House Arrest (1996)

High-schooler Grover Beindorf and his younger sister Stacy decide that their parents, Janet and Ned, are acting childishly when they decide to divorce after 18 years of marriage, so they ... See full summary »

Director:

Harry Winer

Writer:

Michael Hitchcock

Stars:

Kyle Howard, Herbert Russell, Jamie Lee Curtis

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kyle Howard	...	Gregory Alan 'Grover' Beindorf
Herbert Russell	...	T.J. Krupp (as Russel Harper)
Jamie Lee Curtis	...	Janet Beindorf
Kevin Pollak	...	Ned Beindorf
Amy Sakasitz	...	Stacy Beindorf
Mooky Arizona	...	Matt Finley
Caroline Aaron	...	Louise Finley
Alex Seitz	...	Jimmy Finley
Josh Wolford	...	Teddy Finley
Wallace Shawn	...	Victor 'Vic' Finley
Jennifer Love Hewitt	...	Brooke Figler
Patrika Darbo	...	Cafetaria Cashier
Ray Walston	...	Chief Rocco
Christopher McDonald	...	Donald Krupp
Colleen Camp	...	Mrs. Burtis

Storyline

High-schooler Grover Beindorf and his younger sister Stacy decide that their parents, Janet and Ned, are acting childishly when they decide to divorce after 18 years of marriage, so they lock them up in the basement until they'll sort out their problems. Their schoolfriends also decide to do the same with their parents to solve their respective problems.

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Plot Keywords:

basement | divorce | children | operation game | juvenile hall | 

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Taglines:

Home is where the hostages are.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic material and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 August 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Areszt domowy

Filming Locations:

Monrovia, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$3,121,824 (USA) (16 August 1996)

Gross:

$6,970,578 (USA) (18 October 1996)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Rysher Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

There would be no cobwebs, and certainly no live rats, in a laundry chute that had been completely sealed years earlier as shown.

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Quotes

Stacy Beindorf: Good morning, Chief Rocco!
Chief Rocco: Aren't your parents going to work today?
Grover: Uh, no, they got the bug that's been going around.
Chief Rocco: I didn't know there was one.
Stacy Beindorf: Yeah it's really bad... especially for old people.

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Crazy Credits

As the closing credits roll, we are shown the various family members in Hawaii hula-dancing, often in native garb or something close to it, singly and in various combinations. The footage ends with Chief Rocco (Ray Walston) stumbling out of some bushes with a set of night-vision goggles with which he tries to observe the rest of the cast (in full daylight).

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Connections

References Sesame Street (1969)

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Soundtracks

"Love Rollercoaster"
Performed by U.P.F.

User Reviews

Cut little comedy

I don't know why a lot of critics attacked this movie. What is there to attack? That's the problem with critics, they're always way too serious. Lighten up! No one said this would be Saving Private Ryan. It's not even Honey I Shrunk The Kids, but it's still cute.

I mean think about it, at one point (well, more than one) in our lives we all just wish we could lock our parents in the basement. The acting is not superb but it's cute and the kind you would expect from a movie like this. The one person I will hand it to is Jennifer Tilly, who really stole the show as Jennifer Love Hewitt's teen-like mother. Not bad at all, though not near to becoming one of the best. This movie will soon be forgotten but if it ever comes on TV watch it.