When Kevin Franklin (Sinbad) accrues $50,000 in mob debt from a series of ill fated get rich quick schemes, Kevin attempts to flee only to be found out by mob collectors at the airport. Overhearing a conversation with lawyer Gary Young (Phil Hartman) who's awaiting the arrival of, Derek Bond, a childhood friend he's not seen in 20 years. Kevin assumes the role of Derek and becomes the Young family's houseguest for the Memorial Day weekend as he tries to keep up his shambling façade.
Coming to prominence in the Cosby Show spin-off A Different World, Sinbad had made a name with his recurring role on the program, as well as hosting Showtime at the Apollo. In 1993 at the heigh of Sinbad's popularity, he signed a deal with Disney for a 13 episode tv series (The Sinbad Show) and a pay or play deal for Houseguest. Unfortunately while Sinbad can be funny, Houseguest does not play to his strengths as it's an overlong slog that takes a theoretically rich culture clash premise and handles it on a way that robs it of comic spark.
Sinbad's role is basically that of a good natured schemer with a plethora of get rich quick schemes that are varying degrees of inept or preposterous and there's definitely material there but it's not presented all that well. I'm a massive fan of Phil Hartman but he feels greatly miscast playing the straightman suburban dad and feels like it was envisioned for an actor known for more tightly wound performances like Steve Martin or Charles Grodin. Even once the two do get together there's not all that much chemistry between the two and the movie doesn't sell us on why Sinbad's scam fools everyone. The humor from this kind of premise is predicated upon tension derived from being found out and caught in the lie but the movie basically reinforces the lie with concrete in how it allows things to work out perfectly fine for Kevin as he basically does little if anything to reinforce his lie including changing his behavior and what "threats" there are to being found out are mostly presented as impotent and weightless. In addition to the rather misjudged material, director Randall Miller over directs the movie abusing montages, crossfades, smash cuts and just all around making a film that feels choppy. One sequence in particular is a sequence where Kevin is confronted by the two debt collectors in his apartment, and it's cut in such a way that shots only last 3 seconds before jumping somewhere else making a simple scene disorienting.
Houseguest is a failed comedy. While it has a rich enough premise and Sinbad has energy as the lead, Phil Hartman doesn't fit as a suitable counterpart in a role that should've been more serious to bounce off against Sinbad and its central premise of culture clashes and farcical lies feels neutered by a lack of tension or friction present in the proceedings. Not awful, but not worth viewing either.
Coming to prominence in the Cosby Show spin-off A Different World, Sinbad had made a name with his recurring role on the program, as well as hosting Showtime at the Apollo. In 1993 at the heigh of Sinbad's popularity, he signed a deal with Disney for a 13 episode tv series (The Sinbad Show) and a pay or play deal for Houseguest. Unfortunately while Sinbad can be funny, Houseguest does not play to his strengths as it's an overlong slog that takes a theoretically rich culture clash premise and handles it on a way that robs it of comic spark.
Sinbad's role is basically that of a good natured schemer with a plethora of get rich quick schemes that are varying degrees of inept or preposterous and there's definitely material there but it's not presented all that well. I'm a massive fan of Phil Hartman but he feels greatly miscast playing the straightman suburban dad and feels like it was envisioned for an actor known for more tightly wound performances like Steve Martin or Charles Grodin. Even once the two do get together there's not all that much chemistry between the two and the movie doesn't sell us on why Sinbad's scam fools everyone. The humor from this kind of premise is predicated upon tension derived from being found out and caught in the lie but the movie basically reinforces the lie with concrete in how it allows things to work out perfectly fine for Kevin as he basically does little if anything to reinforce his lie including changing his behavior and what "threats" there are to being found out are mostly presented as impotent and weightless. In addition to the rather misjudged material, director Randall Miller over directs the movie abusing montages, crossfades, smash cuts and just all around making a film that feels choppy. One sequence in particular is a sequence where Kevin is confronted by the two debt collectors in his apartment, and it's cut in such a way that shots only last 3 seconds before jumping somewhere else making a simple scene disorienting.
Houseguest is a failed comedy. While it has a rich enough premise and Sinbad has energy as the lead, Phil Hartman doesn't fit as a suitable counterpart in a role that should've been more serious to bounce off against Sinbad and its central premise of culture clashes and farcical lies feels neutered by a lack of tension or friction present in the proceedings. Not awful, but not worth viewing either.