House Arrest (film)

Infobox Film
name = House Arrest


caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Harry Winer
producer = Harry Winer
writer = Michael Hitchcock
starring = Kyle Howard
Jamie Lee Curtis
Kevin Pollak
music = Bruce Broughton
cinematography = Ueli Steiger
editing = Ronald Roose
distributor = Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Rysher Entertainment
released = August 14, 1996
runtime = 108 min.
country = flagicon|USA
language = English
budget = $5 million
gross = $6,970,578
amg_id = 1:136513
imdb_id = 0116571

"House Arrest" is a 1996 comedy film. The film was directed by Harry Winer who has directed other films but is more prolific as a television series director. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Pollak. The film boasts a very thorough supporting cast in Christopher McDonald, Wallace Shawn, Jennifer Tilly, Ben Stein, and an up and coming Jennifer Love Hewitt.

The film was released on August 14, 1996 and went on to gross only over six million dollars at the box office. The film was panned by critics which could explain its low take at the box office.

The film was shot at various locations in the U.S. states of California and Ohio. The main area for filming in California was Monrovia, California. This was the location for both internal and external house scenes. Defiance, Ohio and Chagrin Falls, Ohio were used for the other film scenes.

Plot

The film begins by showing the Beindorf family, Janet (Jamie Lee Curtis), Ned (Kevin Pollak), Grover (Kyle Howard), and Stacy (Amy Sakasitz), a supposedly happy family living a typical family life in the suburbs. It is revealed that the parents are not happy and are in fact separating although they tell their children it is not a divorce. The children of the family first try to recreate their parents' honeymoon in the basement of the house but this fails to bring any happiness into their relationship. The children then leave the basement telling their parents they must get another surprise for them upstairs. The children go upstairs, close the door, and nail it shut. They vow to keep it shut until the parents work out their problems.

The next day, Grover Beindorf tells his best friend Matt (Mooky Arizona) what he has done and T.J. (Russel Harper), the local bully, overhears the conversation. Matt goes over to the Beindorf's house to look at the children's work and is impressed and T.J. shows up to have a look and actually installs a newer, more secure door to keep the parents trapped. Matt and T.J. then leave to collect their parents and bring them to the Beindorf's house to lock them up as well. Matt's father (Wallace Shawn) never keeps a wife for a long period of time and T.J.'s father (Christopher McDonald) does not treat his wife (Sheila McCarthy) well.

The Beindorf parents almost talk Grover into letting them all out but T.J.'s father threatens him with legal action. Grover finds out that his dream girl, Brooke Figler (Jennifer Love Hewitt), is also having parental problems: her mother Cindy (Jennifer Tilly) acts like a teenager, going so far as to trying to hang out with her daughter's friends. Grover invites her to lock up her mother with the rest of the parents. The children lock up all the parents and begin to help them solve their problems. The parents try to find a way out of the basement while getting along and seeing what each of their problems are. The children also work out their differences with each other above. The kids eventually give in and give up to the police and the parents are set free. it is revealed at the end that Grover's parents reconciled and took a second honeymoon to Hawaii, Matt's parents are expecting another child, T.J.'s parents opened up a law firm together (though, they did divorce too), and Brooke's mom starts dating other men instead of intruding on her daughter's dates. However, Matt concluded if their parents ever try to divorce again he might thought of locking them in an attic.

Cast

*Kyle Howard as Gregory Alan "Grover" Beindorf
*Russel Harper as Theodore Joseph "T.J." Krupp
*Jamie Lee Curtis as Janet Beindorf
*Kevin Pollak as Ned Beindorf
*Amy Sakasitz as Stacy Beindorf
*Mooky Arizona as Matthew "Matt" Finley
*Caroline Aaron as Louise Finley
*Alex Seitz as Jimmy Finley
*Josh Wolford as Teddy Finley
*Wallace Shawn as Victor "Vic" Finley
*Jennifer Love Hewitt as Brooke Figler
*Christopher McDonald as Donald Krupp
*Sheila McCarthy as Gwenna Krupp
*Jennifer Tilly as Cindy Figler
*Ben Stein as Ralph Doyle

Awards and nominations

*Young Artist Awards
**Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor - Kyle Howard (nominated)

External links

*imdb title|id=0116571|title=House Arrest