For Richer, for Poorer

For Richer, for Poorer

Year: 1992

Runtime: 90 mins

Language: English

Director: Jay Sandrich

Comedy

The father, a self‑made millionaire, is fed up with his freshly‑graduated son’s idle days lounging on the family estate. He concocts a fake bankruptcy, planning to relinquish his fortune in hopes the crisis will force the son to find work and learn to earn his own keep. He hopes the shock will finally motivate the young man to leave the mansion’s comfort, take a real job, and prove himself.

Bittersweet
Bittersweet ending
Moderately emotional
Medium intensity
Steady pacing
Moderate complexity

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Timeline & Setting – For Richer, for Poorer (1992)

Explore the full timeline and setting of For Richer, for Poorer (1992). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Bridge, City Streets, Bakery

The story unfolds in urban American settings, beginning on a bridge where Aram contemplates suicide and moving through busy city streets. It later shifts to more intimate, domestic spaces like Millie's bakery after two years. The film uses these locations to contrast wealth with everyday life and resilience.

🌃 Urban setting 💰 Wealth vs Poverty 🏚️ Poverty and resilience

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:39

Main Characters – For Richer, for Poorer (1992)

Meet the key characters of For Richer, for Poorer (1992), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Aram Katourian (Jack Lemmon)

A self-made millionaire who owns twelve stores, Aram is controlling yet compassionate in his pursuit of meaning. His decision to sell his wealth, his faked bankruptcy, and the car crash attempt push his family to the edge, before a homeless woman's encounter guides him toward a more genuine life.

💼 Wealth 🎭 Dual life 🧭 Transformation

Millie Katourian (Talia Shire)

Aram's wife, a practical partner who pick up the pieces when wealth collapses. She becomes a housekeeper and later a bakery owner, navigating loyalty, suspicion, and a renewed faith in her marriage as the family attempts to rebuild.

🏠 Domestic life 💰 Ambition 🎭 Loyalty

Michael Katourian (Jonathan Silverman)

Aram and Millie's son, initially spoiled by inherited wealth and comfort. He quits jobs, enters into a relationship with a wealthy fiancée, and later takes up honest work as a waiter, culminating in a reconciled relationship with his father.

💼 Privilege 🧭 Growth 🎯 Responsibility

Billie (Madeline Kahn)

A homeless, optimistic woman who interrupts Aram at the bridge and becomes a catalyst for his change. She reveals she was among those who received his money, embodying resilience and the possibility of reinvention.

🧭 Positivity 🏚️ Poverty 💬 Honesty

Irene (Joanna Gleason)

Aram's mistress who knows about the affair and complicates the family dynamics. Her presence underscores themes of secrecy and abandoned trust within relationships.

💔 Infidelity 🎭 Secrets 🕊️ Secrecy

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:39

Major Themes – For Richer, for Poorer (1992)

Explore the central themes of For Richer, for Poorer (1992), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💰 Wealth and Generosity

Aram's wealth shapes his relationships and sense of self. He decides to sell his stores and give away his fortune to strangers, testing what money actually secures in life. The act triggers a domino effect on his family as trust and expectations unravel. The narrative uses this wealth shock to explore generosity, greed, and the rediscovery of meaning beyond material riches.

🧭 Redemption and Responsibility

Aram stages a crisis, fakes bankruptcy, and tapes a confession, hoping to jolt his son into responsibility. His near-suicidal moment on the bridge is interrupted by Billie, whose optimism offers him a different course. The journey forces him to confront the consequences of his choices and seek redemption. The dynamic shows how personal transformation can arise from compassion and difficult choices, not from wealth alone.

👪 Family Reconciliation

Two years after the upheaval, the family is redefined: Millie runs a bakery and Aram contemplates whether to end their marriage. Michael discovers a path toward independence, taking on honest work after a wealthy engagement dissolves. The father-son bond is repaired as Aram helps manage Michael's settlement, signaling a new form of support beyond control. The ending emphasizes reconciliation and resilience through shared effort and forgiveness.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:39

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Bittersweet family trials like in For Richer, for Poorer

Families navigating manufactured crises that lead to strained but hopeful reconciliations.Movies like 'For Richer, for Poorer' where a family faces a fabricated crisis designed to teach a lesson. These character-driven stories blend interpersonal drama with hopeful reconciliation, perfect if you enjoy bittersweet tales about love, deception, and personal growth.

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Narrative Summary

A parent, often a father, orchestrates a deceptive scenario—like a fake bankruptcy—to force a spoiled or drifting child to mature. The narrative follows the emotional consequences of this lie, straining relationships but ultimately pushing characters toward self-reliance and a more honest, if bittersweet, family dynamic.

Why These Movies?

They share a specific dramatic structure: a parental deception ignites the plot, leading to medium-intensity emotional conflict, a steady pacing that allows for character reflection, and a conclusion that values earned growth over a perfectly happy ending.

Character-driven redemption sagas like in For Richer, for Poorer

Stories of privileged characters humbled by loss, finding purpose through struggle.If you liked the personal growth journey in 'For Richer, for Poorer', you'll enjoy these movies about privileged characters forced to confront reality. These sagas explore themes of financial ruin, class, and finding redemption through hardship in a thoughtful, steady-paced narrative.

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Narrative Summary

A character accustomed to wealth and comfort is abruptly stripped of their safety net, often through deception or misfortune. The story charts their journey from entitled idleness to finding value in hard work and authentic relationships, culminating in a matured but emotionally complex sense of self.

Why These Movies?

They are united by a core character arc of humbling and redemption, a moderate complexity that allows for personal reflection, and a bittersweet tone that acknowledges the scars of growth. The pacing is steady, letting the emotional transformation feel earned.

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For Richer, for Poorer Summary

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For Richer, for Poorer Summary

For Richer, for Poorer Timeline

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For Richer, for Poorer Timeline

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For Richer, for Poorer (1992) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

For Richer, for Poorer (1992) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

For Richer, for Poorer (1992) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow