The Flintstones

The Flintstones is a 1994 'Univershell' (Universal) Studios live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera animated television series The Flintstones. It stars John Goodman as Fred Flinstone, Elizabeth Perkins as Wilma Flinstone, Rick Moranis as Barney Rubble, Rosie O'Donnell as Betty Rubble, Halle Berry as Fred's assistant Sharon Stone, Kyle MacLachlan as Fred's evil boss Cliff Vandercave, and Elizabeth Taylor as Wilma's mother, Pearl Slaghoople. The film was directed by Brian Levant. This film was not critically acclaimed, but was a box office hit, grossing over $130 million domestically during the Memorial Day weekend in 1994.

Cliff Vandercave, currently running Mr. Slate's quarrying company as executive vice-president, schemes to abscond with company money and flee with Sharon Stone to Rockapulco, Mexico. He wants a patsy: someone to take the blame, an incompetent. Eying the workers, he decides to invent an executive placement program, and gives the workers an exam. Barney (who also works for the company now) and Fred take their exams using the proper chisel (analog to pencil). When Barney offers to take Fred's exam to turn them in, he notices that Fred did miserably, and swaps the exams. In fact, Fred had the worst results, while Barney had the best, and when Cliff and Sharon review them, they promote Fred to the executive suite and tell him to fire Barney.

Meanwhile, Cliff shows off the company's future, automation, and Fred is concerned about the loss of jobs. Cliff intends, however, that the machinery will be shoddy and fall apart... after he's gone from the country. Fred's strong relationship with Wilma spurs an unconscious feeling in Sharon Stone, that Fred has something wonderful that she wishes she was part of.

Fred and Wilma celebrate his promotion by going to the most exclusive restaurant in town, where the entertainment is provided by the BC-52s (the B-52's in stone-age garb).

An argument between Fred and Barney results in Barney telling the truth about the swapped exams, and the two of them stop speaking to one another. Barney and Betty lose their home and end up in the swamp, while Fred adds a second storey to his house, a hot tub, a large-screen television, and even a satellite dish.

Fred eventually gets suspicious about what's going on, marches into the file room, and finds out the nasty business, so Cliff arranges to frame Fred. However, during a confrontation in the gravel pit, Fred duplicates an accident he did on the model of the machinery, and produces a result that causes Cliff to be encased in a new and unknown substance. Mr. Slate shows up, asks what is going on, and decides to name the stuff after his daughter, Concretia. Fred asks to go back to his old job operating the big dinosaur machine, and patches things up with Barney.

Trivia

 * Halle Berry's character was named after actress Sharon Stone. According to pre-release publicity for the film, Sharon Stone was invited to play the role herself, but declined.
 * Harvey Comics published a comic adaptation of the film in two different art styles that could be read through a pair of enclosed 3-D glasses - one style was drawn in the film's realistic style, the other in the style of the cartoon.

Flintstones – Die Familie Feuerstein The Flintstones (film) Флинтстоуны (фильм)