Carpool (1996 film)

Carpool is a 1996 comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller and starring David Paymer and Tom Arnold.

Plot

Workaholic advertising executive of Bauer & Cole, Daniel Miller (David Paymer), has an important business meeting, but finds himself having to drive the neighborhood carpool for his sons, Bucky (Micah Gardener) and Andrew (Mikey Kovar), and their friends, Chelsea (Colleen Rennison), Kayla (Rachael Leigh Cook), and Travis (Jordan Blake Warkol), when his wife (Stellina Rusich), gets sick. Stopping to get Danish for the kids at Hammerman's Gourmet To Go grocery store, things go even more awry when he finds himself a victim of a robbery. The situation worsens as Franklin Laszlo (Tom Arnold), the desperate owner of Laszlo Bros. Carnival who had been contemplating a bank robbery of Puget Savings and Loan, robs the robbers and takes Daniel and the kids hostage in their Toyota Previa van as his truck is blocked by an armored car. A comedic car chase ensues through Seattle. Daniel discovers the kids do not really respect him and they react better to Franklin.

Cast

• David Paymer as Daniel Miller, workaholic husband and father of Bucky and Andrew
• Tom Arnold as Franklin Laszlo, desperate carnival owner of Laszlo Bros. Carnival
• Rhea Perlman as Martha, a Metropolitan Seattle Police parking enforcement officer
• Rod Steiger as Mr. Hammerman, owner of Hammerman's Gourmet To Go
• Kim Coates as Detective Erdman, Lieutenant of the Metropolitan Seattle Police Department
• Rachael Leigh Cook as Kayla, older sister of Chelsea and one of Franklin's hostages
• Mikey Kovar as Andrew Miller, younger son of Daniel, younger brother of Bucky, and one of Franklin's hostages
• Micah Gardener as Bucky Miller, older son of Daniel, older brother of Andrew, and one of Franklin's hostages
• Jordan Blake Warkol as Travis, a bizarre boy on the carpool and one of Franklin's hostages
• Colleen Rennison as Chelsea, younger sister of Kayla and one of Franklin's hostages
• Ian Tracey as Neil, one of the original robbers of Hammerman's Gourmet To Go
• John Trench as Jerry, the other original robber of Hammerman's Gourmet To Go
• Stellina Rusich as Mrs. Miller, wife of Daniel and mother of Bucky and Andrew
• David Kaye as Scott Lewis
• Obba Babatundè as Jeffery
• Edie McClurg, Kathleen Freeman, and Miriam Flynn as Voices of Franklin's mother

Reception

The film received poor reviews, with many critics panning its poor plot and acting, with a Metacritic rating at 15/100^[1] and Rotten Tomatoes giving the film a 13% rating based on 23 reviews.^[2] It was also a commercial bomb, having failed to recoup the budget of $17 million.

Tom Arnold tied with Pauly Shore for a 1996 Razzie Award in part for his role in it as well as for Big Bully and The Stupids.

References

External links

• Carpool at the Internet Movie Database
• Carpool at Box Office Mojo
• Carpool at Rotten Tomatoes
• Carpool at Metacritic