Morgan räumt auf

First of all, I love this movie. I know the film didn't do well in theaters, and that it had all sorts of trouble behind the scenes, and critics bash it every chance they get. But, I simply don't care... I love it, from start to finish. Jon Cryer is great. And, if you agree with me on this, then you will enjoy this film. If not... then, most likely, you won't enjoy this film. It's that simple.

I grew up watching this film countless times, as I identified not only with Cryer, but also with his character, Morgan. Growing up, I was "Morbid Morgan", and still am. Along with Cryer's other films, "NO SMALL AFFAIR", "PRETTY IN PINK" and the extremely underrated "HIDING OUT", this one ranks as one my favorites.

Also, I am getting pretty tired of the accusations that this film was made to cash in on "FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF", as the two are nothing alike, and this particular film, although it was released in 1987, was shot in 1985, a full year before the latter film's release. So there.

I appeared in this movie as an extra, along with a number of my college friends.

It was primarily filmed in and near Charlottesville, VA (I'm guessing it was the spring of 1986) and a bunch of the extras were U.Va. students like myself.

I got a check for $50 and also got to chat with (and appear on screen with) Cryer for a bit. He actually was a really nice guy.

I think the mall scenes were filmed at the beautiful Fashion Square Mall north of Charlottesville.

But note I said I got a check for $50 -- I didn't get PAID the $50 because the bastards bounced my check.

After all these years, I'm still bitter. :)

I keep seeing this film compared to Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and I don't see why. The plots have nothing in common, and the characters are not at all similar. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is about a very cool and clever kid who fools his parents into thinking he is sick, and goes on an adventure in the city. Morgan Stewart's Coming Home is more of a family story. A not so cool kid (Cryer) who was shipped off to boarding school at a young age is brought home to help with his fathers campaign to be elected to the senate and tries to win the affection of his very cold mother and dim-witted father. So why are these two films compared to one another? I see some of the comparison comes from the idea that this film was sold to the public as a Bueller-esque film, but it wasn't. I remember the commercials for this film from way back in the day, and they in no way tried to capitalize on the success of Ferris Bueller. This film is it's own film, as good or bad as it may be. It isn't a Ferris Bueller rip off. Morgan Stewart's Coming Home has it's moments, but it is more suited to a younger audience.

This is simply an average (and sometimes hilarious) teen comedy that would probably be most appreciated by Jon Cryer fans.

Jon Cryer is Morgan Stewart, a funny guy with a love for classic horror movies. It's Thanksgiving break and once again, his parents, who have never really been around much, have let him down by calling to let him know that they've made other plans for the holiday. So, it's great news to Morgan that he's been invited home a few weeks later following a big prank. The invitation home isn't because he has been expelled or because he should expect to be in some serious trouble as it seems that his parents have totally ignored the incident altogether. In fact, his father's campaign manager (Paul Gleason), Jay Soto, recommended that spending time with Morgan, would raise interest in his father's Senatorial campaign.

But, Morgan finds that despite being home with his parents, they just can't seem to understand him, like when his mother thought all of his classic horror collection was pornography and tossed it in the trash or told him to stop trying to clean the house because it would give the appearance that they were poor. Morgan has even more difficulty when he meets a great girl with all the same interests as he has (she reminds me of the character Anna on "The O.C."). Then his parent's misconceptions cause trouble even there.

But the real story begins not with Morgan's difficulty in trying to get through to his oblivious parents, but when he catches on to a scandal involving his father's campaign manager attempt to steal from his family. Now, it's up to Morgan (with the help of his girlfriend) to either get his parents to wake up and look at what's going on or fix things for himself.

It delivers a few good laughs because Morgan's parents (Lynne Redgrave and Nicholas Pryor) are so out of touch. Plus, the scenes between Morgan and his girlfriend, Emily, are cute, too. But, I think the film can best be appreciated by fans of Jon Cryer.

' Morgan Stewart's Coming Home ' is great fun, a delightful 80's teen comedy unduly criticized because of it being credited to pseudonym Alan Smithee and not co-directors Paul Aaron and Terry Winsor. Infact it is an incredibly funny, sharply scripted Washington-based tale of a young man's attempts to seek the attention of strangers, his always far too busy parents Tom and Nancy - Tom is running for the U.S. senate and Nancy is the driving force behind Tom's campaign. Morgan is misguided in bringing his family closer together, relying on reruns of tv's ' The Brady Bunch ' but gains a true friend in fellow horror movie fan Emily, the two stumbling upon a plot to bring down his father! Jon Cryer and Viveka Davis are immensely likeable as the movie's teenage leads and they are wonderfully supported by the likes of Lynn Redgrave, Nicholas Pryor and Paul Gleason. Full of terrific one liners and crazy characters, it is a movie that can be watched time and time again.