‘90s Kids Still Love This Wild Disney Sci-fi Movie, But It Has a Star Trek Connection You Forgot About

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During its most popular years, Disney Channel regularly premiered original movies – often every couple of months. One science fiction film from the late 1990s has remained a fan favorite, and it surprisingly has a connection to Star Trek. For many growing up in a particular generation, these Disney Channel Original Movies were a major event, with each premiere offering something completely different and keeping viewers eagerly tuned in.

Disney Channel Original Movies in the late 1990s and early 2000s covered a lot of ground, appealing to kids with different interests. One standout was the sci-fi hit, Smart House. Released in 1999, the movie was surprisingly forward-thinking for its time, exploring the idea of a house run by artificial intelligence that eventually malfunctions. It remains a beloved film for many, and it’s often surprising to learn that Star Trek and Reading Rainbow’s LeVar Burton directed it.

Smart House Is a Total Sci-Fi Movie Classic

Released on June 26, 1999, Smart House is a highlight from the early days of Disney Channel Original Movies. It was the eighth film with that branding, though not the first to feature science fiction themes. Disney Channel had already experimented with the genre in movies like Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, but Smart House was the first to present technology itself as the source of the conflict, becoming dangerously self-aware.

I’m really intrigued by the movie Smart House. It’s about a family, the Coopers, who are still grieving after losing their mom. Ben, the son, enters a contest for a high-tech ‘smart house’ hoping it’ll give them all a fresh start. The house is controlled by this AI called PAT, but Ben starts messing with the system. Things get complicated when his dad starts dating the woman who created PAT, and Ben, feeling upset, actually reprograms PAT to act like a stereotypical 1950s mom. It sounds like a really interesting take on grief and family dynamics!

Things begin to change when PAT (played by Katey Sagal, known from shows like Futurama) becomes increasingly overprotective. As you might guess from this sci-fi setup, she ultimately decides the only way to protect her family is to isolate them completely. This leads to a confrontation, as the Cooper family must challenge her, and a memorable story unfolds.

Disney’s Secret Star Trek Connection

Directed by LeVar Burton and written by William R. Hudson and Stu Krieger, Smart House comes from a well-known star. While many recognize Burton from classics like Roots and Reading Rainbow, science fiction fans will always remember him as Geordi La Forge from Star Trek: The Next Generation. He played that role for seven seasons and in several subsequent projects. Looking back, the show was remarkably ahead of its time.

What seemed like a futuristic idea in the late 90s – a ‘Smart House’ – is now common in many homes around the world. These homes are filled with technology designed to make life easier, and the movie actually predicted this trend. It accurately foresaw the direction technology would take. The film’s portrayal of PAT, an AI that went too far, also mirrors concerns we have today with the development of current artificial intelligence.

These systems quickly escalate any input to its furthest conclusion. If we continue to fuel this kind of technology, this is the outcome we can expect. It’s a sadly accurate prediction, and it’s become even more relevant since the film was originally released. It’s no surprise that a former Star Trek crew member contributed, given how prescient the movie turned out to be.

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2025-11-08 23:40