Morgan Stewart's Coming Home

Geeky cute teenager Jon Cryer (as Morgan Stewart) is kicked out of eight boarding schools in six years. Finally, he returns home to get re-acquainted with wealthy Washington, DC parents Lynn Redgrave and Nicholas Pryor (as Nancy and Tom). There, mother Redgrave is busy being a perfectly coiffed politician's wife, and Republican father Pryor is running for office. A horror fan, Cryer meets beautiful kindred spirit Viveka Davis (as Emily) at a George Romero book-signing.

Cryer and Ms. Davis take a shower together, clad in their underwear and horror heads. Guess some parts don't get dirty. Also, Cryer finds out corrupt executive aide Paul Gleason (as Jay Le Soto) is working against his father, and the plot goes haywire. Cryer is a believable and engaging teenage horror fan (his father John debuted as a ghost on "Dark Shadows"). And, Davis is an appealing romantic interest. But, the story obviously isn't sure where to go, or how to get there.

***** Morgan Stewart's Coming Home (2/20/87) Paul Aaron, Terry Windsor ~ Jon Cryer, Viveka Davis, Lynn Redgrave, Paul Gleason

Wow, was this a stinker. The only character who was tolerable was Mr. Stewart. I've always liked that actor because he has a warm, humorous presence. Cryer was fine when he was not being hyperactive. Other than that this dumb, predictable nonsense is good for one viewing only. That is if you can get through that. Cryer gets his obligatory 80s scene where he does a song and dance number. It worked so well in Pretty in Pink why not throw it in here...Lord knows a filler is always welcome in a movie like this. The scene was so embarrassing and odd. We get it, you went to acting school and were in plays so you gotta let us know about it by strutting your Broadway stuff. Its as if he was using it as a vehicle or trying to prove himself to the industry. How versatile and showy of you....Unfortunately, how annoying for the viewer. The only thing more embarrassing was the botched attempt of humor when Redgrave uttered, "My God he's on drugs" to end the scene. I suppose that was supposed to be the big payoff. Cringe worthy! Then there are the endless chase sequences. I could go on but you get the point.

The only redeeming part of the movie for me was the touching scene in Arby's where Morgan runs into his Dad eating a beef sandwich. They share the sandwich and Morgan says he can't remember the last time they did that. This was a true, honest moment between a father and a son trying to restore their relationship after a long time away from each other. In a way it reminded me of the scene between Donald Sutherland and Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People in how the father and son have a genuine bond that nothing can break. Not even the mother. This is the Cryer that was human and so lovable as Ducky. IMO this scene shows his acting chops more than any song and dance number could.

I keep seeing this film compared to Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and I don't see why. The plots have nothing in common, and the characters are not at all similar. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is about a very cool and clever kid who fools his parents into thinking he is sick, and goes on an adventure in the city. Morgan Stewart's Coming Home is more of a family story. A not so cool kid (Cryer) who was shipped off to boarding school at a young age is brought home to help with his fathers campaign to be elected to the senate and tries to win the affection of his very cold mother and dim-witted father. So why are these two films compared to one another? I see some of the comparison comes from the idea that this film was sold to the public as a Bueller-esque film, but it wasn't. I remember the commercials for this film from way back in the day, and they in no way tried to capitalize on the success of Ferris Bueller. This film is it's own film, as good or bad as it may be. It isn't a Ferris Bueller rip off. Morgan Stewart's Coming Home has it's moments, but it is more suited to a younger audience.

There is a really sweet, gently funny teen comedy buried Morgan Stewart's Coming Home. But it all falls apart when it becomes kind of a weird political thriller. It's little surprise the director successfully petitioned to have his name replaced with Alan Smithee.

It's got a great hook - nerdy but rebellious kid who keys getting kicked out of boarding schools goes home so he and his parents can appear to be a loving family, as his dad is a politician. It's got good casting, great chemistry between Cryer and Viveka Davis, and some fun, offbeat writing (Davis' parents are horror movie buffs). And there's nice conflict as Cryer tries to convince his stuffy, overbearing mother to allow him to fly his freak flag while they try to get him to straighten up and fly right.

So what do they do? They scuttle this movie by throwing in an espionage thriller bit, adding dumb violence and even dumber plotting (if you are surprised by the revelation of the bad guy, hey, welcome to your first movie). It's a lazy, unnecessary way to resolve things.

It's not like this was a perfect movie to begin with, but Cryer makes Stewart equally geeky and rebellious - an interesting take on the Matthew Broderick WarGames character. The script does him few favors, but Cryer somehow make it work. Davis has less to work with - she's a Manic Picture Dream Girl, essentially - but she gives Emily a fearless enthusiasm that's hard to resist. And Redgrave is excellent, and funny, as Morgan's cold, calculating mother.

But man, does the movie turn dumb. Oh, well.

Weirdly enough, if you told me this movie was directed by the same Alan Smithee who have us the similarly troubled The Shrimp in the Barbie, I'd believe you. Same kind of movie.

I personally love "Morgan Stewart's Coming Home". Perhaps it's the scenes of Washington, D.C. (my hometown), perhaps it's that I've always had a crush on Jon Cryer. In any case, I think this is a great movie. Viveka Davis is in her best role since "Student Exchange". Jon Cryer is in rare form. If you loved him in "Pretty in Pink" you'll also enjoy him in this movie.