To Grandmother's House We Go

Last updated
To Grandmother's House We Go
To Grandmother's House We Go.jpg
DVD cover
GenreAdventure
Comedy
Family
Written byJeff Franklin
Boyd Hale
Directed by Jeff Franklin
Starring Mary-Kate Olsen
Ashley Olsen
Composer Richard Bellis
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producersAllen S. Epstein
Jeff Franklin
Jim Green
ProducerMark Bacino
Production locations Vancouver, Canada
CinematographyRichard Leiterman
EditorBill Petty
Running time96 min.
Production companies Jeff Franklin Productions
Green/Epstein Productions
Lorimar Television
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseDecember 6, 1992 (1992-12-06)

To Grandmother's House We Go is a 1992 made-for-television Christmas film directed by Jeff Franklin and starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The film's title comes from a part of one of the first lines of Lydia Maria Child's Thanksgiving song "Over the River and Through the Wood". It debuted on ABC as a star vehicle for the Olsens, who were starring in Franklin's Full House at the time, and marked their first appearance as separate characters.

Contents

Plot

6-year-old twins Sarah and Julie (Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen) are sweet but naughty, to the frustration of their single mother, Rhonda (Cynthia Geary). After overhearing her say she needs a break from them, they decide to run away to great-grandmother's house in Edgemont for Christmas.

The girls sneak onto a city bus, but learn that it only goes downtown, and that Edgemont is three hours away. After getting off the bus downtown, Sarah and Julie spot Eddie (J. Eddie Peck), a delivery man who has a crush on their mom and a love for cowboys. They sneak into the back of his truck for a ride, but are quickly discovered. Although Eddie generally dislikes children, he warms up to the charming girls over time, eventually buying a lottery ticket with the girls' birthdate for the numbers.

Meanwhile, their babysitter has noticed the girls are missing and informs Rhonda, who rushes home and calls the police. Eddie calls and explains that he has the girls, promising to bring them back at the end of the day. Eddie drives the girls home, but the truck is stolen with the girls inside before they can be reunited with their mother.

When the thieves, Harvey and Shirley (Jerry Van Dyke and Rhea Perlman), discover the girls, they decide they can make some money by holding them for ransom. They convince the girls they are taking them to their grandmother's house, so they will cooperate. Shirley calls Rhonda and asks for $10,000 in cash. She says they will make the trade at the ice rink in Edgemont, and that Rhonda is to wear a red hat. Meanwhile, Harvey has begun to like the girls.

Eddie and Rhonda reluctantly raise the ransom money by pawning the contents of packages which Eddie is supposed to be delivering. Staff at the pawnshops become suspicious and alert police. Believing they are known criminals Harvey and Shirley, Detective Gremp (Stuart Margolin) writes out a warrant for their arrest.

Everyone makes it to the skating rink in Edgemont, although tensions are rising between both couples. When Harvey reveals that they are not going to their grandmother's house, the twins run off. They encounter the park's Santa Claus, who has a horse and carriage made up to look like reindeer and Santa's sleigh. The twins race off in the carriage, still trying to reach their grandmother's house. The horses gallop towards a steep ravine, and Eddie is forced to use his cowboy skills to rescue the girls. Unbeknownst to Eddie and the girls, they have actually stopped right outside the home of the girls' great-grandmother, Mimi (Florence Paterson).

Just as everything settles down, Detective Gremp and one of his officials arrives to arrest Eddie and Rhonda, still believing they are the thieves. Although Shirley tries to take the opportunity to flee, Harvey feels bad and confesses everything, and they are arrested.

Gremp agrees to bring Eddie, Rhonda and the girls back to the city with him, so Eddie can be back in time to be able to have a chance at winning the lottery with the ticket he bought. He promises to split what he wins between Rhonda and the girls, and has the girls spin the prize wheel for him. He ends up winning the jackpot. Afterward, they give all the people their parcels back, and everybody is happy spending Christmas together.

Cast

Andrea Barber and Candace Cameron cameo as audience members. [1]

Release

To Grandmother's House We Go was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The carnival scenes were filmed in Edgemont Village, a neighborhood in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It debuted in the United States on December 6, 1992.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary-Kate Olsen</span> American businesswoman, fashion designer and actress (born 1986)

Mary-Kate Olsen is an American businesswoman, fashion designer, equestrian, and former actress. Her acting career began at the age of nine months, with her sharing the role of Michelle Tanner with her twin sister Ashley Olsen in the television sitcom Full House (1987–1995). They also starred in numerous films together.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen</span> American child actresses and fashion designers (born 1986)

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen, also known as the Olsen twins, are American fashion designers and former actresses. Mary-Kate and Ashley made their acting debut as infants playing Michelle Tanner on the television sitcom Full House (1987–1995). As they grew older, they began starring in other television shows, films, and media through their own production company, Dualstar. The twins became preteen icons, and some of the wealthiest women in the entertainment industry at a young age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny DeVito</span> American actor (born 1944)

Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. is an American actor and filmmaker. He gained prominence for his portrayal of the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the television series Taxi (1978–1983), which won him a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award. He plays Frank Reynolds on the FXX sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhea Perlman</span> American actress (born 1948)

Rhea Jo Perlman is an American actress. She is well-known for playing head waitress Carla Tortelli in the sitcom Cheers (1982–1993). Over the course of 11 seasons, Perlman was nominated for ten Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress, winning 4, and was nominated for a record six Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series. She has also appeared in films, including Canadian Bacon (1995), Matilda (1996), The Sessions (2012), Poms (2019), and Barbie (2023).

<i>Two of a Kind</i> (American TV series) American sitcom

Two of a Kind is an American sitcom that aired on ABC as part of the network's TGIF line-up, starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in their first television series since Full House ended in 1995. The show aired from September 25, 1998, to July 9, 1999.

<i>When in Rome</i> (2002 film) 2002 American film

When in Rome is a 2002 direct-to-video film directed by Steve Purcell and starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

<i>Switching Goals</i> 1999 American TV series or program

Switching Goals is a 1999 American television film directed by David Steinberg and starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The film premiered on December 12, 1999 on ABC.

"What Christmas Means to Me" is the name of several different Christmas songs. The most-covered version was written by Allen Story, Anna Gordy Gaye, and George Gordy. It has been recorded by many artists, including:

<i>The Challenge</i> (2003 film) 2003 film

The Challenge is a 2003 comedy film starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, their final direct-to-video production. It was the last of seven direct-to-video films produced by Tapestry Films to star the Olsens.

<i>How the West Was Fun</i> 1994 television film directed by Stuart Margolin

How the West Was Fun is a 1994 contemporary western film starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

<i>The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley</i> American TV series or program

The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley is a series of musical mystery videos starring twin actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The series was also written as children's books. A set of books was written as a companion piece to the show, showing the twins on the cover. The video series was distributed by BMG Kidz and KidVision.

<i>Double, Double, Toil and Trouble</i> 1993 American TV series or program

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble is a 1993 American Halloween made-for-television children's film. It stars Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as two adventurous little girls who discover that their Great Aunt Sophia has been trapped and cursed by her evil twin sister Agatha. On the 7th year of her imprisonment, Sophia will be doomed to the netherworld unless the curse is broken by the magical spell of twins. The film's title is part of the famous line spoken by the three witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth : "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble."

<i>Our Lips Are Sealed</i> (film) 2000 American film

Our Lips Are Sealed is a 2000 direct-to-video film starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The film was partly set and filmed in Sydney, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dualstar</span> American limited liability company

Dualstar Entertainment Group, LLC is a privately held American limited liability company owned by twin sister actresses Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen, which produced films, television series, magazines, video games, and other popular media. Dualstar was based in Los Angeles, California and is now based in Culver City.

<i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> (1985 TV series) American anthology television series (1985–1989)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents, sometimes called The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents, is an American television anthology series that orignally aired on NBC for one season from September 29, 1985 to May 4, 1986, and on the USA Network for three more seasons, from January 24, 1987, to July 22, 1989, with a total of four seasons consisting of 76 episodes. The series is an updated version of the 1955 eponymous series.

<i>Youre Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashleys</i> (film series) 1995–2000 film series

You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's is a musical direct-to-video series starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The videos were released between 1995 and 2000 and have since been released on VHS in 2000-2001 and on DVD in 2003.

The Misadventures of the Wholesome Twins is a musical with book and lyrics by Jason Vitteri-Lewis and music by Vitteri-Lewis and Walter Frasier. It premiered as a showcase at The Duplex in New York's West Village in July 2005, followed by a full-length two-month run the same year. The show opened at Don't Tell Mama, the Theater District's best known cabaret on October 24, 2005. The formal run cast included Liza Marie Johnston, Heather Michele Lawler, TJ Besler, Robyn Kay Pilarski, Joel Peterson, Drew Tessier, Anthony Aloise, Julie Marcus and Alanna Wilson. The show closed on December 19, 2005, after four previews and 22 regular performances. The show was produced by Stacy Lerman/Creative Stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Olsen</span> American actress (born 1989)

Elizabeth Chase Olsen is an American actress. Born in Sherman Oaks, California, Olsen began acting at age four alongside her sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. She had her debut film role in the thriller Martha Marcy May Marlene in 2011, for which she was acclaimed and nominated for a Critics' Choice Movie Award. Olsen received a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination and graduated from New York University two years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Olsen</span> American businesswoman, fashion designer and actress (born 1986)

Ashley Fuller Olsen is an American businesswoman, fashion designer and former actress. She began her acting career at the age of nine months, sharing the role of Michelle Tanner with her twin sister Mary-Kate Olsen in the television sitcom Full House (1987–1995). They also starred in numerous films together.

Sarah Hay is an American actress and ballerina. She is best known for her role as Claire Robbins in the Starz mini-series Flesh and Bone, she was nominated for a Golden Globe, a Satellite Award and a Critics' Choice Television Award.

References

  1. Kent, Chloe. "33 Famous Actors Who You Probably Forgot Once Starred In Mary-Kate & Ashley Movies". Bustle.