Bill is a penniless drifter who scams strangers out of just enough money to feed himself and his partner in crime, an orphan girl known as Curly Sue. Bill and Curly Sue target Grey, a yuppie lawyer, but their con takes an unexpected turn when the successful woman begins to like the ramshackle duo. But there's one problem—Grey's jealous, conniving boyfriend, Walker.
Acting
Alisan Porter carries this whole film at age 10.
Writing
Hughes' final directorial outing — bitter-sweet and autobiographical.
Production
Chicago locations that scream early-90s economic anxiety.
Director
John Hughes
Jim Belushi
Bill Dancer
Alisan Porter
Curly Sue
Kelly Lynch
Grey Ellison
John Getz
Walker McCormick
Steve Carell
Tesio
Fred Thompson
Bernard Oxbar
Edie McClurg
Secretary
Viveka Davis
Trina
Gail Boggs
Anise Hall
Burke Byrnes
Dr. Maxwell
Barbara Tarbuck
Mrs. Arnold
Adele Robbins
DCFS Caseworker
Ely Pouget
Dinah Tompkins
Cameron Thor
Maitre d'
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Steve Carell's film debut — he's 'Tesio,' the waiter, and has approximately four lines. He'd later joke it took him 15 years to get better billing than a child con artist.
Hughes wrote this during his own divorce and declining Hollywood relevance; Bill's fear of losing Curly Sue mirrors Hughes' custody battles. The film flopped and he never directed again.
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