"You left the outside world; you've got to orient your thinking. You've got to think repression, think limits. Think humiliation and despair. You're in high school for Christ sakes!"
— Patrick Morenski
Hiding Out is a 1987 Dramedy starring Jon Cryer as Andrew Morenski, a state's witness who disguises himself as a high school student to avoid being killed by the mob.
This film provides examples of:
- Almighty Janitor: Ezzard, who disposes of one of the hitmen.
- Batman in My Basement: Andrew's cousin Patrick lets him stay in his room, unbeknownst to his mother (Andrew's aunt Lucy). Later, Ezzard lets Andrew stay in the school basement.
- The Big Damn Kiss: At the end of the movie, Andrew (now in witness protection as Eddie Collins) meets Ryan at the University of Iowa. After reconnecting, they kiss for the first time.
- Beardness Protection Program: Andrew shaves his beard (and dyes the hair on the sides of his head blond), allowing him to pass as a high schooler while hiding from the mob.
- High School: The plot focuses on Andrew's experiences in high school.
- Impersonating an Officer: The hitmen pose as FBI agents while tracking down Andrew.
- Justice by Other Legal Means: Victor Kapados is guilty of many things, but he is convicted of a stock scam.
- Landslide Election: Most of the students voted for "Maxwell Hauser" for class president.
- Leave No Witnesses: The mob hitmen kill the other two witnesses against Victor Kapados, and try to kill Andrew. (They aren't as concerned about witnesses to their own crimes, however.)
- Liar Revealed: When Ryan asks Andrew why he has never invited her to his house or given her his telephone number, he confesses everything to her.
- Line-of-Sight Alias: Andrew sees a can of Maxwell House coffee, and adopts the alias Maxwell Hauser.
- The Mafia: Andrew is a state's witness against a mobster, and spends most of the movie hiding from mob hitmen.
- Older Than They Look: Andrew is 29, but passes for a high-school student.
- Photo Doodle Recognition: Inverted when the mob hitmen draw a beard on Maxwell Hauser's campaign poster and recognize Andrew.
- Professional Killer: The mob sends several after Andrew.
- Straw Character: In a history class, the strawman conservative teacher gives a weak and histrionic defense of Richard Nixon as Andrew struggles to bite his tongue.
- Witness Protection: Andrew ends up in the witness protection program, as Eddie Collins.
