'House Arrest' is a really cute movie and hopefully will influence parents to think about things before just getting a divorce. This movie may not be the most realistic portrayal of how a kid would act when he found out his parents were thinking about splitting (ie locking your parents in the basement) but the reactions are pretty genuine in the fact that just about all kids have problems with their parents. Some things were def. over-exaggerated though, like when Grover (Kyle Howard) finds divorce papers in the mail and then 'flips' out by shoving a bunch of papers around and knocking stuff over. No kid, well usually, would be that mad about their parents divorcing (I'm sure they would be upset, maybe cry, but like wrecking stuff in some sort of manner, yea right). The acting wasn't bad, I thought it was pretty good all around. The story was funny and if your parents aren't like any of the ones in the movie, you probably will appreciate your own family more. I recommend seeing this if you can, it's on HBO a lot.
36 Reviews
Funny with a useful lesson
shneur24 April 2006
This comedy, about a teenager and his younger sister who lock their parents in the basement until they work out their marital problems, is not as bad as it sounds. We wind up with a bunch of kids upstairs who know how to relate to one another but gradually have to work out how to keep practical things running, and a bunch of adults downstairs who are just the opposite. In truth, neither side does very well, but at least this is not the tired condescension of the kids screwing up and needing to be rescued by the adults: both groups are portrayed with a mix of severity and sympathy. Throw in a meddling retired chief of police across the street, and make him Ray Walston whom I think everybody loved most in "Picket Fences," and you have a film that is very entertaining, and also carries across some deeper meaning about what contributions young people and older ones can make to each other's ongoing development. Kyle Howard was 18 trying to play 14, which took a good deal of suspension of disbelief, but that miscasting seems to be an obsession Hollywood just can't seem to grow out of.
Fun, and Jennifer Love Hewitt too
MuggySphere25 May 2007
This wasn't the best movie I've seen in recent times but it was a fun movie. I liked the concept of holding the oldies hostage while they sort their affairs out.
The bonus I guess is that if your're a fan of Jennifer Love Hewitt as I am she's in this movie and her role though minor is good, and hey she's kinda hot you know so that's a bonus.
I can't really fault the film and yes there's an awful lot of bad reviews around about it but I think it's well worth the 6/10 I gave it.
It's a fun film for everyone, without being too over sentimental or sugar filled. I was surprised to see Jennifer Tilly in this as I felt it too lightweight for her, but there you go guess she needed the work.
The bonus I guess is that if your're a fan of Jennifer Love Hewitt as I am she's in this movie and her role though minor is good, and hey she's kinda hot you know so that's a bonus.
I can't really fault the film and yes there's an awful lot of bad reviews around about it but I think it's well worth the 6/10 I gave it.
It's a fun film for everyone, without being too over sentimental or sugar filled. I was surprised to see Jennifer Tilly in this as I felt it too lightweight for her, but there you go guess she needed the work.
Cut little comedy
White Dolphin16 October 2000
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.
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.
It's unlikely that the events in 'House Arrest' would ever happen, but the film is still frothy and fun...
Extraordinary_Machine29 April 2005
House Arrest
Two kids are shocked when their parents announce that they are separating. As a last resort, the siblings decide to lock them in the basement and not let them out until their marital problems are solved. However, the friends of the children soon find out about what they are up to, and force their parents into the basement as well. Will the group of couples be able to sort out their relationships, or is this just one really bad plan gone wrong?
Okay, first of all, it's unlikely that the events in 'House Arrest' would ever happen, but the film is still frothy and fun. Even though some of the acting is highly irritating, the children (apart from the main guy) are very funny, as is Jamie Lee Curtis. While everything about the film is far too predictable and safe (even for a family film), there's an energy about the production that is impossible to resist. A guilty pleasure.
~ 6/10 ~
Two kids are shocked when their parents announce that they are separating. As a last resort, the siblings decide to lock them in the basement and not let them out until their marital problems are solved. However, the friends of the children soon find out about what they are up to, and force their parents into the basement as well. Will the group of couples be able to sort out their relationships, or is this just one really bad plan gone wrong?
Okay, first of all, it's unlikely that the events in 'House Arrest' would ever happen, but the film is still frothy and fun. Even though some of the acting is highly irritating, the children (apart from the main guy) are very funny, as is Jamie Lee Curtis. While everything about the film is far too predictable and safe (even for a family film), there's an energy about the production that is impossible to resist. A guilty pleasure.
~ 6/10 ~
fun with a hint of lessons to parents
leandros28 March 1999
The title suits well to this light and sometimes touchy comedy. It was thoroughly fun to watch, and scattered with bits and pieces of advice to parents from their offspring. The cast is precisely picked, and the kids are great. A perfect Sunday night movie.
Utterly terrible.
LW-0885424 December 2023
A really poor film. The boy at the start is instantly annoying as he smugly introduces himself and the plot. The music is whimsical and forced. It's sad to see there's some good actors in this but the material is awful. On a technical level it's not well made either. It's very bad, actors look at the camera, it's packed with stereotypes, the story is surreal, the humour is slapstick, the narrative is absurd and it somehow manages to get worse as it goes on. I was watching through my hands at times and couldn't believe it at one point to find out there was still another 45 minutes to go. There's so much padding, the scene of them all exiting the house is so slow and badly edited. If you want a proper film about some troubled kids and their problems then I'd instead recommend checking out the excellent Breakfast Club. Even Stand By Me and IT has a far better story about a group of kids banding together to set things right.
A fun ride, from beginning to end.
MovieFan98326 February 1999
ALL of these characters should be in lockdown, and not in any basement
DJBlackSwan16 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
These people's awful kids included.
Just to be clear on where I'm coming from, I booed when Janet and Ned sucked face at the end. And that stupid, stupidstupidstupid Brooke-Grover cliché, come on.
I hate movies set in the suburbs because I despise the suburbs. I hate movies about screeching, arguing, suburban married people who hate each other, because I hate screeching suburban married conventionalist dumbasses who hate each other. House Arrest was a 90 minute reminder of why I don't understand and ultimately don't care why these types of people marry each other, and hope they ALL get divorced and give the world some much needed peace.
So I guess we're back to Carmenjonze's First Law of Unwatchable Movies...a telling overabundance of violins, flutes and pianos in the score was the first and enduring indicator of just how bad House Arrest is going to get. The fact that it oh-so-self-consciously opens with Captain and Tenille's "Love Will Keep Us Together" -- and KEEPS PLAYING IT EVEN AFTER THAT STUPID KEY MODULATION -- is the final straw, and that's only about 4 minutes in.
Happily, I love JLC and Jennifer Tilly (who had the only interesting part in the entire flick), as well as Wallace Shawn. But what was Wallace Shawn doing in this movie?? Bad concept, bad script, bad acting, bad characters, bad, bad, bad people raising more brats to perpetuate the badness of the suburbs.
I wish they would have just f'n gotten divorced already. Then, we all could have sidestepped this exercise in vicarious misery, altogether. The ONLY thing that merited even a "1" was JLC doing a silly hula over the credits. Well, give it perhaps a 1 and a half. The relief brought by seeing the credits alone made this cranky critic very, very happy.
Alright, a very begrudging 2. Jennifer Love Hewitt's singing voice on" It's Good to Know That I'm Alive" sounds sufficiently like the fantastic Maria McKee of Lone Justice to make me look. Who knew? Right on. I guess.
Just to be clear on where I'm coming from, I booed when Janet and Ned sucked face at the end. And that stupid, stupidstupidstupid Brooke-Grover cliché, come on.
I hate movies set in the suburbs because I despise the suburbs. I hate movies about screeching, arguing, suburban married people who hate each other, because I hate screeching suburban married conventionalist dumbasses who hate each other. House Arrest was a 90 minute reminder of why I don't understand and ultimately don't care why these types of people marry each other, and hope they ALL get divorced and give the world some much needed peace.
So I guess we're back to Carmenjonze's First Law of Unwatchable Movies...a telling overabundance of violins, flutes and pianos in the score was the first and enduring indicator of just how bad House Arrest is going to get. The fact that it oh-so-self-consciously opens with Captain and Tenille's "Love Will Keep Us Together" -- and KEEPS PLAYING IT EVEN AFTER THAT STUPID KEY MODULATION -- is the final straw, and that's only about 4 minutes in.
Happily, I love JLC and Jennifer Tilly (who had the only interesting part in the entire flick), as well as Wallace Shawn. But what was Wallace Shawn doing in this movie?? Bad concept, bad script, bad acting, bad characters, bad, bad, bad people raising more brats to perpetuate the badness of the suburbs.
I wish they would have just f'n gotten divorced already. Then, we all could have sidestepped this exercise in vicarious misery, altogether. The ONLY thing that merited even a "1" was JLC doing a silly hula over the credits. Well, give it perhaps a 1 and a half. The relief brought by seeing the credits alone made this cranky critic very, very happy.
Alright, a very begrudging 2. Jennifer Love Hewitt's singing voice on" It's Good to Know That I'm Alive" sounds sufficiently like the fantastic Maria McKee of Lone Justice to make me look. Who knew? Right on. I guess.
Back in the days when the family unit was precious
HotToastyRag17 July 2022
While part of this movie is very funny, the premise is actually quite sad. It's also quite dated, since the term "broken home" expired in the millennium, and no one with divorced parents thinks there's anything wrong with it. But movies in the 1990s like Mrs. Doubtfire and House Arrest understood that "broken home" was an apt term for the situation. The security and trust that children were supposed to feel was broken, and unless there was terrible physical abuse or substance abuse, most children wished their parents would get back together.
In this "kiddy" movie (which really isn't a movie for children unless they're going through the same situation and need actors to give them catharsis), parents Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Pollack have a bad marriage. They can't stop fighting, and their children Kyle Howard and Amy Sakasitz are afraid divorce is right around the corner. Rather than act the way 2020s children act and shrug their shoulders before discussing their iPhones and social media status updates, Kyle and Amy actually care about preserving their family unit. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and they lock their parents in the basement and refuse to let them out until they've made up. When their friends find out what they're up to, they start to think their own parents could benefit from a little kidnapping and hostage too!
In essence, it's sweet, but it's definitely a time capsule. I remember watching Mrs. Doubtfire all the time as a kid and laughing myself silly, but as an adult, all I could take from it was the intense sadness from the dissolving marriage. This one's definitely lighter, though, so you probably won't have to bring your Kleenexes.
In this "kiddy" movie (which really isn't a movie for children unless they're going through the same situation and need actors to give them catharsis), parents Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Pollack have a bad marriage. They can't stop fighting, and their children Kyle Howard and Amy Sakasitz are afraid divorce is right around the corner. Rather than act the way 2020s children act and shrug their shoulders before discussing their iPhones and social media status updates, Kyle and Amy actually care about preserving their family unit. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and they lock their parents in the basement and refuse to let them out until they've made up. When their friends find out what they're up to, they start to think their own parents could benefit from a little kidnapping and hostage too!
In essence, it's sweet, but it's definitely a time capsule. I remember watching Mrs. Doubtfire all the time as a kid and laughing myself silly, but as an adult, all I could take from it was the intense sadness from the dissolving marriage. This one's definitely lighter, though, so you probably won't have to bring your Kleenexes.
Ask yourself a few questions during watching?
j-w-andrews8 November 2005
The Calibre of the actors is not in question but what they did with the material was nothing short of a miracle. As Actors you have to make a living so please don't blame them, although I would say that the one that didn't fit was kevin pollack. He gave no reason for us to either empathise or sympathise with his character. Jennifer Tilly stole the show in this instance but I will have to admit Her daughter played by Jennifer Love Hewitt showed signs that her acting ability in comedic roles suits her better than he more serious roles she has been given. Admittedly she doesn't have a gutsy enough part for the film. In fact the characters were all too shallow to be taken seriously in any respect although the storyline was entertaining there is no real depth to it. The film needed more background to each of the families involved to succeed. As it happened the only redemption was Jenifer Tilly whom not seen until almost all the parents were kidnapped, made the best of a bad situation and became a catalyst for the the other characters to play off of. Verdict: Most of the actors made the best of a bad script. But not a bad film I felt the Director could have done better.
Pure Kids Stuff...But So Much Fun
zkonedog11 March 2017
I'll mince no words about "House Arrest": it is pure kiddie fare. The plot is ridiculous, the acting is outrageous, and the characters are overly colorful. Yet, the whole film is just plain fun!
For a basic plot summary, "House Arrest" sees young Grover Beindorf (Kyle Howard) lock his nearing-divorce parents (Jamie Lee Curtis & Kevin Pollak) in the basement in hopes of seeing them work out their problems. Predictably, insanity ensues and pretty soon three other "parental units" are trapped as well.
From beginning to end, the sight gags and goofy humor abound. The parents "down below" scheme to escape and bicker amongst themselves, the kids "above" struggle with their newfound freedom, and all the while a comically nosy neighbor tries to put the pieces together.
What always charms me about this movie is how it espouses such a great message at its core: kids just wanting their parents to get along. Incredibly sappy, for sure, but also innocent and sweet. Besides that, the auxiliary cast (especially Jennifer Tilly, Christopher McDonald, & Wallace "Rex from Toy Story" Shawn) really drives the humorous moments with their wacky antics and predicaments. Oh yeah, and a young Jennifer Love Hewitt will be every young boy's fantasy after watching this movie (!).
Thus, "House Arrest" may be cornball through and through, but director Harry Winer makes no bones about it and embraces the zany hilarity. Show this to your children and try to remember being a kid yourself!
For a basic plot summary, "House Arrest" sees young Grover Beindorf (Kyle Howard) lock his nearing-divorce parents (Jamie Lee Curtis & Kevin Pollak) in the basement in hopes of seeing them work out their problems. Predictably, insanity ensues and pretty soon three other "parental units" are trapped as well.
From beginning to end, the sight gags and goofy humor abound. The parents "down below" scheme to escape and bicker amongst themselves, the kids "above" struggle with their newfound freedom, and all the while a comically nosy neighbor tries to put the pieces together.
What always charms me about this movie is how it espouses such a great message at its core: kids just wanting their parents to get along. Incredibly sappy, for sure, but also innocent and sweet. Besides that, the auxiliary cast (especially Jennifer Tilly, Christopher McDonald, & Wallace "Rex from Toy Story" Shawn) really drives the humorous moments with their wacky antics and predicaments. Oh yeah, and a young Jennifer Love Hewitt will be every young boy's fantasy after watching this movie (!).
Thus, "House Arrest" may be cornball through and through, but director Harry Winer makes no bones about it and embraces the zany hilarity. Show this to your children and try to remember being a kid yourself!
Arrested Script Development
NoDakTatum6 October 2023
As happens often, a perfectly good story idea is twisted and ruined by many hands until it is released as a film that may not remotely resemble what the original writer intended. Usually, a sign of this many-hands-in-one-pot school of film making is a screenplay credit that reads like a batting roster. "House Arrest" is strange, in that only one person takes the writing credit, and maybe the blame. Grover (Kyle Howard) is a nice-guy junior high schooler who lives with little sister Stacy (Amy Sakasitz) and their parents, Janet (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Ned (Kevin Pollak). On the occasion of his parents' eighteenth wedding anniversary, the couple announces they are separating. Grover will have none of it, and after best friend Matt (Mooky Arizona) casually comments that Grover ought to lock Mom and Dad in a closet until they sort everything out, Grover decides imprisoning them in the basement is the next best thing. Grover has thought of everything to prevent their escape, pouring cement in the window wells and nailing the only door shut. He lets slip his deed at school to Matt, who decides his oft-married father Vic (Wallace Shawn) and his stepmom Louise (Caroline Aaron) also need some locked-away therapy. Also overhearing the pair is bully T. J. (Russel Harper), whose jerk lawyer dad Donald (Christopher McDonald) is cheating on meek mom Gwenna (Sheila McCarthy). The duo bring their parents over under the guise of a sociology class experiment and lock them in the basement, too. Along with Matt's bratty younger brothers (Alex Seitz and Josh Wolford), the children now run wild in the household as the parents argue and try to escape from downstairs.
It's not a bad little idea. Turning the tables on the parents, and treating them like childish, mental deficients is funny. How many of us were grounded growing up, wishing the same on the parents? How would they like it? The kids use the parenting skills against the parents, yelling back at them and punishing them when they misbehave. Writer Michael Hitchcock really touches on something here, but something is lost in the translation to the screen. One problem is the other subplots, all of which are completely unnecessary. Jennifer Love Hewitt is Brooke, Grover's love interest who brings over her immature "cool" mom Cindy (Jennifer Tilly). That is one kid and one parent too many. Across the street from Grover's house, retired police chief Rocco (Ray Walston) watches, calling his old police force out whenever he sees something suspicious. Again, it doesn't fit and isn't funny. Throw in what can only be described as cameos by Ben Stein, Colleen Camp, and Shelley Hack, and things take a downturn. I do not think Stein and Camp were supposed to be cameos, I suspect their screen time was sheared to the point that they ended up that way. With the story, you expect either a smart suburban satire, or bumbling dumbness with slapstick shenanigans. With "House Arrest," you get both, and the serious and slapstick tones wrestle with each other for the entire movie. We make progress when Ned and Janet realize they take each other and their children for granted, only to later have Jamie Lee Curtis fall down a rat infested laundry chute and bounce off a tiny trampoline in slow motion. The cast is okay. The kids are all very good, and Kyle Howard holds the film together. The parents are a little worse off- Shawn and Tilly have played their exact same characters before. Christopher McDonald is usually the underrated gem in his work, but he is too over-the-top and mean here. The pacing is all fits and starts, and the running time is too long as this comes in at ten minutes short of two hours. Director Winer has done a lot of television work, which makes the meandering long plot curious. "House Arrest" might have gone the high road, making a funny comment about the state of matrimony in suburban America- the film is set in Ohio, or could have taken the low road- full of bonking heads, smart-alec kids, and stupid adults. It goes for the middle territory, and so does my rating.
It's not a bad little idea. Turning the tables on the parents, and treating them like childish, mental deficients is funny. How many of us were grounded growing up, wishing the same on the parents? How would they like it? The kids use the parenting skills against the parents, yelling back at them and punishing them when they misbehave. Writer Michael Hitchcock really touches on something here, but something is lost in the translation to the screen. One problem is the other subplots, all of which are completely unnecessary. Jennifer Love Hewitt is Brooke, Grover's love interest who brings over her immature "cool" mom Cindy (Jennifer Tilly). That is one kid and one parent too many. Across the street from Grover's house, retired police chief Rocco (Ray Walston) watches, calling his old police force out whenever he sees something suspicious. Again, it doesn't fit and isn't funny. Throw in what can only be described as cameos by Ben Stein, Colleen Camp, and Shelley Hack, and things take a downturn. I do not think Stein and Camp were supposed to be cameos, I suspect their screen time was sheared to the point that they ended up that way. With the story, you expect either a smart suburban satire, or bumbling dumbness with slapstick shenanigans. With "House Arrest," you get both, and the serious and slapstick tones wrestle with each other for the entire movie. We make progress when Ned and Janet realize they take each other and their children for granted, only to later have Jamie Lee Curtis fall down a rat infested laundry chute and bounce off a tiny trampoline in slow motion. The cast is okay. The kids are all very good, and Kyle Howard holds the film together. The parents are a little worse off- Shawn and Tilly have played their exact same characters before. Christopher McDonald is usually the underrated gem in his work, but he is too over-the-top and mean here. The pacing is all fits and starts, and the running time is too long as this comes in at ten minutes short of two hours. Director Winer has done a lot of television work, which makes the meandering long plot curious. "House Arrest" might have gone the high road, making a funny comment about the state of matrimony in suburban America- the film is set in Ohio, or could have taken the low road- full of bonking heads, smart-alec kids, and stupid adults. It goes for the middle territory, and so does my rating.
Worst Movie I have Ever Seen
cbrown-330 July 2001
This has to be the worst movie i have ever seen. The plot sucked no kid would ever do this. It wasn't funny the jokes sucked. I couldn't believe that anyone would have ever thought up this movie. The acting was just terrible. The only bright spot was Jennifer Love Hewitt she could act much in this movie either. I give this move 1 star out of 10 and 2 thumbs down. I DON'T i repeat I DON'T recommend it.
good actors make it worthwhile
Special-K8825 November 2002
In the suburbs of Defiance, Ohio a sensitive and idealistic teenage boy is so shocked and distraught to learn that his parents are getting separated that he recruits his younger sister to help lock them in the basement in the desperate hope that they'll actually talk out their problems and come to a rational solution. It starts out as a good idea, until his friends bring over their parents and lock them into the basement as well. Film's premise is far-fetched and protracted, to be sure, but it benefits from a talented cast (especially Howard), believable characters, and a good sense of family values. Not easy to take seriously, but meaningful and really not bad for what it is. **½
House Arrest for the Filmmakers.
anaconda-406583 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
House Arrest (1996): Dir: Harry Winer / Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Pollack, Jennifer Tilly, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ray Walston: Pathetic excuse for a comedy let alone family entertainment. Two children lock their bickering parents in the basement to work out their marriage problems but when word gets around, more parents are brought to the same basement. While the parents continue to bicker, the kids wreck the house and invade the liquor cabinet. Why is this suppose to be funny? The children are in deep hurt and director Harry Winer seems to indicate that viewers will be humored by it. Story is predictable and it praises the deviance in the conclusion. Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Pollack are at the mercy of bad writing. The yell and blame at each other but will get back together in the conclusion because the screenwriter prefers happy endings as oppose to realistic ones. Jennifer Tilly plays a drunken idiot whose daughter, played by Jennifer Love Hewitt whines about it. They are the kind of mother daughter combo usually separated in the court system because responsibility is not amongst their code of ethics. Ray Walston plays a spying neighbor who is likely hiding out on his agent for having him cast in this junk. Instead of the damage of parental separation it advertises lewd behavior. It should be locked in a basement and never seen again. Score: 0 / 10
A Wonderful Family Movie!
Darkest_Rose25 May 2003
After Grover(Kyle Howard) and his younger sister Stacy(Amy Sakasitz) find out that their parents, Janet(Jamie Lee Curtis)and Ned Beindorf(Kevin Pollak) are getting separated and maybe divorced they decide to lock them in the basement so that they can figure things out. But during school, Grover tells his friend Matt(Mooky Arizona)what he did to his parents and the school bully T.J.(Russel Harper)hears them and decides to lock his parents in Grover's basement too, along with Matt's parents and Brooke's mother too. Brooke is played by Jennifer Love Hewitt and she plays a popular girl in school on who Grover has a big crush on. I thought this was a wonderful family movie. It was very funny and I think it can be enjoyed by both kids and adults. All the actors do a good job and it's just a very entertaining movie. A lot of people have complained and said that this movie was very unrealistic and things like that would never happen in real life but c'mon, what movie is really realistic and things that happen in movies usually don't happen in real life but you should enjoy movies such as these while you still can. Anyways, I would give House Arrest 9/10.
One of my childhood favorites and still love this movie so much!
UniqueParticle21 August 2019
Everything about this is heartwarming even the stuff that isn't, plus I relate to it in a massive way cause my parents got divorced at a young age, for me anyway this is such a feel good movie! I love every single cast member and the story - so much fun! The acting is superb too so is the soundtrack!
Its Good
smithstrouble4 February 2007
No matter how you beat around the bush this movie is still a good movie. Even though at times it can be sappy, like when Grover has his temper tantrum (which was absolutely funny) its still cute. My favorite part would have to be when the parents are dancing, it was so cute. But then you want to wonder what was going on with Mark's folks I mean at one point I was trying to understand why they were looking like they had sex the that night. When TJ started playing " Its Not Unusual" you see their heads pop out. Why would they be having sex when other people were around, thats kind of weird. Another thing it was kind of grimy how the fist thing that Mrs. Beindorf notices about her husband is his car. what was up with the nosy behind neighbor? These scenes really made you really want to go "hmmmmmm"? I love the part when Mr. Beindorf tells his wife that Mr. Krump would be his attorney. Krump looks at the wife and turns to Beindorf and say " I can get you the house, but kids might be a problem" All in all this movie is still good.
Underrated Film
ZachDVD4 September 1999
A lot of critics really hated this film, I don't know why. The concept- About a group of friends who's parents have martial troubles and lock their parents in a basement, sounds stupid at first, but it's funny, true and teaches the all important factor how children should listen to their kids and their feelings. If this movie has turned you off, please give it a second chance, it's actually a very good film.
It's a kids movie, people!
erisynne3 January 2002
Frankly I don't understand why people like to say "this wouldn't happen in real life" to put down a movie. If all we saw movies about were things that happened, it would be very dull indeed. Imagine it: "Harry Goes To The Mailbox, Discovers Bills!" But I digress. For a kid's movie, especially one that never made it to the silver screen as another commenter noted, I think House Arrest is quite good. It's cute, it's warmfuzzy, pretty funny at times (if you can pretend to be the 8-year-old that you once were); it has well-spoken kids and an emotional message and plot, unlike a lot of trash that poses as good family entertainment (read: Home > Alone! Spy Kids!). To put it bluntly, it's good, wholesome entertainment and if you have kids you won't find it a mental sacrifice to watch it with them. If I ever have kids, I will put this on my shelf.
House Arrrrrrest!
spotlight12424 December 2005
House Arrest is one of the only movies I can remember from when I was younger. The thing that stands out most in my mind is the songs (soundtrack). It really complimented the story, which was very funny and thoughtful, and made the whole experience worthwhile. The main character, Grover, is a picturesque hero... always trying so hard to do what he thinks is right, and not always successful. Grover's parents and little sister are people that I think a majority of us viewers can relate to. Every family has problems, and the way that those problems are addressed in this movie is unique and memorable. All of the quirky characters really make this movie a delightful experience. I would recommend it to anyone, its a wholesome good time.
Jamie Lee at her best
rob-17718 January 1999
Now this movie was a good one seeing as though it did not reach the big screen. Jamie Lee Curtis leads an all star cast in this hilarious comedy about love, Hope and a little bit of luck.
House arrest a must see holiday flick.
House arrest a must see holiday flick.
This isn't that bad of a movie
Mattswife971 September 2002
Ok, I know this isn't the greatest movie but it is a good movie if you are from the younger generation. It's about some kids who are frustrated at their parents for fighting all the time. They lock them up in their basement. At school some bullies overheard Grover talking to his friend about what he did and he wants part of it. I liked the actors and the acting all together.
A tempting story for kids.
vertigo_141 June 2004
I loved House Arrest as a kid. The idea of a bunch of kids being able to lock their parents in the basement and party till they die is one thing that crosses a kid's mind every now and then.
Kyle Howard and Amy Sakasitz are Grover and Stacey Beindorf, two kids who have just been told by their parents (Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Pollak) that they're getting a divorce. Like most kids, the Grover and Stacey don't want their parents to separate, and can't understand why they can't just try to work things out. So, they come up with a new kind of anarchist therapy--they decide to lock their parents in the basement and force them to work out their problems.
A plan like that is pretty incredible, especially when some of Grover's friends get wind of it and decide to add their parents to the mix. And they don't get along too well. Grover's bully-turned-buddy, TJ Krupp, doesn't get along well with his father (Christopher McDonald) a loud mouth obnoxious attorney who cheats on his timid wife. Mr. Krupp consistently berates those around him, even while the parents are in their brief moments of enjoying themselves in the basement. Brooke's (Jennifer Love Hewitt) trying to reform her mom (Jennifer Tilly) so that she won't keep acting like a teenager. And Matt (Mooky Arizona) is using preventative therapy because his dad (Wallace Shawn), who has been divorced twice before on the second anniversary of each marriage, is coming up on his second year again. And, Beindorf's parents just can't seem to talk out their problems without getting into a fight.
While the parents are stuck downstairs in a cleverly assembled cage (sort of), the kids take advantage of their independence. A house party, a dinner party, etc, until Grover sees that things are getting out of control and their losing sight of their objective--to get the parents to fix their problems. They eventually wise up, and behave like adults, in a well-meaning, but wholly naive way to get the parents to sort things out.
The funniest moments arise when Roy Walston shows up as the former police chief and nosey next door neighbor. He suspects something's up at the Beindorf house, and the kids find themselves going to great lengths after a while trying to keep their therapy plans a secret. Russell Harper as the wild and crazy TJ is also a load of laughs, because once the bully, the other kids aren't sure how to behave around one another. Also, too, the kids start to confront their own problems with each other, which are normal problems that arise in the High School caste system. Grover, for example, likes Brooke but never admits to her how he feels. TJ accuses Brooke of being an obnoxious princess who never paid much attention to anyone considered below her status as the "Ice Queen." And so forth. And finally, whenever Christopher MacDonald blows his top as the irritable Mr. Krupp, you get some pretty funny sequences. There's just so much of Mr. Krupp one can take without acting out violently (but kid-safe violence...after all, it's a family movie).
It's a pretty good movie for kids. They'll likely enjoy the cast, though older ones could be old enough to appreciate the family problems that arise.
Kyle Howard and Amy Sakasitz are Grover and Stacey Beindorf, two kids who have just been told by their parents (Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Pollak) that they're getting a divorce. Like most kids, the Grover and Stacey don't want their parents to separate, and can't understand why they can't just try to work things out. So, they come up with a new kind of anarchist therapy--they decide to lock their parents in the basement and force them to work out their problems.
A plan like that is pretty incredible, especially when some of Grover's friends get wind of it and decide to add their parents to the mix. And they don't get along too well. Grover's bully-turned-buddy, TJ Krupp, doesn't get along well with his father (Christopher McDonald) a loud mouth obnoxious attorney who cheats on his timid wife. Mr. Krupp consistently berates those around him, even while the parents are in their brief moments of enjoying themselves in the basement. Brooke's (Jennifer Love Hewitt) trying to reform her mom (Jennifer Tilly) so that she won't keep acting like a teenager. And Matt (Mooky Arizona) is using preventative therapy because his dad (Wallace Shawn), who has been divorced twice before on the second anniversary of each marriage, is coming up on his second year again. And, Beindorf's parents just can't seem to talk out their problems without getting into a fight.
While the parents are stuck downstairs in a cleverly assembled cage (sort of), the kids take advantage of their independence. A house party, a dinner party, etc, until Grover sees that things are getting out of control and their losing sight of their objective--to get the parents to fix their problems. They eventually wise up, and behave like adults, in a well-meaning, but wholly naive way to get the parents to sort things out.
The funniest moments arise when Roy Walston shows up as the former police chief and nosey next door neighbor. He suspects something's up at the Beindorf house, and the kids find themselves going to great lengths after a while trying to keep their therapy plans a secret. Russell Harper as the wild and crazy TJ is also a load of laughs, because once the bully, the other kids aren't sure how to behave around one another. Also, too, the kids start to confront their own problems with each other, which are normal problems that arise in the High School caste system. Grover, for example, likes Brooke but never admits to her how he feels. TJ accuses Brooke of being an obnoxious princess who never paid much attention to anyone considered below her status as the "Ice Queen." And so forth. And finally, whenever Christopher MacDonald blows his top as the irritable Mr. Krupp, you get some pretty funny sequences. There's just so much of Mr. Krupp one can take without acting out violently (but kid-safe violence...after all, it's a family movie).
It's a pretty good movie for kids. They'll likely enjoy the cast, though older ones could be old enough to appreciate the family problems that arise.
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