To Grandmother's House We Go

Basics
Released: December 6, 1992
Written By: Jeff Franklin (I) and Boyd Hale
Directed By: Jeff Franklin (I)
Genre: Family/Adventure/Comedy
Length: 96 minutes

Cast
Mary-Kate Olsen . . . Sarah Thompson
Ashley Olsen . . . Julie Thompson
Cynthia Geary . . . Rhonda Thompson
Rhea Perlman . . . Shirley
Jerry Van Dyke . . . Harvey "Harv"
J. Eddie Peck . . . Eddie Popko
Florence Patterson . . . Great Grandma Mimi
Stuart Margolin . . . Detective Gremp

Synopsis
   Julie and Sarah Thompson feel terrible when they overhear their single mother Rhonda talking about what a handful they are. They decide to give their mom a vacation and visit their grandma Mimi. The girls hide in the back of a delivery van, which belongs to John Wayne-wannabe Eddie Popko. Eddie plans to take the girls home, but his van is stolen by crooks Shirley and Harvey before he gets the chance. Shirley and Harvey figure that they could get a lot of ransom money for Julie and Sarah. They convince the girls they are elves so that they won't be scared. The crooks make arrangements for Rhonda and Eddie to pay them at a carnival that happens to be just down the street from Grandma Mimi's. Harvey is responsible for watching Julie and Sarah while Shirley collects the ransom. Harvey feels guilty for lying and tells the girls that he isn't an elf. Sarah and Julie are so upset that they run away and hide with Santa Claus in his sled. Santa leaves to find the girls' mother, leaving the twins alone in the sled. They manage to get the sled moving and on the way to Grandma Mimi's. Eddie chases the sled down the road and saves the girls. They have a visit with Grandma Mimi. After a little run-in with the law, Eddie just makes it onto a game show with his winning lottery ticket and wins some money. A happy ending for everyone.

Sarah and Julie
   Sarah and Julie are naïve and both very much want to make their mother happy. The girls are gullible, like most six-year-olds are, when they believe that Shirley and Harvey are elves. They also show a great deal of determination to get to their grandmother's house.