History Film / AFineMess

* {{California}}

* BathtubScene

* {{Landlord}}

* CaughtWithYourPantsDown: Spence

'''''A Fine Mess''''' is a 1986 comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Ted Danson, Howie Mandel, [[{{Creator/MariaConchitaAlonso}} Maria Conchita Alonso]] and Paul Sorvino. The plot centers around struggling actor Spence Holden (Danson) and frustrated waiter Dennis Powell (Mandel) who stumble upon a horse doping plot and the gangsters involved, turning the movie into an extended chase, leading to them accidentally buying a piano at an auction. Claudia Pazzo (Alonso) offers them $8,000 for it (though they paid $10,000), since she claimed that she had wanted to buy it herself but "this crazy racehorse" caused her to get "held up in traffic." Later that night, Spence calls her up and asks if it would be possible to deliver the piano to her house tomorrow, and that he'd really like to see her again. She says she'll be over in 20 minutes. (See below under NakedInMink.) Unfortunately, she's married to Tony Pazzo (Sorvino), the local mob boss whose idiot flunkies, Maurice 'Binky' Drundza (Stuart Margolin) and Wayne 'Turnip' Parragella (Richard Mulligan), are the ones responsible for doping the horses in the first place. Powell hates his job and his boss and wants to open an Indian food restaurant called Gandhi's, which would specialize in curry, although he's never actually ''tried'' it before. He also strikes up a relationship with the lady from the auction, Ellen Frankenthaler (Jennifer Edwards.)

* ExecutiveMeddling[=/=]WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally intended as a heavily improvised ''homage'' to [[{{Creator/LaurelAndHardy}} Laurel and Hardy]]'s 1932 short ''[[{{Film/TheMusicBox}} The Music Box]]'' with [[{{RichardPryor}} Richard Pryor]] and Burt Reynolds as the leads, in the spirit of Edwards' ''The Party''. Problems with the studio are among the reasons why it eventually turned into the scripted chase comedy that was released.

* ExecutiveMeddling[=/=]WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally intended as a heavily improvised ''homage'' to [[{{LaurelAndHardy}} Laurel and Hardy]]'s 1932 short ''[[{{Film/TheMusicBox}} The Music Box]]'' with [[{{RichardPryor}} Richard Pryor]] and Burt Reynolds as the leads, in the spirit of Edwards' ''The Party''. Problems with the studio are among the reasons why it eventually turned into the scripted chase comedy that was released.

* ShoutOut: The title is taken from [[{{LaurelAndHardy}} Laurel and Hardy]]'s [[{{CatchPhrase}} catchphrase]], "That's another fine mess you've gotten us into," and the piano delivery is a direct reference to ''[[{{Film/TheMusicBox}} The Music Box]]''.

* ModestyBedsheet: Spence, after Binky and Turnip have shown up at his apartment and burst in on Claudia (wearing a towel on her way out of the bathroom, who then chased them screaming out the door), wrapped the sheets around himself and tried to catch up with her, and calls out her name, leading to an example of the RunningGag below.

* PantyShot

* FireBreathingDiner: Dennis's first experience eating curry at a restaurant with Ellen has him downing drinks, eating leaves out of the flowers on the table, running to other customers' tables to drink whatever they have and finally just starts SCREAMING!

* UnfortunateName: Dennis' boss is named Mr. Wardell Flecken, a shortened version of Fleckenshicker. Dennis asks, "Is that like Shickenflucker?"

* TheFamilyForTheWholeFamily: Tony Pazzo, who calls "Binky" and "Turnip" "those two numbskulls."

* CreatorBacklash: Edwards basically told people not to see the movie. They listened. The critics didn't like it either.

* TheAllegedCar: It's a Cadillac without doors.

* UnfortunateName: Dennis' boss is named Mr. Flecken, a shortened version of Fleckenshicker. Dennis asks, "Is that like Shickenflucker?"

* StartMyOwn: We see that Dennis got his [[{{HappyEnding}} happy ending]] and has, in fact, opened an Indian food restaurant called Gandhi's.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Among the reasons why the film was changed from an improvised ''homage'' to ''[[{{TheMusicBox}} The Music Box]]'' to the scripted chase comedy it became.

* ShoutOut: The title is taken from [[{{LaurelAndHardy}} Laurel and Hardy]]'s [[{{CatchPhrase}} catchphrase]], "That's another fine mess you've gotten us into," and the piano delivery is a direct reference to ''[[{{TheMusicBox}} The Music Box]]''.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally intended as an ''homage'' to [[{{LaurelAndHardy}} Laurel and Hardy]]'s 1932 short ''[[{{TheMusicBox}} The Music Box]]'' with [[{{RichardPryor}} Richard Pryor]] and Burt Reynolds as the leads.

* ShoutOut: The title is taken from [[{{LaurelAndHardy}} Laurel and Hardy]]'s [[{{CatchPhrase}} catchphrase]], "That's another fine mess you've gotten us into."

* FireBreathingDiner: Dennis's first experience eating curry at a restaurant with Ellen has him downing drinks, eating leaves out of the flowers on the table, running to other customers' tables to drink whatever they have and finally just SCREAMING!

'''''A Fine Mess''''' is a 1986 comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Ted Danson, Howie Mandel, Maria Conchita Alonso and Paul Sorvino. The plot centers around struggling actor Spence Holden (Danson) and frustrated waiter Dennis Powell (Mandel) who stumble upon a horse doping plot and the gangsters involved, turning the movie into an extended chase, leading to them accidentally buying a piano at an auction. Claudia Pazzo (Alonso) offers them $8,000 for it (though they paid $10,000), since she claimed that she had wanted to buy it herself but "this crazy racehorse" caused her to get "held up in traffic." Later that night, Spence calls her up and asks if it would be possible to deliver the piano to her house tomorrow, and that he'd really like to see her again. She says she'll be over in 20 minutes. (See below under NakedInMink.) Unfortunately, she's married to Tony Pazzo (Sorvino), the local mob boss whose idiot flunkies, Maurice 'Binky' Drundza (Stuart Margolin) and Wayne 'Turnip' Parragella (Richard Mulligan), are the ones responsible for doping the horses in the first place. Powell hates his job and his boss and wants to open an Indian food restaurant called Gandhi's, which would specialize in curry, although he's never actually ''tried'' it before. He also strikes up a relationship with the lady from the auction, Ellen Frankenthaler (Jennifer Edwards.)

* California

* ModestyBedsheet: Spence, after Binky and Turnip have shown up at his apartment, burst in on Claudia (wearing a towel on her way out of the bathroom, who then chased them screaming out the door) and he wrapped the sheets around himself and tried to catch up with her, he calls out her name, leading to an example of the RunningGag below.