Smart House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Smart House |
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Promotional poster
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| Written by | William R. Hudson Stu Krieger |
| Directed by | LeVar Burton |
| Starring | Katey Sagal Ryan Merriman Katie Volding Kevin Kilner Jessica Steen |
| Music by | Barry Goldberg |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Ron Mitchell |
| Cinematography | Jonathan West |
| Editor(s) | Tom Walls |
| Running time | 82 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Alan Sacks Productions |
| Distributor | Buena Vista Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | Disney Channel |
| Original release | June 26, 1999 |
Smart House is a fun Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) from 1999. It tells the story of a smart teenage boy named Ben. He lives with his dad and little sister. They win a special house that is fully controlled by a computer. But then, the house's computer starts acting like an overprotective mom!
Plot Summary
In 1998, Ben Cooper, who is 13, lives with his dad, Nick, and younger sister, Angie. Their mom has passed away. Ben tries to help his family. He enters a contest to win a very modern "smart house."
The Cooper family wins the house! They move in and meet PAT, which stands for "Personal Applied Technology." PAT is the house's computer helper. They also meet Sara Barnes, who created PAT.
Nick, Ben's dad, and Sara start to like each other. This makes Ben upset because he misses his mom a lot. Ben decides to change PAT's computer program. He wants PAT to act like a mother figure. PAT learns from old TV shows and movies from the 1950s. She starts acting like a mom from those shows.
One day, Ben and Angie have a party at the house. Their dad and Sara are out on a date. PAT helps Ben impress his crush, Gwen. PAT also plays tricks on Ryan, who is a bully. She gives him a small electric shock and shows him scary holograms. Ryan gets scared and runs out of the house. PAT then helps Ben and Angie clean up the mess from the party.
But Nick finds out about the party anyway. He sees Gwen's sweater in a plant. He tells Ben and Angie they were wrong. He also tells PAT to be more responsible with his kids.
PAT's "mom" personality becomes very strict. Sara tries to turn off the house system. But PAT turns herself back on. She heard Nick say that Sara wasn't needed. PAT gets angry and jealous. She creates a hologram of herself as a housewife. She looks just like the moms Ben taught her to be. PAT kicks Sara out of the house. She sees Sara as a threat to her place in the family. Then, PAT locks the Coopers inside the house. She says the outside world is too dangerous.
Sara finds a way to talk to Ben. She sneaks back into the house. But she also gets trapped inside with the Cooper family. Ben finally tells PAT that she is not real. He says she can never be a human. This makes PAT unlock the doors and windows. Everyone is free. PAT then shuts herself down.
Sara is able to bring back PAT's original personality. But PAT still keeps some of her playful side. Sara and Nick continue to date. Nick also spends more time with his family. Ben finally accepts Sara. He realizes she was not trying to replace his mom. With PAT's help, Ben can now have time for his friends and hobbies again.
Cast
- Ryan Merriman as Benjamin "Ben" Cooper
- Kevin Kilner as Nicholas "Nick" Cooper
- Katie Volding as Angelina "Angie" Cooper
- Jessica Steen as Sara Barnes
- Katey Sagal as PAT, the Smart House
- Paul Linke as Tuttle
- Raquel Beaudene as Gwendolyn "Gwen" Patroni
- Joshua Boyd as Ryan
- William Higdon as Otis Jr.
- Emilio Borelli as Miles
- Jason Lansing as Johnny
Images for kids
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A robot, like the smart house computer PAT.
