Houseguest (1995)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

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 Franklin and Jason Young are playing basketball with the group of kids, the ball switches hands repeatedly between Kevin and the boy when the camera angle changes four or five times.

Quotes:

Pauly Gasperini: [hangs up phone] Happy's not happy.
Joey Gasperini: Who is he, then?

Movie Connections:

References It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Soundtrack:

Heroic Sentiment

Very good for a family movie

Most family movies seem hastily thrown together but HOUSEGUEST is an exception. The dialogue sparkles, the direction isn't just 2-takes-and-go, the cinematography is whackily speeded up in some places and the editing is rapid fire. And unlike most family movies, it lasts for 110 minutes. That's about half an hour longer than is usual. I know this hardly seems like a valid point but I reckon it proves the movie's got more content than fart jokes etc.

My only gripe is the obvious McDonalds plugging about 40 minutes in. If you can just turn away for these 10 seconds then it's not so bad. It's a shame that it's there tho because it tarnishes the credibility of the movie.

Sinbad is always good and the late, great Phil Hartman can make any film watchable so they really add to this brilliantly entertaining comedy. Do yourself a favour and watch it. It's not just for kids. I watched my VHS a zillion times and I was so impatient for this DVD to be released.

So it's barebones, but who cares? I'm just glad to have it. The 1.78:1 anamorphic picture is super and the Dolby 2.0 surround track is decent enough. After all this is a dialogue driven comedy but some sound effects and music are presented pretty well. My subwoofer even go a big kick from a gunshot near the end.

Pick this one up whenever you see it. No matter what age you are, you and your kids will enjoy.