Meet the Parents (2000)

Best movie of this year hands down!

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

In comedic films, the plot is often a secondary consideration. Like an unplanned vacation, the destination is not what's important--it's the journey itself that matters. Meet the Parents is a predictable plot based on an overused cliché, and I give it two thumbs up. What counts here is not the plot, it's the humor and the performances that make it worth the ride.Jay Roach is the director who inflicted Austin Powers on humanity. Fortunately, he is able to dial it down a notch here and give us humor that is a little more subtle--not much, but every bit helps. Ben Stiller plays the unfortunately named Greg Focker, who is on his way to meet the parents of the woman he loves. His character here is almost a reprise of his character in There's Something About Mary. Greg is desperate to make a good impression on his girlfriend's parents and his general anxiety turns into full-blown terror when he meets Pam's father, Jack Byrnes. Jack (played by Robert DeNiro) is a rather humorless man who deep down believes that no man could be good enough for his little girl.Greg has been led to believe that Jack is a retired florist, but he soon discovers that Jack has an entirely different, and much darker, past. DeNiro is perfectly cast as the foreboding father figure, and DeNiro plays the part superbly. Greg soon discovers that even the most benign chatter is a kind of test, and he feels--quite rightly--that he is failing miserably.Virtually every character in this story lies to another character at one time or another. Much of the humor revolves around little lies that necessitate either full confessions or even bigger lies. The characters choose bigger lies almost every time. ("Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive"). The biggest laughs come as we watch Greg trying to extricate himself from one of his self-spun webs or as we watch Jack setting another trap.The tone of the film reminded me of Father of the Bride. Like that film, the predictability of the plot doesn't really matter. We know from the beginning how it will ultimately end. Films like this rise or fall on the strength of the writing and the power of the performances. While there are thoroughly adequate supporting performances here, the real dynamic comes in the chemistry between Stiller and DeNiro. This is not great art or profound social commentary. But the audience roared as they watched these characters play out situations that were close enough to real to make them feel the embarrassment and frustration of the central characters. If you don't get a chance to see it at the theater, save it for a video rental. For extra fun, invite your future in-laws and see if they think it's funny.

Meeting the parents of your partner for the first time will always be nerve wracking. The pressures of making a great first impression can make any man or woman, feel awkward and nervous. For some of them, meeting the parents can turn out to be, a total disaster. Directed by Jay Roach, the film chronicles a series of excruciating moments that befall, one such man; Greg Focker (Ben Stiller), when meeting his girlfriend, Pam Byrnes's (Teri Polo) parents; overbearing father, Jack (Robert De Niro) & kind-hearted, mother Dina (Blythe Danner). Without spoiling the movie, too much, I thought the series of unfortunate events & misunderstands were very funny at the time and still, is, even if some of the jokes hasn't aged well; such with the common misconceptions and stereotypes about gender roles & sexual orientations. While, the jokes about Greg's unlucky last name were very fresh at the time for a PG-13 movie, I think, rewatching this movie, along with the films badly delivered, sequels; 2004's 'Meet the Fockers' & 2010's 'Little Fockers' have, really run that joke to the ground. It's just not as risky or funny as it used to be. Nevertheless, most of the humor is still, timeless. The whole scene of Greg, explaining, how you can milk anything with nipples, will forever, crack me up! Ben Stiller really does delivered as the good-hearted but hapless goofball of a boyfriend, without going, way, over the top with his reaction and ad lib abilities. I also love, how the movie doesn't play, too much of the slapstick physical comedy that Stiller was known for, at the time. Don't get me wrong, I love 1998's 'There's something about Mary', but I do like, how the film, for the most part, keeps the humor, realistic in tone. It makes for more, well-rounded, appealing movie, because how relatable, some of the actions scenes, were. As for Robert De Niro, it's probably, his best comedic role, ever. Even better than his role in 1999's mob comedy, 'Analyze This'. Although, playing Jack Byrnes isn't much of challenge for Niro, since there was barely any different between that movie character from the normal, dramatic commanding tough guy roles, De Niro is known for. I have to say, the role did help him, bounce back from the awfully of 2000's the live-action/animated film, 'The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle', which nearly put a halt to De Niro's comedy acting career. It really does show the public, that the man can indeed make people, laugh. One thing, I thought, the movie could had improve, upon, is giving Blythe Danner's character, more to do. Don't get me wrong, her performance was mostly fine, but Danner's talent really does seem a bit wasted, in this forgettable role. I was really, hoping for Dina, to be, just as hard on Greg as Jack is. After all, the movie is call, 'Meet the Parents', not 'Meet the Father'. Nevertheless, deep down me, I really did like the comedic performance of everybody involve with this project, ranging from James Rebhorn as Dr. Bob, Owen Wilson playing Pam's ex-fiancée, Kevin Rawley to the two five-year-old Himalayan cats that both played Mr. Jinx. I just wish, the female characters, had more to do, than stand them, looking disgust or embarrassed at Greg's actions. Regardless of that, the movie has more to give, than jokes. The movie was very well-shot. There is no better, example of fine-filmmaking than the roof scene. The way, Roach & his crew was able to show, multiply times, happening, at once is amazing. Another great thing, about this movie is the music, compose by music artist, Randy Newman. All of them, are easy-listening & worth checking out on their own. After all, Newman's original song "A Fool in Love" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. So it's worth a listen or two. Overall: I have to say, this is one of those remakes that really outshine the original movie. It makes 1992's independent film of the same name look unfunny, cheap, and amateurism. 2001's 'Meet the Parent' is a fairly good film to sit down and watch with the whole family. That's no lie. I truly do like this comedy. No need for a polygraph test to prove that.

Robert DeNiro in one of his occasional forays into comedy is both funny and terrifying as the dad from hell who scares away all of his daughter Teri Polo's boyfriends and potential husbands in Meet The Parents. Those meetings are an ordeal especially when this man who was from the CIA and specializes in subtle and not so subtle interrogation techniques and has his house bugged in every which way.The latest boyfriend is Ben Stiller who has been living with Polo and now they want to make it official. The fact they're together without benefit of clergy is enough to disqualify him from the start so Polo says let's not mention it. The second is that Stiller is a male nurse and that's not quite manly enough for dad to see as a profession for a son-in-law.Observing it all and keeping mum is Mom, Blythe Danner. One wonders how she hooked up with DeNiro all those years.Stiller and DeNiro really have the comic timing down beautifully. For Stiller this is old hat for DeNiro this is a chance to show his versatility. Best scene is the whole sequence at the airport as Stiller has decided he's had enough. He learns as well all know is that there's no such thing as ex-CIA.Two sequels have been made from Meet The Parents and who knows there may be more. I hope so.

I have watched this movie a few times now, just because it's always on TV. Ben Stiller isn't epic with the love interest scenes, but him and Robert DiNero kill their scenes for what they're given. It perfectly sums up the terrifying feelings men go through when they meet the in-laws for the first time. It's my nightmare, down to the cat, who the hell prefers a cat over a dog? The breakfast scene is the worst. Owen Wilson's character is the most punchable guy on the planet. I would have dropped that fool the second I met him, like we were on the yard and I needed to establish the fact that I'm top dog now. I think the second installment with Greg's parents is one of the few cases where the sequel may surpass the original, even though the original is nothing to write home about, it does have that comfortable feeling of familiarity.