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

Sheila: Norman, guess what?
Norman Bulansky: What?
Sheila: I'm a orchid.
Norman Bulansky: Not me.
Sheila: Norman, what flower are you?
Norman Bulansky: An apple donut with raisins.
Sheila: That's nice. I'm a orchid.
[pause]
Sheila: Norman, can I have your keys?
Norman Bulansky: Oh boy, Sheila, I need my keys.
[...]

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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

An excellent adaptation of a wonderful play

In bringing Tom Griffin's touching play to the screen, director John Erman and his remarkable cast have brought warmth and respect to The Boys Next Door. It is clear that the team wanted to be faithful not only to Griffin's text, but also to the disabled community. Viewers can easily see that the artists are taking the job of crafting the comedy very seriously.

The performers in this talented ensemble bring great dignity to these characters. Courtney Vance is especially touching as Lucien, and challenges the audience's perceptions of the challenged in a moment of theatrical magic.

This movie is worth seeing by anyone who is looking for something more than simple laughs. While the movie is very funny, it also makes an important comment about the inherent worth of all people, regardless of their outward appearance of ability or disability.