So, you’re young Danny Morrison(Matthew O’Leary). Your mom (Teri Polo) and dad (John Travolta) have been divorced a while, and you’re uneasy when mom starts going steady with another guy named Rick (Vince Vaughn). Sure, this new boyfriend seems swell (he likes playing catch), but you’ll always be partial to your own caring and understanding father, who assures you that he and your mother have tried their darndest to make it work, but just couldn’t manage it. Now, your mom is getting re-married, and you don’t like it. Something doesn’t feel right. You want to run off to consult with your father, so you hitch a ride in Rick’s truck, hiding in the backseat. Then you witness your new stepfather commit murder and dispose of the body. Turns out your mom’s new husband is not the wonderful guy everyone thinks he is. You run to the police, screaming bloody murder, but your reputation as a troublemaker (and someone who exaggerates the truth) causes everyone to disregard your accusations. Even your own father doesn’t believe you this time. So you’re forced to live in the same house as a murderer. Kinda sucks.

“Domestic Disturbance” commits a double-foul: not only is the plot of the been-there, done-that variety, but the clichés recycled within it don’t even work as second-hand goods. The film fails to generate suspense, excitement or anything else to warrant your attention. The best scenes involve Vaughn (who sinks his teeth into the psycho stepfather role) quietly terrorizing O’Leary (the talented young actor from “Frailty”) so that his evildoings remain secret. Elsewhere, Teri Polo (“Meet the Parents”) has little to do, Steve Buscemi collects what is hopefully a generous paycheck before having to... uhh... leave the picture at a certain juncture, and Travolta fills a surprisingly minor role as the sympathetic dad who gets to save the day in the limp and laughably abrupt conclusion. The director is Harold Becker, who seems to having an off-day (this is the man behind “Malice” and “Sea of Love”, thrillers that actually thrill). This is strictly a point-and-shoot ordeal. In its defense, “Domestic Disturbance” is watchable from start to finish. It just never presents anything even remotely worth watching.