Richie Rich (sometimes stylized Ri¢hie Ri¢h) is a 1994 American live-action film adaptation of the Harvey Comics comic book character Richie Rich. Directed by Donald Petrie, the film stars Macaulay Culkin as the title character. Edward Herrmann, Michael McShane, Christine Ebersole, Jonathan Hyde, and John Larroquette serve in supporting roles, while Reggie Jackson, Claudia Schiffer and Ben Stein appear in cameo roles. Culkin's younger brother, Rory Culkin, played the part of little Richie. In 1998, it was followed by a direct-to-video sequel, Richie Rich's Christmas Wish. While in theaters, the film was shown with a Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon called Chariots of Fur. Richie Rich was Macaulay Culkin's final film as a child actor.
Richard "Richie" Rich Jr. (Macaulay Culkin) is the world's wealthiest kid, the son of an Imagineer worth $70 billion, being raised with anything money can buy, but with only loyal butler Herbert Cadbury (Jonathan Hyde) as a companion, he lacks any friends his own age. But he thinks he might get his chance when, at a dedication to the reopening of the factory of a company his father, Richard Rich, Sr. (Edward Herrmann), recently acquired (intending to modernize the factory and give it away to the workers as a token of goodwill), he encounters a group of sandlot kids playing baseball. Unfortunately, before he is able to talk to them, his too-strict bodyguard, Ferguson (Chelcie Ross), stops him by grabbing Richie's shoulder tightly, but Cadbury saves him, warning Ferguson for being too rough with Richie, and says that if he ever does it again, "it will be he who needs protecting."
Unlike most parents of rich kids in movies, Richie's father, Richard, tries to keep in touch with Richie and spend time with his son whenever he can. He even had the Rich family's head scientist, Professor Keenbean (Michael McShane), invent a machine called the "Dadlink" that pinpoints Richard's location in seconds, so Richie can talk to his dad whenever he's away on business. Meanwhile, the greedy CFO of Rich Industries, Laurence Van Dough (John Larroquette), is planning to take the Rich financial fortune, believed to be stored in the Rich family vault, which Richard had made vague references to, for his own. With the help of Ferguson, they plot to blow up the plane (a Douglas DC-3 christened the Billion Dollar One) carrying the Rich family to England by disguising a bomb among the presents that they were to give to Queen Elizabeth II. Cadbury, seeing Richie's loneliness, makes a suggestion to Richie's mother, Regina (Christine Ebersole), and arranges for Richie to stay home with the sandlot kids for a weekend of fun. The weekend allows Richie to earn the friendship of the sandlot kids.
Thanks to the new invention of Professor Keenbean, a machine that translates smell into sound, the bomb is detected, but Richard is unable to get rid of the bomb before it detonates. The bomb destroys part of the wing tips, sending their plane into the ocean. However, both manage to survive on a lifeboat. Believing that the Rich family are dead, Van Dough assumes the head of the Rich corporation, and proceeds to cut the many charitable contributions the Rich family were known for. This includes closing the recently-reopened United Tool factory, which the parents of the sandlot kids relied upon for their living. This angers Richie, who proceeds to the company headquarters and, as a living Rich family member, assumes the leadership position.
Van Dough, however, saw this as a minor setback: as Richie is still underage, his ability to run the business was limited by the powers to him by someone who was able to give it to him – namely, Cadbury. Cadbury is framed for the Rich family's murder, and the Rich family's other loyal servants are all fired en masse by Van Dough's edict, effectively isolating Richie from the outside world and making him a prisoner within his own home. However, he does get the assistance of Keenbean, who had also been hiding in the Rich house and was distrustful of Van Dough and not willing to let his inventions fall into Van Dough's hands. Keenbean overhears Van Dough and Ferguson plot to have Cadbury murdered and appear to have committed suicide. He manages to sneak Richie out with a plan to break Cadbury escape from prison. After Cadbury gets the supplies, he is attacked by one of Van Dough's henchman; surprisingly, he shows great strength for his appearance, and knocks the goon unconscious. Cadbury then regroups with his new friends, who are willing to assist Richie in whatever it takes to get his home back.
During this time, Richie was left with the Dadlink. However, Richard's receiver was broken in the crash, and, when Richard manages to fix it, the signal that his father is found is intercepted by Ferguson, who disconnects Richie's modem, leaving Richie (remoting in from a friend's terminal) in the dark as to where his parents may be. Assisted by Keenbean, the kids manage to sneak Richie back into his own house, only to discover that the Dadlink shows that Richie's parents are inside the Rich's house. He is shocked to discover that Van Dough had anticipated his own arrival, and had arranged for his parents' rescue. Held at gunpoint, Van Dough forces the Rich family elders to the Rich vault, while Richie and his friends, who were captured by Ferguson's security, are led to one of Keenbean's machines, intending to kill them. Keenbean thwarts Ferguson's plan, and manages to save Richie and his friends. Richie then proceeds to take a bag full of Keenbean's inventions in a bid to save his parents.
Van Dough is eventually led to Mount Richmore, a stone mountain portrait of the Rich family, where the vault is located. There, he is furious upon discovering that the vault holds the Rich family's childhood memories and treasures – nothing that was valuable to him. Demanding an explanation, he finds the Rich family keeps their money in banks, the stock market, and real estate, because they simply did not value money. Desperate to get the money, he attempts to shoot Richard and Regina, only for Richie to interfere. Van Dough attempts to shoot Richie instead, but manages to barely faze him, his clothes having turned bulletproof thanks to one of Keenbean's inventions. The Rich family then takes the opening caused by Keenbean's invention to escape. The chase eventually leads them down the side of the mountain, where they are under further attack by Ferguson and a special rock-blasting laser that had been used to build the mountain vault. Cadbury finally manages to disarm Ferguson and manages to keep the Rich family safe, while Van Dough hangs on for dear life. Although Richard abhors firing staff, he allows Richie to fire Van Dough, who is then subsequently arrested.
Later, as Richie is playing baseball with his new friends on the Rich mansion's yard (with Cadbury as team coach) and hits a home run, Richard and Regina state that Richie now really is the richest boy in the world, as he has found the true treasure in life, the one thing that money can't buy: friends.
>>>>>> CAST <<<<<<<<
Macaulay Culkin as Richard "Richie" Rich Jr., a nice young rich boy and the main protagonist.
Mike McShane as Professor Keenbean, an inventor who is very nice.
John Larroquette as Lawrence Van Dough, the main antagonist and the villain. He is the greedy CFO of Rich Inc., but he plots to murder the highest bosses so that he can gain the upper hand. He is loosely based on the comic cousin of Richie.
Edward Herrmann as Richard Rich Sr.
Christine Ebersole as Regina Rich
Jonathan Hyde as Herbert Arthur Runcible Cadbury, the Rich family's trustworthy butler. He is also a friend of Richie.
Chelcie Ross as Ferguson, Richie's rude and tough personal bodyguard. He and other bodyguards join Van Dough to destroy the Rich empire.
Joel Robinson as Omar. Reggie Jackson as Baseball Coach
Mariangela Pino as Diane Pazinski. The mother of Gloria. She starts having a relationship with Cadbury.
Stephi Lineburg as Gloria Pazinski. Richie's girlfriend.
Jonathan Hilario as Pee Wee. One of Gloria's best friends.
Rory Culkin as Young Richie.
Ben Stein as Economics Teacher.
Claudia Schiffer as Claudia. She makes a cameo as the gym instructor.
