The Devil and Max Devlin

Infobox_Film
name = The Devil and Max Devlin


caption =
imdb_id = 0082263
amg_id =
producer = Jerome Courtland
director = Steven Hilliard Stern
writer = Mary Rodgers &
Jimmy Sangster (story)
Mary Rodgers (screenplay)
starring = Elliott Gould
Bill Cosby
Susan Anspach
Adam Rich
Julie Budd
Sonny Shroyer
David Knell
Chuck Shamata
music = Buddy Baker
cinematography = Howard Schwartz
editing = Ray de Leuw | distributor = Buena Vista Pictures
released = March 6, 1981 (USA)
country = United States
runtime = 96 min.
language = English
budget = Unknown
gross = $16,000,000 (USA)

The Devil and Max Devlin is a motion picture from Walt Disney studios released in early 1981 starring Elliott Gould and Bill Cosby. Gould praised this film in interviews as the finest he ever did. It was considered to be controversial material from Walt Disney at the time because of the subject matter and the fact that Bill Cosby was featured as a character of evil. It was also the first Disney film to actually "contain" swearing (not just religious connotations) such as "damn" and an unfinished "son of a bitch". This film was one of three films that influenced the creation of Touchstone Pictures and Hollywood Pictures to make movies for mature audiences. The film was released by Anchor Bay Entertainment on DVD in November 2000.

Plot Summary

Max Devlin (Gould) is a shady landlord of a rundown tenement who is rather jaded and callous towards his fellow man. One day while chasing an errant tenant, he is run over by a bus and killed. He descends into hell and meets the Devil's chief henchman Barney Satin (read: "Satan") (Cosby). He is told of his life of sin and the fact that he is doomed. However, he is given a chance to save himself by convincing three other people, a teenage nerd, a young boy and an aspiring singer to sell their souls in exchange. He returns to earth and begins his frantic quest. Along the way, he discovers his innate decency, the fact he really wasn't so bad all along. He falls in love with the boy's mother and they plan to marry. Eventually, through various methods, he obtains all three signatures on the fatal contract. However, on his wedding day Cosby's character appears and tells him he will take these chosen ones right now rather than let them live natural lives. Max is enraged by this and prepares to tear up the contracts. In the film's most intense scene, Cosby appears in full devil regalia and screams at Max of his terrible hellish fate if he burns the contracts. Max does so anyway and suddenly realizes he is living again. His kind, unselfish act was deemed unfit for hell. The last scene shows Max looking upward (as a reference to Heaven) and saying "Thank you very much".

Taglines

* A new high in being lowdown.
* Their main goal is swiping soul.

External links

*
* [http://www.ultimatedisney.com/devilandmaxdevlin.html "The Devil and Max Devlin" at UltimateDisney.com]