4. Mousehunt (Without The Mouse)
This underrated 1997 movie about two brothers (played by Lee Evans and Nathan Lane) having to hunt down a mouse in an abandoned mansion would, in reality, be a much less interesting affair if it were all about their woes in dealing with mortgages and trying to hastily arrange an auction to sell said mansion. But it also would be a wholly depressing tale because the implications of the film without the mouse are that the two brothers would be bankrupt, having suffered multiple personal tragedies in a relatively short time, ultimately leading to them betraying one another. It's made clear that their late father's factory is losing money; Lars (played by Evans) refuses to sell the factory initially, while Ernie (Lane) learns of the sale opportunity and tries to proceed with it later in the movie. When Lars finds out, it is only when they accidentally strike the problematic mouse that their fight stops and does not escalate. Were it not for the mouse being there, all signs point to their being a huge bust-up which would likely drive the brothers apart. Couple that with Lars' wife leaving him and Ernie losing his job as an esteemed chef, both brothers would be left with absolutely nothing. The mouse ultimately brings them together and keeps them sane, even going so far as to save the factory by itself at the movie's conclusion. Without the mouse, an entire family's legacy and livelihoods would be ruined. On the other hand, without the mouse, Christopher Walken would never had had to act like he was eating mouse droppings. Maybe that would have been a blessing after all...