Main Cast: Tom Arnold, David Paymer, Rhea Perlman, Rod Steiger, Kim Coates
Release Year: 1996
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
Franklin Lazlo (Tom Arnold) is desperate. His carnival is on the skids and he hasn't got the money to make his next payroll. He tries robbery, with little result except to have the police, some professional robbers, and a meter-maid (Rhea Perlman) chasing him. On the way, he takes uptight and harried children's carpool father Daniel Miller (David Paymer) and a van full of children hostage. Franklin and the children get up to some wild hijinks all over town, and gradually the starchy Daniel begins to loosen up. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
Rachael Leigh Cook - Kayla; Colleen Rennison - Chelsea; Jordan Warkol - Travis; Micah Gardener - Bucky Miller; Mikey Kovar - Andrew Miller
Credit
Sandy Cochrane - Art Director, B. Casey Grant - Associate Producer, Lynn Stalmaster - Casting, Conrad Palmisano - Coordinator, Trish Keating - Costume Designer, Richard Cowan - First Assistant Director, Arthur Hiller - Director, William H. Reynolds - Editor, L. James Langlois - Editor, Fitch Cady - Executive Producer, John Debney - Composer (Music Score), John Debney - Songwriter, James D. Vance - Production Designer, David M. Walsh - Cinematographer, Arnon Milchan - Producer, Dominique Fauquet-Lemaitre - Set Designer, Gary Myers - Set Designer, Larry Sutton - Sound/Sound Designer, Don Rhymer - Screenwriter, Tom Saviano - Musical Performer
Workaholic Daniel Miller (Paymer) has an important business meeting but finds himself having to drive the neighborhood carpool for his kids and their friends when his wife gets sick. Stopping to get Danish for the kids, things go even more awry when he finds himself a victim of a robbery. The situation worsens as Franklin Laszlo (Arnold), a desperate carnival owner who had been contemplating a bank robbery, robs the robbers and takes Daniel and the kids hostage in their Toyota Previa van as his truck is blocked by an armored car. A comedic car chase ensues through Seattle. Daniel discovers his kids and their friends do not really respect him and they react better to Franklin.
Reception
The film received universally poor reviews, with many critics panning its poor plot and acting, with a Metacritic rating at 15/100[1] and Rotten Tomatoes giving the film a 0% rating.[2]
