Parents' Guide to

Smart House

By Tom Cassidy, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Disney family comedy looks at pros and cons of technology.

Movie NR 1999 82 minutes
Smart House Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 7+

Based on 1 parent review

age 7+

Mediocre, alright

It’s kinda funny to see how people back in the 90s thought the 2000s would be like with a technologically advanced house. It’s alright, a little cheesy and boring. I thought it would be better but it lacked something important.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (2):

A solid moral code and strong family values are the bedrock for this movie, which builds upon that a strange, eerie fantasy that has a couple of genuinely unsettling moments. A late-90s time capsule, the dial-up internet connection and "futuristic" video calls are quaint reminders of how progress has snowballed. But the tech is also prescient -- Amazon launched its Alexa smart speaker with home integration 15 years after this movie built an entire premise around the idea. TSmart House solidly captures the fashions and fads of the age, too, with three friends suddenly busting a move to a music video by 90s British boy band, Five.

Directed by LeVar Burton -- best known as Star Trek: The Next Generation's Geordi La Forge -- the movie's performances are all warm and likable, with Kevin Kilner and Jessica Steen both suitably dignified and attentive as the adult leads Nick and Sara. Katey Sagal as the human embodiment of PAT, the "smart house," is suitably unhinged and intense. Smart House works as intended and with the time that's passed since its original release, doubles as a look back at the early days of integrated technology.

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