hostage, and his true identity is revealed when the real Derek Bond finally shows up. After the mobsters take Franklin away, he manages to escape, losing them in a charity marathon, where he meets up with Young, who graciously decides to help him despite his charade, in return for helping bring his family closer together. Franklin reveals that he has an instant lottery ticket he purchased the previous day for a chance at a $1 million cash prize spin on a Saturday night television show, which he reluctantly gives up to the mobsters in exchange for the forgiveness of his debt. The film fast forwards to wintertime, Franklin parallel parks a shiny new red Porsche with Larry in tow, in front of the Youngs' house, appearing for a promotional party for his new best-seller book, Handbook for Houseguests, based on his experiences with them. The partygoers gather in front of the television to watch the mobsters spin the wheel for the jackpot. It initially lands on the million dollar jackpot, but then falls and lands on $5,000, much to the mafia don's dismay and Franklin's delight. During the closing credits, Young and Franklin sing a medley of food based parodies of Christmas songs, as they cook a barbecue in Youngs' backyard outside of a Christmas party. Cast Production In February 1993, Sinbad signed a deal with disney for 13 episode TV show and a pay or play deal for Houseguest. Phil Hartman joined the film in March 1994. Some scenes for the movie were shot on location at the Pittsburgh International Airport, Pittsburgh's historic Hill District and South Side, Downtown Pittsburgh, and the Sewickley suburb. Reception Box office The film debuted at No. 3. It eventually grossed $26 million in North America. When compared to its $10.5 million budget, it was a modest commercial success. Critical response The film received negative reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 14% based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 3.51/10. The site's consensus reads, "Perplexingly unfunny given the involvement of its two hilarious leads, Houseguest wears out its welcome almost immediately". Caryn James of The New York Times describes the film as "an inane fish out of water comedy" and says "That Sinbad survives with his dignity and comic reputation intact is amazing" but notes that Phil Hartman is not so lucky. References External links 1995 films Hollywood Pictures