Kid... napping !

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.

'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.

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.

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.

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