| Director | John G. Avildsen |
|---|---|
| Genre | comedy film |
| Runtime | 94 min |
| Country | United States |
| Budget | $8.5 million |
| Box office | $30 million |
Earl Keese is an straight-laced man leading a quiet life on a dead-end street in a suburban neighborhood, alongside his dismissive wife, Enid. His peaceful life changes when the eccentric Zecks—charming and chaotic Vic, and sultry and seductive Ramona—move into the abandoned, disheveled house next door. The Zecks immediately impose themselves on the Keese household, with Earl quickly overwhelmed by Vic's quick-talking ways and flustered by Ramona's sexual overtures. After Vic cons Earl into giving him cash and his car to collect takeaway food, only to use it to make pasta at home, Earl responds by trying to prank Vic by hiding his car. However, due to the car's faulty brakes, Earl accidentally pushes it into the nearby swamp.
After confessing his misdeed, Earl shows Vic the swamp and falls in, nearly drowning. In his attempt to escape, he pulls Vic in with him. Vic seemingly drowns, and the stunned Earl returns home, only to be scared by the waiting Vic before Ramona again attempts to seduce him. Believing them to be mentally ill, Earl locks them in his basement and unsuccessfully calls for help. Enid, however, charmed by the Zecks, believes Earl is being irrational.
When Elaine, the Keese's punky daughter, returns home, she is equally charmed by the new neighbors. However, when Elaine shows Vic her new edible panties, Earl punches him, and the Zecks return home.
The following morning, Earl goes to remove the vandalism painted on his car, assuming Vic is responsible, but finds that Vic has already cleaned it. After Vic's wrecked car is towed out of the swamp, he informs Earl that he plans to move due to the nearby power lines. Earl begs Vic to stay, as, despite the chaos of the previous night, it was the most fun he has ever had. Vic reveals that he and Ramona are not legally married and tells Earl to take her. Earl returns home to find Ramona in his bed. They almost have sex before they are interrupted by a panicked Vic, who has flown a remote-controlled model airplane into his house, starting a fire that burns it down.
While the ineffectual fire department watches, Vic drives away in Earl's car with his wife and daughter. Ramona tells Earl that Vic traded her for his family. Seemingly unaffected by his family's abandonment, Earl prepares to take Ramona on a date, before Vic returns with the family and takeaway food. Over dinner, Earl suggests they escape their stagnant lives and move to the city, believing Vic deliberately burned his house down for a substantial insurance payment which can fund their new lifestyle. Instead, Vic and Ramona reveal that the house still belonged to the Keese's former neighbor, who moved to a nursing home where Vic worked.
The Keeses offer to let the Zecks move into with them, even offering them the master bedroom, but, to their dismay, Vic and Ramona choose to leave because the area does not suit their extroverted personalities. Earl then accuses the Zecks of stealing his checkbook, but Enid and Elaine find it untouched. Remorseful, Earl signs his car over to the Zecks.
Earl settles back into the mundanity of his former life, while Elaine returns to boarding school and Enid leaves for an emergency class on Native American studies. Vic and Ramona return, offering Earl the chance to join them on their adventures to anywhere. Earl readily accepts, burning his house to the ground before the trio drives away.