Ruthless People / Down and Out in Beverly Hills (2-DVD) R

RUTHLESS PEOPLE - In this comedy from the directing team responsible for AIRPLANE!, two kidnappers discover, to their shock, that the husband (Danny DeVito) of the wealthy woman (Bette Midler) they've snatched won't pay the ransom and is, in fact, celebrating the possibility that she may be murdered.It isn't long before the abductors understand why: their captive, who harangues them with a never-ending stream of abuse, is more trouble than she's worth. But as they get to know her, and learn more about her husband, it dawns on the kidnappers that he's no treasure either--and that getting abducted may be the best thing that's happened to their victim in a long time.

DOWN AND OUT IN BEVERLY HILLS: Bette Midler and Richard Dreyfuss star as Barbara and Dave Whiteman, a nouveau riche Beverly Hills couple whose entire household is turned upside down with one act of uncharacteristic generosity. On a typically sunny afternoon, Dave spies Jerry (Nick Nolte), a homeless man, attempting to drown himself in their swimming pool. Dave rescues Jerry and then invites him to stay with the family, shocking Barbara, his high-maintenance wife; Max (Evan Richards), his disgruntled son; and Carmen (Elizabeth Peña), his unhappy mistress and maid. The Whiteman household is far from functional, with an unsatisfying marriage, a son who communicates only through video footage, a daughter who has escaped to a faraway college, a psychiatrist for their neurotic dog, and a constant stream of gurus for Barbara, who's trying to find inner peace. Jerry's unexpected arrival injects a jolt of energy into the sterile Beverly Hills family. Charismatic and charming, he thrills them, disappoints them, and ultimately reminds them of what it means to be a family.