Stranger in the Family (1991)

After a car wreck a teenager is left with permenant memory loss

Director:

Donald Wrye

Writers:

Rene Balcer, Hal Sitowitz

Stars:

Teri Garr, Neil Patrick Harris, Randle Mell

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Teri Garr	...	Randi Thompson
Neil Patrick Harris	...	Steve Thompson
Randle Mell	...	Alan Thompson
Sierra Samuel	...	Shari Thompson
Kathryn Dowling	...	Dr. Webb
Cully Fredricksen	...	Principal
Mag Ruffman	...	Mrs. Kessler
Kris LeFan	...	Craig
Jeff Bryant
Sarah DeAngelis
Stacy Pearson
Shane Edelman
Steve Cribari
Lindsey Edelman
John Evans

Storyline

After a car wreck a teenager is left with permenant memory loss

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Plot Keywords:

amnesia | based on true story

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 October 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ein Fremder in unserer Mitte

Filming Locations:

Watsonville, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hearst Entertainment Productions, Polongo Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 120 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Boring Made-for-TV Sobfest

Steve Thompson (Neil Patrick Harris, the NPH) is involved in a car accident through no fault of his own. He is then cursed with amnesia, where he forgets his own name, his family, and reverts to the mentality of a child. How will his friends and family cope with this change, and will Steve ever regain his memory and live a normal life? Based on real events.

This film comes to us from director Donald Wrye, who seems very comfortable in the world of television movies. This film may have been made for the Lifetime network, and if it wasn't... it should have been. It has all the hallmarks of an emotional film with very little substance. Compare, for example, "Fifteen and Pregnant" with Kirsten Dunst. The television quality is even more evident when we look at the other work of writer Rene Balcer, who has thrived off of scripting tons of "Law and Order" episodes.

The movie is not without merit. The NPH, not surprisingly, delivers an amazing performance as a man-child, with my only real complaint that he doesn't speak enough and never sings. I could comment on his intense mullet, but this is the early 1990s, so I can't fault him for getting with the times. (Seriously, NPH singing is the pinnacle of human achievement. While he was great in the Harold and Kumar films, his greatest work will always be in "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.)

Beyond the NPH, this film is worthless. Teri Garr is just there with no real reason, and the other actors are forgettable. To be perfectly honest, my friend Seth and I didn't even finish the film, and I don't care if I ever do. I own the DVD, but the odds of it getting put back in the player are really, really slim. Unless you're an NPH completist, this one can be skipped.