The Boys Next Door (TV 1996)

Jack Palmer is a social worker whose job has taken precedence over his personal life. Mainly, his job is to help four mentally challenged men live regular lives in a home. They consist of: ... See full summary »

Director:

John Erman

Writers:

Tom Griffin (play), William Blinn (teleplay)

Stars:

Nathan Lane, Robert Sean Leonard, Tony Goldwyn

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Nathan Lane	...	Norman Bulansky
Robert Sean Leonard	...	Barry Klemper
Tony Goldwyn	...	Jack Palmer
Michael Jeter	...	Arnold Wiggins
Courtney B. Vance	...	Lucien P. Singer
Mare Winningham	...	Sheila
Elizabeth Wilson	...	Mary Fremus
Richard Jenkins	...	Bob Klemper
Lynne Thigpen	...	Mrs. Tracy
Caroline Aaron	...	Mrs. Warren
Michael Hogan	...	Dr. Racine
Laura Bertram	...	Cashier
Martha Burns
George R. Robertson	...	Senator Warren Clarke
Jenny Robertson	...	Rena Palmer

Storyline

Jack Palmer is a social worker whose job has taken precedence over his personal life. Mainly, his job is to help four mentally challenged men live regular lives in a home. They consist of: Norman, who works at a donut shop and has a thing for keys; Barry, who thinks he is a golf pro and doesn't communicate well with his father; Arnold, who is into all things Russian and has a habit of spending money; and Lucien, who is into Spider Man and must testify before the state senate. Jack wants to help them, but he also thinks it is time to move on with his life. The hard part is trying to say goodbye to the guys he cares about.

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Plot Keywords:

social worker | donut | golf | testify | spider man | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes being a little different means being a lot more wonderful.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 February 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hallmark Hall of Fame: The Boys Next Door (#45.2)

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the original stage show, Lucien's last name was "Smith" and not "Singer".

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Quotes

[last lines]
Announcer at Railway Station: Now leaving on track number 9, local service stopping at Milwaukee, Montreal, Vancouver, Anchorage, Vladivostok, Petropavlovsk, Klamovichy... and Moscow.

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Crazy Credits

One of the end credits read, "Devon the hamster is alive and well... spending his hazardous duty pay".

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Connections

Edited into Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)

User Reviews

Realistic, non-sentimental view of the mentally challenged

I enjoyed this film from many aspects. The acting is first rate, and it is clearly well-researched and presented in a realistic, non-sentimental fashion. Having grown up around the mentally ill and the mentally challenged, I can decipher caricature from character rather quickly. I was absolutely blown away by Courtney B. Vance's depiction of Lucien. Mr. Vance is completely absorbed in this role. His carriage, walk, talk, mannerisms, everything is perfect. I have known people like Lucien. When Tony Goldwyn's character, Jack, imagines a "normal" Lucien, we can see the absolutely perfect acting job of Courtney B. Vance.

The other actors are very good, but Courtney B. Vance is the stand out. Nathan Lane as Norman reminds me very much of mentally challenged people I have known who are forever introducing themselves. Robert Sean Leonard plays a schizophrenic convincingly. And Tony Goldwyn is emotional and not too sentimental as Jack, the hard-working, good-hearted, but all too human caretaker. It is a very good film.