MovieChat Forums > The Craft (1996) Discussion > 175, 000 dollars isn't a lot of money.

175, 000 dollars isn't a lot of money.

posted 16 years ago by nyxxie
51 replies | jump to latest

So Nancy's step father dies and they get 175,000 dollars and they buy an pretty large apartment on a high floor with a pretty amazing view of the city. Along with that Nancy buys a red convertible.

Even in 1996 their money would be totally gone after that. Very stupid investment.

What should have happened is they find a pretty reasonable priced house and a inexpensive car.

This part of the movie bugs the hell out of me. But I guess it makes sense since Nancy is completely insane.

[–] macgirl66 14 years ago

If you do the research on this issue, MOST poor to middle income folks who receive a large windfall blow it all in a short period of time. My first thought when I saw the way they were living was that they would be back in the trailer within 5-10 years. Especially when the mom said something about how she saw the sofa and she "just had to have it", so she told them she'd take it, and paid cash on the spot. The jukebox too. Who knows how many other expensive impulse items they blew their money on. This amount is not really that much, and the place they were in would have high association fees.

To each their own...opinion

[–] TheFatDruidofNacyl 14 years ago

With that amount I could pay off my mortgage, fix up my house, pay off my credit card bills, maybe even get a degree at a community college.

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[–] YourLipsareRed 14 years ago

I've always thought this too!! That apartment itself would've been valued at more than 175,000. Let alone ALL the items they bought to furnish it with, the fact Nancy always had cash on her now, bought a car, etc...

Very unrealistic. Yet, this movie still rocks.

I guess I'll cut my losses, and turn my tricks at the magic show..

IheartRiloKiley.

[–] PTUTSON 14 years ago

It isn't a lot of money, but I think that's what made the scene with the insurance guy so funny.

[–] evil-urd87 13 years ago

I also didn't think it was that much but I was quite young at the time the movie was filmed, so I guess it could be the inflation.
On the other side, neither Nancy nor her mother were shown to be very good at desition making, a car and an appartment aren't the worst choices for spending the money into though, they can sell them if the money is needed.

[–] simba122504 13 years ago

Nope. I love the film, but that wasn't enough to live like they were living. Yes, not even in the '90s. A million or 2 would have been more realistic.

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] Jackie_Michele 12 years ago

That's totally the point. Nancy and her mom have money now but they are still white trash.

I voted for Frenchie and Dia like a sex donkey on Xanax.

[–] jefgg 12 years ago

What state did they live in? How much real estate you can buy for $175,000 depends a lot on where you live?

[–] Jackie_Michele 12 years ago

I's obvious they lived in a coastal town which means the real estate is more expensive, therefore the idea of them surging on $175,000 for long is unrealistic..

I voted for Frenchie and Dia like a sex donkey on Xanax.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] jefgg 11 years ago

Very true.

It would have been difficult to believe that Nancy's stepfather had a large amount of life insurance. It is more believable that her mother received a large benefit on Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance. That is a policy that pays benefits to the beneficiary if the cause of death is due to an accident. And an accidental death would have fit nicely into the plot.

[–] kellymariekitty 11 years ago

Hey, nobody is white trash.
I hate that term, I'm not American but white trash is a terrible thing to call people.

[–] Jackie_Michele 11 years ago

Take it up with the writers. It was stated in the movie that Nancy's spell had to do with her not being white trash anymore. However, even though they received the money, her and her mother still were.

I voted for Frenchie and Dia like a sex donkey on Xanax.

[–] Lokisgodhi 10 years ago

Obviously you've never met the right (wrong) people. There is most assuredly white trash here in America.

kellymariekitty wrote: Hey, nobody is white trash. I hate that term, I'm not American but white trash is a terrible thing to call people.

[–] coutterhill 9 years ago

Nancy had a mattress on the floor! Their apartment was empty, still white trash

[–] fiatlux-1 11 years ago

While $175,000 was worth a good lot more in 1996 than 2013....it still was not THAT much money.
If it had been double that, perhaps it would have been more believable.

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[–] dp021904 11 years ago

All this talk about the $175K, yet no one mentions that trailer-living Nancy was attending a prestigious private school which probably costs upwards of $10K/year... ?

"Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream..."

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] 10 years ago

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