At Home with the Webbers

This movie was dark, quirky and sexy. Way better than The Truman Show or EDtv. And judging by the date in the credits - it was made several years before either of the other movies. Looks like the "big guys" ripped this little flick off.

Unforgettably bad from the first frame to the last. Utterly uncinematic, wholly uninspired dialogue, and no discernable plot development. Both David Arquette and Jeffrey Tambor seem to have been labotomized. And Jennifer Tilly, try though she might, sinks under the weight of her severely underdeveloped character. For a film that attempts to satirize the superficiality of media culture, this mess comes off more shallow and empty than any reality show currently plaguing the airwaves. Though it clocks in at about 100 minutes, this excruciatingly boring film drags on for what seems like an eternity. Run, don't walk, from this dreck.

I could listen to Jennifer Tilly's voice until the Sun became a red giant. I don't know if this movie has become a Midnight Movie cult classic anywhere, but it deserves to be for her solo song/dance. I rarely laugh outloud viewing a video alone. I did on frequent occasions for this flick. Jeff Tambor's silent takes..so classic. Robby Benson was repulsively vile as the rep of mindless media intrusion. I'd not heard anything about the movie and just picked it up at the library because of J.T. Now I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a quick elevator out of the dumps.

Pre-dating the whole reality TV craze, "The Webbers" is about "an average American family" who agree to have their daily life broadcast on TV. Dad's a psychiatrist lacking patients; mom's a sad and horny housewife; son's isolated himself from the world after the death of his beloved girlfriend; and daughter's an aspiring sculptor obsessed with male nudes.

The film is hit-and-miss from start to finish, but when it hits the mark, it's a bullseye. Fans of Jeffrey Tambor in "Arrested Development" would probably get a kick out of his warped character here; fans of David Arquette would probably enjoy his sensitive portrayal. Jennifer Tilly, however, devours the scenery at every opportunity, in a portrayal that's hilarious and far more three-dimensional than the standard airhead bimbo that she always gets stuck playing (she even gets to sing a fun little song here!) – she's still an airhead and a bimbo, but it's a really juicy role. Robbie Benson also gives a memorably campy performance as a lecherous TV exec who tries to pit members of the family against each other to sustain high ratings.

It's a shame that this one went straight to video where it remains unnoticed all these years later. It's uneven, but has some fantastic moments, and it's a worthwhile time waster for fans of the cast, as well as those who are annoyed by reality TV.

This movie is sarcastic yet good-hearted. It sticks it to the bad reality TV guys and has the nice guys come out alright in the end. Jeffrey Tambor is brilliant as the father. Rita Taggart as the mom. The children are well played as well. Leslie Sachs deserves special mention for a sensitive and endearing turn. Made in 1993 this movie is more relevant now than it was then. Then it was a (unheeded) warning and now it's a rueful look at the moronic new millennium.