Der Hausfreund (1995)
44KDer Hausfreund: Directed by Randall Miller. With Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Kim Greist, Kim Murphy. In hot water with the mob over an unpaid debt, a con man poses as a family friend in an affluent Pennsylvania suburb.
“Kevin (Sinbad) is a poor single man living in Pittsburgh, with his hamster, in a small apartment. An orphan, Kevin once bragged to his grade school classmates that, one day, he would be u0026quot;very wealthyu0026quot;. Trouble is, none of his get-rich-quick schemes have panned out and Kevin is in debt to the local mobsters. When they come to collect, Keving speeds off to the airport to catch a flight. However, with the mob on his heels, Kevin overhears an even better opportunity for him to lay low for awhile, at the airport terminal. It seems that Gary (Phil Hartman)and his children are waiting for an old camp friend that Gary has not seen for 20 years. Kevin seizes the moment and declares himself to be Dr. Derek Bond, a dentist, to Gary and the kids. Gary is delighted to see him and takes him home. Once there, in heavenly suburbia, Kevin finds out he is supposed to make a speech at the local elementary school, on career day. Okay. Kevin also learns he is reputed to be a strict vegetarian. Horrors. But, as the family showers him with gifts and parties, Kevin wonders, as do we all, how soon will they learn the truth about his identity? This is a great film, very funny and very spirit-lifting. Sinbadu0026#39;s Kevin is a such a lovable character, despite his scheming, that everyone is hoping for a happy ending. Hartman, likewise, is dead-pan funny in his role as a much put-upon lawyer with a family that looks perfect but which, in reality, has some problems to overcome. The setting is lovely, the costumes are nice, and the look of the film is quite wonderful, too. Do you want to cheer up yourself and your family in a big fashion? This is the film for you, as to watch it is to love it and laugh it up till the clouds overhead are long gone.”
