Doing Time on Maple Drive (1992)

Doing Time on Maple Drive

• Make no mistake, this is certainly a TV movie. However, as low budget and low quality as this is, it still holds up decently well in 2026. I’ll get the (obvious) complaints out of the way first. For starters, again, it’s clearly made for TV. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, but it’s a bit cringey at times, and the quality feels DIY. It does have a very homey feel though, and I always enjoy a cheesy 90s backdrop. The editing was choppy and the scenes all feel thrown together, and despite the hour and a half runtime, it still feels a bit long and tiresome. The first half is a big build up to Matt’s reveal and his…..event, and then the second half is the whole family working on their dynamic and how to love each other no matter what. The last thirty minutes were easily the best, but the first hour is just hard to get through. On the flipside, the messaging is deeply relatable and I think it’s very realistic in terms of parents and how they deal with this kind of stuff. You could maybe argue that the film is a little bit dated, but it still gives a pretty good look at the conservative side of family reactions. Unfortunately relatable, but realistic. The performances are all mediocre at best, but it was nice to see Jim Carrey in a dramatic role. Nothing special, but different from what I’m used to. William McNamara was also solid, though a bit over the top sometimes. But his last few scenes after the hospital were pretty good. The score was very distracting and completely in the wrong mood for half the film, but like for most things made-for-TV, it was generic and fitting. Overall, this film has strong messaging and has an accurate portrayal of coming out to conservative parents (and I should know), but it’s definitely goofy and wacky sometimes. I’m glad I watched it, though, and honestly, most people should go ahead and see it at some point. It brings up good points and shows the struggles of everyday people.