The Day My Parents Ran Away (1993 TV Movie) User Reviews

good entertainment if you're bored and it's free

[jamie-120 · 4/10 · 9 September 2002]

I only watched this movie because it came on late at night and I was up. I missed the first couple of minutes, so I didn't know what was on, just that it was a movie. It took about 2/3 of the movie before I started to "get it"; until then, I had been spending a lot of mental energy simply trying to figure out _what_ this movie _was_ -- not the title, I mean what it _was_. Some parts of it still don't make much sense, but, strangely enough, I actually enjoyed this oddball film. I thought all the major players nailed their characters pretty well, and the bizarre story kept me guessing enough to have fun watching. There were some good laughs (mostly intentional), and one thing I very much appreciated was that, while each character was cohesive and most of the main ones were multi-faceted, the scripting was unpredictable; that brought the characters (and the movie) to life for me. These people were fun to watch and I was always curious about what would happen next.

The one thing I _really_ don't get, though, is... what the heck was the deal with Sam Scott??? The guy was a raving looney. I kept waiting for the explanation to be that that whole TV show was an elaborate setup by Matt's parents, or something... but apparently it was real. And did the show really end the way it appeared to? If so, shouldn't Matt have, like, been arrested, or something?!!? LOL! I don't care; it was still a fun movie to watch.

Condescending comedy about parent-child relations. (spoilers)

[vertigo_14 · 5/10 · 22 January 2006]

I can't figure out whether this film is an attempt to somehow draw a truce between parents and their teen children (a rocky relationship as a result of some sort of lack of communication or misunderstanding). Assuming that this was the ultimate point to the tale, it hardly comes off as insightful, but rather, condescending to both sides.

Bobby Jayne plays Matt Miller, a high school teen who seems to have his parents under his thumb, much to the chagrin of his father (played by Matt Frewer), who finally snaps forcing him (I suppose) to abandon his son who just doesn't seem to get it. At first, the absence of parental supervision, and the temporary grant of a credit card and the house, leaves open many opportunities and of course, all-night house parties. Matt thinks he's at the head of some kind of teen revolution and is the new spokesman for the teenager's complaints. To put them into some sort of perspective. But of course things go slowly wrong as the adults make all the wrong assumptions and worse, he starts to miss his parents. But not all wrong, of course, as he also figures out that maybe being an adult, or at least acting like one (to a certain degree) won't be so bad. It might actually be easy...

We're supposed to be, in addition to being entertained, trying to understand the perils and misunderstandings of each age group. But, the teenagers in particular are presented in such a condescending manner (the language hardly relates). Matt Miller especially does a lot of whining and really comes off as quite obnoxious throughout the whole movie, even what may appear to be the more sentimental moments. The parents, too, look like dolts (although the filmmakers do a good job of leading you to believe that this story isn't going to end on a happy note because of the father's reluctance to leave the new life).

The story itself wasn't so bad. Granted, it seems to go a little overboard, but the extremity of the circumstances are permissible in this case--they were after all, trying to make a point. But I think that, had the filmmakers actually put more thought into their characters, it would have been a much funnier, much more memorable film.

2 hours of my life I want back

[Havan_IronOak · 16 October 2011]

This "zany" teen comedy is kinda terrible. The scenario is bizarre. Entire sections are just plain weird and yet there are a few stellar moments of dialogue. Unfortunately you'd be well advised to just read the quoted on IMDb and forego the viewing experience. The lines are clever but the video viewing experience doesn't really add anything.

The actors are for the most part professional and have done other roles that prove that they're not the problem here. It's partly just that the scenario doesn't stand up to a feature length movie. It might have made an interesting 5 minute skit on Saturday Night live but it's probably not quite good enough for that.

I think I blame the director. It was his first feature length film. Others might have blamed him as well. It was his LAST feature length film.

I've given the movie 4 stars because as bored as I was there were no insufferable bits. I have seen other films that have left me moaning and/or cringing and this is better than those but still...

I'd rate this movie sort of like my last root canal. Not really traumatizing but certainly not 2 hours I'd like to sit through again. At least with the root canal there was the prescription afterward for pain killers.

Too bad to even be a turkey.

[kbuscho · 1/10 · 7 May 1999]

I'd be ashamed to contaminate a landfill with this video. Bad acting, bad script. This one will gag a maggot.

warning!!!!!

[rockmysocksoff · 1/10 · 9 November 2003]

warning!!! do not watch this movie. may cause anxiety, shortness of breath, violent vomiting, and intense urge to end your life. if this movie comes into your possesion please burn it or you will be left crying.