Late for Dinner

Plot

In 1962, brothers-in-law Willie Husband and Frank Lovegren are on the run after a deadly confrontation. Willie kills a man in self-defense, but witness Bob Freeman frames them for kidnapping and murder. Willie lives with his wife Joy and their daughter Jess in Santa Fe, New Mexico, along with Joy's simple-minded brother Frank. The family struggles financially after Willie loses his job at a local milk company and falls behind on mortgage payments.

When the bank prepares to foreclose, Willie confronts banker Bob Freeman with a receipt showing he has caught up using borrowed funds. Freeman burns the receipt and pressures Willie to sell the house cheaply. Willie refuses and leaves. On the drive home, Willie discovers Frank has taken Freeman's son Donald, believing the boy is mistreated.

Joy convinces Willie to accept Freeman's offer, but when Willie calls to make the deal and mentions Donald, Freeman accuses him of kidnapping. Freeman arranges a desert meeting under the pretense of retrieving his son, but his real plan is to frame Willie and Frank for a ransom exchange. At the meeting, Freeman and his henchman draw guns. A fight breaks out; Willie is shot in the shoulder but shoots the henchman in self-defense.

Knowing they won't be believed, Willie and Frank flee, leaving Donald behind. They attempt to return home but find the house surrounded by police. Jess gestures for them not to approach, so they drive into the desert. After hours of fleeing, they encounter eccentric Dr. Dan Chilblains in Pomona, California.

Willie passes out from his injuries, and Chilblains treats him. Chilblains also diagnoses Frank with glomerulonephritis, a serious kidney condition that will be fatal. He convinces Frank to undergo an experimental cryogenic procedure that will freeze them both until Frank can be cured. Frank agrees, believing it is temporary and a way to hide. Willie, still unconscious, is frozen without knowing what is happening.

Production

W. D. Richter was inspired to develop a project about a man from the past awakening in the 1990s after a conversation about cryonics. He enlisted Mark Andrus to write the screenplay under the working title Freezer, and Castle Rock Entertainment acquired the project. The film initially began in 1957, but producer Dan Lupovitz stated the date was moved to 1962 because it better reflected the starting point of a more cynical attitude in American history.

Release

Late for Dinner was released on September 20, 1991, and grossed $8.9 million. On Rotten Tomatoes, 58% of 12 critics' reviews are positive. The film first came out on VHS on April 29, 1992, via New Line Home Video and SVS/Triumph, and was re-released on VHS on June 23, 1998, by MGM Home Entertainment under the Movie Time label. Its DVD debut occurred on December 31, 2009, with a re-release on January 15, 2011, by Willette Acquisition Corp. A Blu-ray release followed on April 14, 2015, from Kino Lorber.