Houseguest (1995)

Director:

Randall Miller

Writers (WGA):

Michael J. Di Gaetano (written by) &
Lawrence Gay (written by)

Release Date:

6 January 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

They were just your average, uptight suburban family until Kevin Franklin stepped into the picture. Houseguest. He came. He ate. He stayed.

Plot:

In hot water with the mob over an unpaid debt, a con man poses as a family friend in an affluent Pennsylvania suburb.

Plot Keywords:

Loan Shark | Dentist | McDonald's Restaurant | Pittsburgh Pennsylvania | Mistaken Identity

Cast

Sinbad	...	Kevin Franklin
Phil Hartman	...	Gary Young
Kim Greist	...	Emily Young
Chauncey Leopardi	...	Jason Young
Talia Seider	...	Sarah Young
Kim Murphy	...	Brooke Young
Paul Ben-Victor	...	Pauly Gasperini
Tony Longo	...	Joey Gasperini
Jeffrey Jones	...	Ron Timmerman
Stan Shaw	...	Larry
Ron Glass	...	Derek Bond
Kevin Jordan	...	Steve 'ST-3'
Mason Adams	...	Mr. Pike
Patricia Fraser	...	Nancy Pike
Don Brockett	...	Happy Marcelli

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Australia:PG | UK:PG (video premiere) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Caravan Pictures

Trivia:

The McDonald's that Kevin Franklin is seen visiting in Sewickley is actually a hardware store. The small town of Sewickley, in which most of this movie was filmed, does not have a McDonald's, so they had to build a fake front.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Kevin takes the soda out of the fridge is jumps from his left hand to his right hand.

Quotes:

[after stumbling on Jason's skateboard]
Gary Young: Jason, how many times have I told you to pick that damn thing up? A lot, I think. Probably several, maybe.

Movie Connections:

References It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Soundtrack:

Heroic Sentiment

A funny, good movie!

This movie surprisingly works and is very funny and enjoyable and it's also, what I think to be the litmus test of a good movie, always good for repeated viewing without losing its charm. I pass by the film on cable and find myself watching it again and still laughing. I know this seems hard to believe especially since the story is ridiculous and the script is pretty banal. I've come to the conclusion that it's the genuine talent of Sinbad, an exceedingly funny man who unfortunately seems to have disappeared from show business as of late. Phil Hartman adds a great deal to the film with his always impeccable delivery but I can't help but think of his horrible tragedy and kind of fall out of the movie's whimsy at times.

I always liked this movie. It manages to rise above most Hollywood comedies that are inevitably annoying and dispensable. This movie is fun and has great acting which makes up for the fact that it is, by nature, just a screwball comedy. It's a total guilty pleasure but I say go for it.