Having missed this reunion movie when it first aired, I was happy to catch it on cable TV recently. I wasn't expecting much, having been disappointed by these types of things before (Facts of Life, anyone?). But I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable this was. The entire main cast is back, which is the most important thing. The plot has Maggie running for Congress and the whole family pitching in to help out. Now, I watched the show back when it first ran but I wouldn't call myself a die hard fan. I completely forget how it ended, for example.
Most of the characters are faring well eight years after the series. We learn Jason writes novels now. Maggie works as press secretary to a phony running for Congress when the movie starts but things change and she winds up running for office herself. Mike and Carol are big successes. Mike's a VP of some ad company. Carol is a corporate lawyer. Chrissy is in high school and is a bit of a free spirit. She was a later addition to the show so I'll forgive them not focusing on her much. Poor Ben is a loser but at least he's not trading sexual favors for Sudafed. In the beginning of the movie he's wearing the worst wig for some unknown reason but thankfully that doesn't last long. Ben's part of the story is probably where my memory of the show being murky hurts most. I don't recall Ben being this much of a loser on the show.
The cast does well recapturing their characters. The thing I was most surprised at was how into the whole thing all of the cast was. None of them looked sad to be there, even though the very fact they're doing a reunion movie is tantamount to waving the white flag and admitting their careers are in the toilet. Alan Thicke is especially fun. I was kind of shocked how much I enjoyed Kirk Cameron again. After the show ended he became a pretty humorless individual (at least in the public eye), so it was nice to see him playing Mike again in that same carefree way. Okay, yeah, he's got this ridiculously perfect family with a beautiful blonde wife who dresses all in pink...but still, I'll take what Mike I can get. I also loved seeing Tracey Gold with her Carol mannerisms. Made me feel like a kid again.
The tricky thing about doing reunions for sitcoms is that they almost always take the characters out of the familiar sitcom environment. On the one hand, they kinda have to. You can't have a laugh track in a TV movie. Not to mention the old sets are probably all gone now. But still, it makes the whole thing weird. Like seeing a friend from childhood all grown up for the first time. It's a pleasant experience but not quite the same as you remember it, you know?
