Slums of Beverly Hills

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Slums of Beverly Hills ★★★ ½ 1998 (R)

Every few months, Murray Abromowitz (Arkin) packs up daughter Vivian (Lyonne) and sons Ricky (Marienthal) and Ben (Krumholtz) to sneak out of their current dumpy apartment (without paying the rent) and move on to the next one, always within Beverly Hills so the kids can stay in a good school. When cousin Rita (Tomei) escapes from a rehab center, Murray takes her in. While Murray's main concern is the kids' education, Vivian is more obsessed with the size of her breasts and exploring her adolescent sexuality. Semi-autobiographical first film for Jenkins, who scripted while at the Sundance Institute, has lots of character and charm, and just enough bite. Lyonne has no trouble being the center of attention and injects comedy into the many awkward social situations that a teenage girl must endure. 91m/C VHS, DVD . Natasha Lyonne, Alan Arkin, Marisa Tomei, Kevin Corrigan, David Krumholtz, Carl Reiner, Eli Marienthal, Jessica Walter, Rita Moreno; D: Tamara Jenkins; W: Tamara Jenkins; C: Tom Richmond; M: Rolfe Kent.