This is a story of a Jewish dysfunctional family. The parents have divorced and mom remains back east in the house. The father, Murray Abromowitz, moves with his children to California, and moves around Beverly Hills so that his children can get the best education possible.
Things really become funny when Marisa Tomei, Murray's niece, comes to lives with the group.
The film deals with the various adventures of the family complicated by the drug scene of the affluent neighborhood.
Jessica Walter costars as a woman who wants Murray to move in with her since she wants a companion.
Carl Reiner and Rita Moreno come in towards the end. They play Murray's brother and sister-in-law respectively; they're also the parents of Tomei. In front of the children, Reiner lets loose reminding Murray that he has been paying the bills for them all along.
The film ends on a sour note as the embarrassed family moves out of their fancy digs and take to riding around Beverly Hills in their car. I guess the film is promoting independence and some good old self-esteem.