Meet the Parents Review
by David N. Butterworth (dnb AT dca DOT net)November 16th, 2001
MEET THE PARENTS
A film review by David N. Butterworth
Copyright 2001 David N. Butterworth
**1/2 (out of ****)
Nobody plays put-upon quite like Ben Stiller.
With his hysterically frustrated turns in "Keeping the Faith," "Mystery Men," and "There's Something About Mary," Stiller has had more than his fair share of physical mistreatment at the hands of others (or, in the case of "'Mary," an uncooperative zipper). Now in the latest film from "Austin Powers"' director Jay Roach, Stiller's hapless Greg Focker is an involuntary punching bag to his girlfriend's father, an overprotective ex-CIA operative, played by the redoubtable Robert De Niro.
Roach's over-the-top farce takes full advantage of Stiller's natural comic timing and willingness to take it on the chin in the name of big screen comedy. In fact, Stiller is the best thing about "Meet the Parents," which is a little uneven at the best of times (four screenwriters are credited with the manic goings-on). The actor seems to relish roles in which the worst things that can happen to a person happens, and then things go downhill from there. "Meet the Parents" is that kind of movie, and Stiller is in his element helplessly watching everything go up in flames.
The film begins with Greg, a male nurse (yes, there are several male nurse cracks in the film), unsuccessfully trying to propose to the woman of his dreams, kindergarten teacher Pam Byrnes (played by Teri Polo from TV's "Felicity" and "Sports Night"). His efforts are thwarted by the news that Pam’s sister is about to be married, so Greg and Pam fly out to... meet the parents. Greg doesn’t know it yet, but he’s about to spend the longest 72 hours of his life.
Upon arrival, Dad starts the good-natured ribbing by commenting on Greg’s choice of rental car before the couple has even crossed the threshold. But it’s Pam who makes the mistake of mentioning Greg’s aversion to cats shortly after Dad has proudly extolled the virtues of his favorite feline, a long-hair named Mr. Jinx. That’s when the fur starts to fly.
Much of the humor is elicited from Dad suspecting Greg of being a pothead, and Greg suspecting Dad of being less retired than he claims. There are comic scenes involving an overextended septic tank, a missing cat, a pair of Euro Speedos, a lie detector, a volleyball game that turns bloody, and some bizarre dinner conversations. All the while, Greg is forced to get by without cigarettes,
without his own clothes (the airline loses his luggage), and without relations with his beloved (since Dad has told him exactly how he stands on premarital sex).
The four leads, including Blythe Danner as the mother, are all well cast and do a fine job, but the writing tends to get a little schizophrenic, bordering on the creepy at times. More than once in the film did I say to myself "this really isn’t that funny" during a scene that was clearly shooting for laughs (one example is Greg innocuously strapped to Dad’s polygraph machine and being asked personal questions by his host). But the scenes that work (a drag race via mistimed traffic lights, or Greg having to wait for his row to be called before he can board the plane, for example) make up for the occasional misfires of the script.
Greg Focker is another fine addition to Ben Stiller’s growing résumé of hapless victims. Even if you’re not a Stiller fan, necessarily, "Meet the Parents" is still a fun way to spend an evening.
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David N. Butterworth
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