid and that would be enough. He missed the mark completely. I don't think the Beverly Hillbillies work that well as a movie, either. As a TV series it was fine. You got it in half hour chunks (less counting commercials) and that was enough. Trying to keep it going for over an hour and a half without a break became tiresome after a while.Dolly Parton was included as herself as, I guess, an entertainer the Clampetts (with their country background) would be familiar with. Aside from being recognizable, though, that didn't really do much for me, since I'm not a big Dolly fan. One appearance that did work, though, was from Buddy Ebsen. He, of course, was the original Jed Clampett on the TV series. It was a rather ingenious thought to bring him back for this movie, this time as the other well known character he played on television - private detective Barnaby Jones from the 1970's, whom Miss Hathaway hires to investigate the plot to get Jed's money. When the Barnaby Jones theme started to play I smiled, because right away I knew what (and who) was coming. Ebsen played it perfectly straight, when everyone else often seemed to be trying too hard for laughs. As a result, he was perfect.It's not the worst remake of a TV series. Not by far actually. But it can't honestly be called good either, and with the TV series being just perfect at a half hour per episode, this started to get tired even before the one hour mark had hit. There just isn't really enough meat to the Clampetts to make a movie about them. (5/10)

I didn't watch this movie until a few years after it came out. I was just thinking to myself "Oh, no!!, another remake." It just didn't seem to catch my eye. One night, out of sheer boredom I watched it. To my surprise, I was entertained by this movie. I was amazed by the perfect casting involved, everyone was perfect! The subplot was a little weak, but held true to the series, everyone always trying to get at Jeb's fortune. Overall I found it entertaining and funny. If you go in without expecting too much, just hoping for some lighter fare, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Just picture each character with the new cast; its perfect!!!

This film based on successful TV series by Paul Henning. It begins when mountaineer Jed accidentally discovers a surprise in his property because he has struck oil during a shooting, gotten million of dollars, and turning instantly billionaire . Then he packs his backwoods family and heads to Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California.They change into a lush mansion , but still live like Hillbillies because they still dress tattered ragged suits and rustics costumes .The hillbillies clan are Jed(Jim Varney in the role of Buddy Ebsen), a good-hearted and kind father looking new spouse, his daughter Elly May(Erika Elinak, role of Donna Douglas),an extraordinary gorgeous but incredibly ingenious and pursued by a suitor(Kevin Connolly), the Granny(Cloris Leachman), a senile, paranoid and obstinate old woman and Jethro(Dietrich Vader, role of Max Baer) , he's idiot though strong, he's actually only acting like an authentic stupid and doesn't even realize it. Besides, the ambitious banker(Dabney Coleman) and his botcher helper(Lily Tomlin) who will make anything of keep the Camplett family money in his bank. Meanwhile, they are duped by a mean pair(Lea Thompson and Rob Schneider).Everyone casting does rightly their impersonations from television characters with special mention of Jim Varney as the sensible and good father looking for wife and particularly, Dietrich as a double role as the dumb Jethro and his sister, furthermore a likable Granny, well incarnated by Cloris Leachman. Appear special cameos, Zsa Zsa Gabor as a delinquent, Dolly Parton singing country music and Buddy Ebsen, the original Jed , reprises another of his television acting, Barnaby Jones.The film contains a stunning music score with ballads by Scoggins like the original series, songs by Dolly Parton and Hank Williams and soundtrack by Lalo Schifrin. The motion picture is regularly directed by Penelope Scpheeris. Rating: Average but amusing. The film will like to nostalgics and hardcore series fans.