Hausarrest (1996)

Hausarrest: Directed by Harry Winer. With Kyle Howard, Herbert Russell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Pollak. A group of children, desperate to keep their various parents from getting divorces, kidnap them and hold them prisoner in a basement in order to force them to reconcile.

“After learning that his parents are getting separated, a sensitive, idealistic teenage boy is so shocked and distraught that he recruits his younger sister to help lock them in the basement in the desperate hope that theyu0026#39;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. Filmu0026#39;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 not bad for what it is. **½”