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House Arrest

Play trailer Poster for House Arrest PG 1996 1h 48m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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10% Tomatometer 30 Reviews 45% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
When Janet Beindorf (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her husband, Ned (Kevin Pollak), announce their separation, their two kids decide to lock them in the basement of their home until they sort things out. Soon other parents are getting the same treatment from their children, including the divorce-happy Vic Finley (Wallace Shawn), with all the adults confined to the Beindorfs' basement along with Janet and Ned. Unable to escape their prison, will the parents finally make some changes in their lives?
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House Arrest

House Arrest

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Critics Consensus

Constructed out of cliches, thinly written characters, and fundamental misunderstandings of human nature, House Arrest is a dull (and borderline irresponsible) waste of a talented cast.

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Critics Reviews

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Erin Richter Entertainment Weekly 06/14/2013
D-
[A] predictable and sugarcoated (even criminally negligent) take on The Parent Trap. Go to Full Review Jeff Shannon Seattle Times 06/14/2013
1.5/4
To the slim degree that it qualifies as a comedy, House Arrest is a comedy with rank amateur pathos, and it's totally out of touch with its own superficially treated emotions. Go to Full Review Steven Rea Philadelphia Inquirer 05/29/2013
2/4
A headache of a movie with a Parent Trap premise that quickly devolves into clamorous farce. Go to Full Review Dennis King Tulsa World 07/26/2014
1.5/4
Borrowing liberally from both The Parent Trap' and The Great Escape, this misguided attempt at family farce rests on a couple of incompatible premises -- romantic matchmaking and imprisoned dispair. Go to Full Review People Magazine 07/26/2014
When you scrape through the bottom of the comedy barrel and root around underneath it, this tedious morsel of drivel is what you will find. Go to Full Review John Ferguson Radio Times 07/26/2014
3/5
The performances of both adults and youngsters are uniformly strong and, despite the occasional invasion of sentimentality, this makes for thoughtful entertainment. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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thiago s @Thiagostone Sep 19 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more sammy s @RT59484429 12/30/2023 One of my favorite movies! See more steve d @RT35616104 07/07/2020 A ridiculous idea that's cast is somehow able to sell. See more 09/14/2019 Great coming of age movie from the 90s. Cool to see these actors nearly 30 years younger. See more 07/24/2017 Love this movie! #90kid See more 12/24/2014 House Arrest is without a lie the worst comedy film ever. This movie is not funny to watch. The movie was mean-spirited, and the jokes were terrible. See more Read all reviews
House Arrest

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Cast & Crew

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Harry Winer

Director

Jamie Lee Curtis

Janet Beindorf

Kevin Pollak

Ned Beindorf

Jennifer Tilly

Cindy Figler

Christopher McDonald

Donald Krupp

Sheila McCarthy

Gwenna Krupp

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House Arrest

House Arrest (1996) House Arrest (1996) House Arrest (1996) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis When Janet Beindorf (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her husband, Ned (Kevin Pollak), announce their separation, their two kids decide to lock them in the basement of their home until they sort things out. Soon other parents are getting the same treatment from their children, including the divorce-happy Vic Finley (Wallace Shawn), with all the adults confined to the Beindorfs' basement along with Janet and Ned. Unable to escape their prison, will the parents finally make some changes in their lives?
Director
Harry Winer
Producer
Judith A. Polone, Harry Winer
Screenwriter
Michael Hitchcock
Production Co
Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Home Box Office (HBO), Rysher Entertainment
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 14, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$7.0M
Runtime
1h 48m
Sound Mix
Surround