Un inconnu dans la famille

I got this movie in a 4-movie package in the UK because I was after another of the movies included. I read the plot on the back and it sounded really interesting, I do like these 90s made-for-TV dramas. They are simple, accessible and usually rewarding.

Being used mostly to mid-90s to late 90s movies of this kind where it's totally by-the-book, this movie is different and you can tell from the first minutes. Not only because being from 1991 it is still far from the cliché-ridden movies that would follow but because of the way it was filmed as well (and the film used). I say this is a tough movie to watch. You really don't know how it's going to turn out. You hope that it's a by-the-book movie and that you will have the happy end. Does it?

Neil Patrick Harris is very good in his role, Teri Garr is also a joy to watch and the sister as well, to be honest all the cast is very good. I planned to do some small chores during the movie as I did not expect to be so drawn into it and enjoy it. I could not keep my eyes away. It made me cry several times as there are some scenes that are quite brutal for a sensitive person.

I recommend watching this movie for many reasons.

Neil Patrick Harris is simply superb as Steven, a teenager who has amnesia as the result of being in a car accident through no fault of his own with a drunk driver.

Terri Garr gives a strong performance as the stressed mother, as does Sierra Samuel as his sister, and I'm surprised she never acted again. But Randell Mell as the father just seems to drift along in the background.

It's not easy to watch at times due to the topic of the movie, but it is defiantly worthwhile watching just for Neil Patrick Harris alone.

It is not surprising that he has forged a good acting career out for himself, as he was clearly talented back then

This is a sappy story about a guy named Steve, (who is played by Neil Patrick Harris aka Doogie Howser, MD) with a bad mullet, who has a car accident, gets amnesia, becomes a teenage waif, confronts his demons, and returns to his family.

The schmultz in this movie, is enough to give one diabetes. But besides that. Sub-par acting, a go no where plot, poor dialogue, adds up to an experience that makes the viewer wish he could have amnesia, for the 90 minutes or so, this movie takes to play.

After viewing this movie, it's easy to see why Harris' career, tanked.

Wayno

Steve Thompson (Neil Patrick Harris, the NPH) is involved in a car accident through no fault of his own. He is then cursed with amnesia, where he forgets his own name, his family, and reverts to the mentality of a child. How will his friends and family cope with this change, and will Steve ever regain his memory and live a normal life? Based on real events.

This film comes to us from director Donald Wrye, who seems very comfortable in the world of television movies. This film may have been made for the Lifetime network, and if it wasn't... it should have been. It has all the hallmarks of an emotional film with very little substance. Compare, for example, "Fifteen and Pregnant" with Kirsten Dunst. The television quality is even more evident when we look at the other work of writer Rene Balcer, who has thrived off of scripting tons of "Law and Order" episodes.

The movie is not without merit. The NPH, not surprisingly, delivers an amazing performance as a man-child, with my only real complaint that he doesn't speak enough and never sings. I could comment on his intense mullet, but this is the early 1990s, so I can't fault him for getting with the times. (Seriously, NPH singing is the pinnacle of human achievement. While he was great in the Harold and Kumar films, his greatest work will always be in "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.)

Beyond the NPH, this film is worthless. Teri Garr is just there with no real reason, and the other actors are forgettable. To be perfectly honest, my friend Seth and I didn't even finish the film, and I don't care if I ever do. I own the DVD, but the odds of it getting put back in the player are really, really slim. Unless you're an NPH completist, this one can be skipped.