For Richer or Poorer

For Richer or Poorer is a 1997 film starring Tim Allen and Kirstie Alley as rich New Yorkers Brad and Caroline Sexton. Living the high life is anything but happy. Brad's career is a joke, making amusement parks out of unsuitable subjects, and Caroline has become a jaded socialite. After their disastrous tenth anniversary party, they decide it's time to get a divorce. However, the next day an IRS agent shows up, looking for a missing $5 million in back taxes. To stay out of prison, the Sextons flee the city and find refuge in the last place anyone would look for them -- with the Amish.


 * American Gothic Couple: Parodied on the poster.
 * Big Applesauce
 * Chekhov's Gun: The real estate sign that keeps getting knocked over by the pond.
 * Chekhov's Skill: Brad's real estate knowledge and Caroline's abandoned fashion career.
 * Genre Savvy: Brad and Caroline think they can pull this off because they've seen Witness.
 * Hand Cannon: Inspector Lester carries one and is itching to use it on Brad.
 * Planet of Steves: All of Samuel's sons are named some version of his name (Sam, Sampson, Sammy etc).
 * Rich Bitch: Caroline
 * Right Through the Wall: Despite long, tiring work-filled days, their hosts provide rigorous, squeaky-springed sound effects almost every night.
 * Romantic Comedy
 * Running Gag: That same cow keeps getting in the road at inconvenient times.
 * And Grandpa waking them up at 4:45 sharp every morning.
 * Second Face Smoke: Caroline does this to Brad during their argument at the beginning of the film.
 * Stock Foreign Name: All the Amish characters have typical Amish Biblical names.
 * Unusual Euphemism: "She hasn't 'opened her barn door' for me in a long time."