Benny (Guy D. Wells) is a mentally challenged man, living with his Uncle Dave (Bill Carter), Aunt Betty (Elaine Hoffman), Cousin Scotty (Michael Rayburn), and the only member of the household who will actually talk to him, his Grandmother (Gloria John Barto).
Uncle Dave spends his days trying to win radio call-in contests, Aunt Betty spends all the family’s money on stamps, entering TV quiz games; and Scotty is a compulsive gambler who owes big bucks to his bookie. When the family’s phone and electricity is shut off and their furniture repossessed it only makes these three even more desperate. Uncle Dave begins talking about Grandma’s large life insurance policy, but when she dies unexpectedly, the family becomes more desperate when they learn who will inherit her money.
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It must be very challenging for an actor to portray a character with any kind of mental illness or deficiency. Hollywood barely touches on this subject and in years past, many portrayals are a bit heavier on stereotype rather than fact. Benny’s particular illness is never identified, but it is obvious that his character needs looking after.
Since I do not know much about mentally retarded individuals, I couldn’t say whether Wells’ portrayal was accurate or not; at times it seemed a bit over-the-top, but this is certainly preferable to a halfhearted performance. In any case, Wells was certainly in character at all times. I also do not know what kind of research was done in preparing for this role, but it would certainly be to the advantage of any actor going into a role like this to spend time around the same type of people he or she is supposed to be portraying. For example, while preparing for his role portraying schizophrenic Jeffrey Goines, in the thriller “Twelve Monkeys,” Brad Pitt tested his research by checking himself into a mental institution as Jeffrey. He did such a good job, in fact, that when time came for shooting to begin, the institution refused to let him go! Now that is the sign of a good actor, I’d say.
Warning – Spoilers ahead!
Dying for Dollars had a nice twist at the end: Benny was kidnapped and held hostage by an employee of the bookie that Scotty owed money to. As fate would have it, Benny was also the sole recipient of Grandma’s life insurance money and, upon his death, the money would go to a charity. It was a great ironic twist that the greedy family members needed the one person they all would like to be rid of. In addition, Benny’s rescue was equally mysterious – Vinnie the henchman was shot by an unknown person and an elderly female informed the police where to find Benny. I rather liked the suggestion that the mild-mannered Grandma was somehow exacting revenge on the man who would hurt her beloved grandchild. However, when it was revealed that Vinnie’s mother had actually called the police, this great twist really fell flat. It seems so much better to leave the ending open to the possibility of some sort of intervention beyond the grave.
