Stuart Saves His Family

"Stuart Saves His Family" is a 1995 comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, and based on a series of popular "Saturday Night Live" sketches from the early-to-mid 1990s. The movie tracks the adventures of would-be self-help guru Stuart Smalley, a creation of writer/comedian Al Franken, as he attempts to save both his deeply troubled family and his low-rated cable access show.

Co-starring are Laura San Giacomo, Vincent D'Onofrio, Shirley Knight, Lesley Boone, and Harris Yulin.

Julia Sweeney, Joe Flaherty, Robin Duke, Richard Riehle, and Kurt Fuller have cameo roles.

Though the film did not fare well at the box office, earning only $911,310, the response from critics was fairly evenly mixed. It is currently available on VHS and DVD.

Trivia

* Shortly after the movie left the theaters, Saturday Night Live featured a "Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley" sketch that parodied the poor box-office returns. Stuart was depressed and bitter throughout the entire segment and lambasted the audience for choosing other movies (such as Dumb and Dumber) over his.
* Al Franken says he was inspired for this character by attending Al-Anon meetings.
*Although the film lost $10 million at the box office, it is often played for patients attending rehab.
* WWE Smackdown! announcer Justin Roberts appears in the movie.
* Power Rangers S.P.D. cast members Matt Austin and Monica May play baseball playing Brother and Sister.

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114571/ Stuart Saves His Family] at the Internet Movie Database.
* [http://www.alfrankensense.com/ Al Franken Fan Club and Discussion Forum]
* [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19950412/REVIEWS/504120303/1023 Review] of the movie by Roger Ebert