Movie Review: The Unauthorized Full House Story (2015)

With the long anticipated Full House sequel coming to Netflix today, I thought it would be a perfect time to review the unauthorized made for TV movie based on the behind the scenes story of the show. I'll be honest, I watched every episode of the original series when I was a kid. I remember watching it during ABC's TGIF lineup, which included a variety of shows at different points throughout the years. While I have heard stories about the origin of the show through various podcast and television appearances made by the big three stars of the show (Bob Saget, Dave Coulier and John Stamos), I know I had to sit through this bizarro version of reality when the screener showed up.

We start with up-and-coming comics Coulier and Saget at a stand-up show. They talk about their careers and some upcoming opportunities. This is when you notice that the Coulier guy has a head three times the size of his counterpart, and the Saget guy is pushing hard to do a pretty good impression. We see Stamos working at his family's restaurant after a soap opera stint, and he feels like his career is going nowhere. Through a strange series of events, the trio ends up being the head of what seems like a disaster of a series.



We see some dramatic things throughout the story. Both Saget and Coulier handle the death of a sister. Candace Cameron has personal struggles, and their is a mention of her brother's piousness. The Olsen twins become stand out stars and head toward a very lucrative career. We see divorce, death, family struggles, Saget taking on another show (America's Funniest Home Videos), Cameron meeting her future NHL star husband, and we even end up at their wedding.

If you're a fan of the original show, this is a fun watch. It's silly and hammy, and it's a bit over dramatic. The force Saget impression is hilarious to sit through, and the rest of the casting is just as ridiculous. It should be a good precursor to the Netflix series.