Fire Sale

Fire Sale

Year: 1977

Runtime: 88 mins

Language: English

Comedy

The Fikus family is far from ordinary. Benny and Ruthie head to Florida, leaving Benny’s department store to son Russell, whom they barely respect. Russell struggles under pressure while disowned brother Ezra, a failing high‑school basketball coach, deals with a wife desperate for a baby. Chaos and humor follow as each sibling confronts his crisis.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Fire Sale (1977)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Fire Sale (1977). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1970s

The story unfolds in a contemporary 1970s American setting, centered on a working-class family and their business. The social vibe is rooted in small-town life, economic concerns, and domestic comedy that reflects the era's sensibilities. The ongoing tension between old-fashioned values and modern ambitions drives much of the humor and conflict.

Location

Benny's Clothing Store

The primary setting is Benny Fikus's clothing store, a small, family-run shop that forms the hub of the film's action. It sits in a generic American town and is the site of schemes, confrontations, and the comic chaos that ensues as the family tries to manipulate events for profit. The store's decline mirrors the characters' moral decline as they chase insurance money and personal ambitions.

🏬 Storefront 👨‍👩‍👦 Family business 🏙️ Suburban town

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:15

Main Characters – Fire Sale (1977)

Meet the key characters of Fire Sale (1977), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Benny Fikus (Vincent Gardenia)

A schemer and aging patriarch who hides a plan to burn his own store for insurance money. After a heart attack, his grip on the scheme frays, revealing a blend of cunning and vulnerability. He anchors the family drama with guile, pragmatism, and self-preserving risk-taking.

💰 Greed 🎭 Schemer 👨‍👩‍👦 Family

Russell Fikus (Rob Reiner)

The less confident son who craves expansion and a stable future, while wrestling with self-esteem. He partners with Ezra to siphon insurance money and wrestles with his protective instincts for the family. His ambitions clash with his insecurities, driving much of the plot's tension.

📈 Ambition 🧩 Insecurity 👨‍👦 Brother

Ezra Fikus (Alan Arkin)

The more calculating brother who needs money to adopt an orphaned teen and fund his basketball coaching career. He is brittle, competitive, and willing to bend rules for the sake of opportunity. His drive pits him against his brother and the moral limits of their plan.

💵 Money 🏀 Coach 🧠 Calculating

Marion Fikus (Anjanette Comer)

The wife who tries to keep up appearances while managing family upheaval. She misreads the severity of Benny's condition and overreaches in decorating plans for a funeral. She embodies the tension between denial and duty in the family.

💔 Family strain 🧠 Denial 🧡 Caring

Sherman (Sid Caesar)

The escaped patient from the mental hospital who believes the store is a Nazi headquarters, driving the comic chaos of the plot. His delusions create a dangerous but funny obstacle for the brothers. He represents chaos external to the family but intimately tied to their plans.

💥 Delusion 🕊️ Escape 🎭 Madness

Booker T (Byron Stewart)

A tall, bright teenage boy Ezra hopes to adopt, whose presence gives the younger generation a moral counterpoint to the adults' scheming. His stature and potential in basketball symbolize hope and opportunity beyond the store's troubles.

🏀 Athlete 🎯 Adoption 👟 Talent

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:15

Major Themes – Fire Sale (1977)

Explore the central themes of Fire Sale (1977), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💰 Greed

Greed drives Benny's decision to stage an arson and cash in the fire insurance, setting off a chain of reckless schemes. The film deconstructs how money advances ambition, yet corrodes trust within the family. The pursuit of wealth exposes the fragility of the characters' moral compasses and leads to comic calamities.

👨‍👩‍👦 Family

Family loyalty is tested by competing desires: Benny's desire for profit, Ezra's need for financial security and career stability, and Russell's yearning for independence. The movie uses sibling rivalry, parental pressure, and marital strain to fuel its humor and heart. The insurance plot frames the family as both evidence of care and of its own dysfunction.

🧠 Delusion

Sherman's escape reveals a fragile grip on reality, as he believes World War II is ongoing and treats the store as a Nazi headquarters. The delusions create a farcical tension that contrasts with the family’s pragmatic schemes. The film uses these fantasies to probe how memory and trauma shape behavior in darkly comic ways.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:15

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Unlock the Full Story of Fire Sale

Don't stop at just watching — explore Fire Sale in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Fire Sale is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Fire Sale Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Fire Sale, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Fire Sale Summary

Fire Sale Timeline

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Fire Sale Timeline

More About Fire Sale

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More About Fire Sale

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