Phil Carter (James B. Sikking) is a successful restaurateur, married for many years to Lisa (Bibi Besch). They have three grown children: Karen (Jayne Brook), Tim (Jim Carrey) and Matt (William McNamara). Karen is married to Tom (David Byron), Tim works in his father's restaurant, and Matt is a Yale student. Matt brings fiancée Allison (Lori Loughlin) home to meet the family. While there the relationships between the family members are tested, and the secrets hidden behind the "perfect family" image are exposed. Allison discovers that Matt is gay and has left a long-term boyfriend to marry her to please his parents. She leaves and he has to explain to his family why Allison has abandoned him.
Matt is injured in a car crash, and he returns home to recuperate. As he recovers, the family is revealed to be dysfunctional. Tim is an alcoholic. Matt's car crash was a suicide attempt from the pressure of being gay and closeted from his parents and lying about Allison breaking their engagement because of it. Lisa is in complete denial about all of the family problems. Karen's husband Tom learns that Karen is pregnant and she's considering having an abortion. Tom angrily confronts her father Phil, saying that while Phil may be destroying his own family he won't allow Phil to destroy his. He takes Karen away. Matt confronts his parents, and tells his mother that she already knew he is gay because she saw him with another boy. Lisa continues to struggle with denial, but Phil begins to take steps toward understanding.
So, the family includes an alcoholic son, a gay son who is trying to be straight to please his family, a daughter and her husband with marital problems, an ultra-conservative father who is hard on his children, and a mother who cares too much what other people think and hides behind a lie. Plus a girl who thinks her fiance is straight, but has to face the truth.
This Fox made-for-TV drama is an honest, respectful, and tasteful look at a dysfunctional family. Great performances, a good script, and a compelling story with no melodrama make it worth watching. Laura Karpman composed the original music, James Duff wrote the screenplay, and Ken Olin directed.
