Meet the Parents Funny Dinner Scene
Love it! Can watch it over and over again.
Haha this is one of those comedies that you will always remember. Full of classic lines that my wife and I constantly use on daily bases, like "if it has teat then you can milk it, puff the magical dragon, the circle of trust and so on..." Meet The Parents is full of those phrases that makes me laugh every time I think about it. And that's what defines a good comedy to me. If I watch a comedy I want to laugh and with this one it's what you get. Some people might not like it but then to me they just don't have a sense of humor and that's just a pity for them. You have to like Ben Stiller though because it's basically him that is the great comedian of the movie. If you don't like him you probably not going to like the movie either. Like I don't like the movies with Adam Sandler. I think that guy is not funny and so his comedies are painful to watch for me. In Meet The Parents the whole story is basically about the relation between Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. Robert De Niro that plays his role brilliantly as well by the way. The other actors are good as well but it's not them that carry the movie. To me it's already a classic movie when I think about the best comedies I ever saw.
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Great comedy
Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) is a male nurse, poised to propose to the woman he loves, Pam (Teri Polo) but the right thing to do would be to ask her father's permission first. During a weekend of getting to know them, he manages to make a strong impression; for all the wrong reasons. Her father (Robert De Niro) isn't quite what Greg has been led to believe, and right from the start he seems to have it in for his daughter's partner.
De Niro and Stiller play off each other brilliantly, and both of them give fine comic performances, with a surprising level of depth for comedy characters. This film is packed with slick gags, hilarious scenes and it has a really fun story; it's a comedy film that you don't want to miss.
8/10
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Very funny - but the real strength of the film is being able to relate to the characters
Our story begins when a male nurse named Greg Focker (Stiller) is about to propose to his girlfriend, Pam (Teri Polo); unfortunately, things come to worst and before Greg can say, "Will you marry me?" he finds out that Pam's father, Jack (Robert De Niro) approved of Pam's sister's fiancé because he asked Jack's permission to marry her first. Taken aback, Greg decides to wait until tomorrow, whence they are going to meet Pam's parents, and ask Jack for approval before proposing to Pam. Should be a piece of cake, right? Wrong. Pam's mother (Blythe Danner) is very nice, but herein lies the problem: Not only is it apparent from the start that Pam's plant-expert father is not really a plant-expert (as Greg learns after Jack doesn't seem to recognize a plant Greg gives to him--one of the rarest plants in the world), but it turns out Jack is really in the CIA and was a "human lie detector," as Pam herself puts it. In fact, Jack even gives Greg a lie detector test in one scene to see if he liked the dinner earlier in the evening. "Yes," Greg replies, to see the needle jumping. "Well, it was a little rare for my tastes, maybe." Greg, desperately seeking approval (and nervous as ever), seems to unintentionally cause mayhem in his possible parents-to-be's home. Nerves shot like a drug addict, Greg is the definition of a nervous wreck, and all his problems seem to escalate more and more until a funny-if-sappy comedic showdown.
You know how sometimes you are really nervous, but try to hide the fact? You seem to keep your cool, until you do something, then all your nervousness explodes and you start knocking over things, saying stupid things--single-handedly DOING stupid things that you just never do? And then you look around and everyone is looking at you like you are some sort of freak? Well, that's how it is with Greg's character in "Meet the Parents"--he is so easy to identify with. Just like all of us, we want to keep our cool and impress people--but once we lose it, the coolness seems to slip farther and farther away from our grip until we are klutzes on feet. For Greg's character, small things turn bigger and bigger and bigger--from knocking over the remains of Jack's mother (and having a cat go to the bathroom on the remains), to setting the house on fire and busting the septic tank. Situations seem to escalate farther and farther out of control and they just keep getting worse and worse.
In one scene, Greg tries to impress everyone while playing volleyball in a pool. His team is losing because of him. "Get up and hit the ball," Jack says to him. So the next time the ball comes around to Greg, he jumps up and smacks the ball with all his might, sending it flying towards...Pam's sister (whose wedding is the next day), shattering her nose. Greg lands back in the pool and seems to be happy, until he realizes he smacked his sister-in-law-to-be in the nose. Then everyone looks at him like he's an insensitive idiot.
Things like that have happened to me countless times, and that is why I can so easily identify with Greg. People are yelling at Greg to do something, and when he finally does it, it backfires and everyone looks at him like he's stupid, even though he did exactly what he was told.
That's the kind of thing that makes this movie so great--not only is it extremely funny, but we can easily identify with the main character countless times throughout the film. That is, perhaps, the best thing about this comedy.
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One of the funniest comedies of the year, De Niro and Stiller make the perfect comedy pair. *** (out of four)
MEET THE PARENTS / (2000) *** (out of four)
By Blake French:
The main character in "Meet The Parents" is a Chicago-based male nurse, Greg Focker (pronounced just how it is spelled) who realizes how unlucky a person can be. He is about to propose to his schoolteacher girlfriend, Pam (Teri Polo), when her sister Debbie (Nicole Dehuff) calls and explains that her new fiancé, Dr. Bob Banks (Tom McCarthy), received a blessing from her father before he asked the question. This information makes Greg reconsider his method of choice, and instead jumps at the opportunity to meet Pam's overprotective parents when they fly to the east coast two weeks later to arrange Debbie's wedding.
At the airport, the attendants loose Greg's parcels. Thus he arrives without any luggage. Once at Pam's parent's house, they exchange greetings and aquatint themselves with each other. Pam's parents, Jack and Dina Byrnes (Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner) learn about Greg's unusual last name, that he does not like cats, and is a male nurse, all facts that do not settle well with Pam's father. Greg does manage to gift Jack with a pleasant supply of rare flowers. However, even though Pam explained to Greg that her dad is in the hobby of rare flowers, he does not seem too impressed.
Even More complications ensue, especially when Greg learns of Jack's peculiar behaviors and suspicious gadgets, such as a polygraph and hidden cameras placed in every room of the house, as well as meeting Pam's brother, Denny (Jon Abrahams), and Debbie's soon to be in laws, Larry (James Rebhorn), and Linda Banks (Phillis George), and Pam's wealthy ex-fiancée, Kevin Rawley (Owen Wilson). Soon, Greg's chances of receiving Jack's permission to wed his daughter become less and less probable as his bad luck only manages to increase.
The film introduces Greg and Pam with silly quirks that come up later in the story. Pam's parents are also quite the treat; the movie does not go over the top but portrays them with serious humor and charismatic wit. It is De Niro and Stiller who make the movie, however. They form an very effective comedic chemistry, even more amusing than the likable shtick between De Niro and Billy Crystal in "Analyze This." The filmmakers take advantage of the phenomenal tension between Greg and Jack, and place them in one hilarious situation after another.
While outrageous and at times explosively funny, director Jay Roach takes the plot seriously. His previous films, including the Austin Powers films and "Mystery, Alaska," have had trouble with taking anything seriously. But "Meet The Parents" has emotional connections, develops solid empathy for Greg, and we really believe he has something precious that can be lost: Pam.
The movie does not completely develop romantic chemistry between Ben Stiller and Teri Polo, thus there were times when I simply did not believe the two were really in love. The relationship sometimes feels trite and contrived. There are also important plot nuggets left only partially examined: Jack's pot-head son, who could have contributed a lot more to the drug related material, is left as a plot device to provide another string of conflicts within Jack and Greg.
I really enjoyed the whimsical performances and opportune casting. Ben Stiller reprises his "There's Something About Mary" role, with cute charm and the obscured zany flippancy. Robert De Niro is perfect in a role he was born to play, with serious attitude that results in the main portion of the film's funny moments. Blythe Danner is also charming in a kind of role that is becoming all too usual for her.
"Meet the Parents" is one of the funniest movies of the year. It gives audiences with a solid story that does not interfere with the comic material, but contributes to it. The top notch performances and lively direction also raise the film to a higher level. During a year in which effective comedies are an endangered species, "Meet The Parents" is a landmark achievement in light entertainment.
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A modern comedy classic with emotional depth.
Warning: Spoilers
With a hero called Gaylord M. Focker, you might expect this to be a film of snickering silliness. It IS snickeringly silly - the soon-to-be-immortal champagne/urn scene; the cat-milking discussion; the skimpy swimming trunks; the volleyball bloodbath; the flushing cat; the wooden altar conflagration; the septic tank spray etc.; all good, healthy, daft, slapstick, prurient, scatalogical stuff. And while I in no way condone Greg's vile rage directed at the air-stewardess, it is very funny.
But, 'Meet the Parents' has the emotional truths that turn it from being merely a funny film into a comedy classic. Anyone who has ever been married or about to will recognise the horrible accuracy of this film. My own father-in-law is remarkably like Jack Byrnes here; not that he is an ex-CIA spycatcher (at least, I don't think so); but in his ability to intimidate, humiliate, terrorise, impose his power.
My point is that Jack's profession is only a comic exaggeration of what all fathers- or mothers-in-law are like, figures terrified of losing their children, defending them like animals in the wild, convinced that a prospective so-and-so will never be good enough for our baby, not even thinking that neither might they have been; refusing to admit they are getting old, that they are losing power and control.
It's only logical that the monster in-law from hell should be obsessive about power and control. His domestic panopticon is a superb metaphor for extended family life, the idea of being judged, marked on 'success' or 'suitability' ratings, your every personal, financial, health etc. problem a matter for family investigation. Bitter, moi? Greg should be lucky Jack isn't married to Monica Geller's mom.
But the film doesn't simplistically pit Capraesque good guy Greg against shady CIA man Jack. If Jack is all about control, then so is Greg. The film has one of the best musical openings in recent memory ('if you're gentle and sweet, you're an idiot...'), but the opening montage is more sinister, as a faceless cameraman takes home movies of a pretty blonde. Pam is the true victim of this film, the prize in a macho battle of wits, the female bystander in the great masculine generational conflict, as Jack proves he's not past it, and Greg proves he's not a loser. Those voyeuristic home movies echo Jack's surveillance cameras and perform the same function, to watch, to control, to limit (just as Kevin remembers Pam by his photographs and his erotic memories).
One is heartened by the ironies of the ending, not just Jack breaking his word, determined to keep up his power games as he watches his CCTV's filming the most private places, where people are at their most vulnerable and exposed (revealing, truthfully, that the in-law struggle never ends)
The film also has some cutting things to say about the lingering anti-semitism in WASPish society; nothing much has changed since 'Auntie Mame'.
It is wonderful to see Robert de Niro finally getting a decent comedy. He has always been hilarious in 'straight' roles ('Mean Streets', 'Taxi Driver', 'Raging Bull' etc.), but his comic vehicles have spluttered to a halt. He is genius here, his menace, his gestures, facial contortions, way of throwing out a line like he's garrotting it - bliss. If 'Parents' finally lacks the pull of a film like 'There's Something About Mary', then it's probably the nature of the plot. 'Mary' had an active plot, it was a quest, necessitating narrative and character development, and thus more audience commitment. 'Parents' is purely destructive, as Jack tries to destroy a love that's already been built up. Sadly, this scenario is much truer.
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Get Ready to Laugh!
Warning: Spoilers
Meet the Parents is one of the funniest films this decade and it is not a spoof. I was laughing so hard, soda came bursting out of my nose. Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller did such an amazing job. I was not bored of this movie at all. Gaylord Focker and his girlfriend, Pam are set to become engaged. But to do so, they must travel to Pam's parents. It turns out that Pam's father, Jack is a CIA agent and dislikes Gaylord a lot. Gaylord did many hilarious things which includes losing a rare cat. The ironic thing is that Pam's sister got engaged and will be married....when and if Gaylord can get his act together. The acting is wonderful. You usually don't see De Niro doing movies like this. He did absolutely amazing. Ben Stiller did just as good. If you want to see this movie, get ready to laugh. This movie is full of laughs! I rate this movie 10/10.
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If you hate cats Robert De Niro will kick your butt
I know I'm late to the party, but probably so are you if you're reading reviews at this late date. "Meet the Parents" is a funny flick that hearkens back to the glorious late-80s, or maybe even earlier, when comedies weren't so preoccupied with shocking the audience with gross out gags or surprise twists. Most of this movie is wonderfully predictable, and aside from a few deliberately clumsy drug references and maybe a sexual innuendo or two, it was good clean fun from start to finish.
Most of all, I'd say it's a good date flick to prepare yourself for the inevitable agony of meeting your own boyfriend/girlfriend's parents. We all know it sucks. (If you don't think so, oh, just you wait. Sometimes it takes years for them to expose themselves as the hideous flesh eating monsters that they are.) De Niro manages to take us to the utter extreme of monster but without shattering our suspension of disbelief. This is a key point. If the situation were to become too absurd , we would lose focus on the story and instead hone in on the individual gags. While there are plenty of funny gags to go round, they are really just dressing on an already funny premise: the story of an underdog who just cannot fit in to a judgmental bourgeois family no matter how hard (and usually because of how hard) he tries.
Ben Stiller shows his acting diversity (while on a different movie set playing the terminally airheaded Zoolander) as a dorky protagonist whose best intentions are always poorly timed or received completely the wrong way.
The antagonists, in this case, everybody else in the movie, tread the fine line of comedy and irritation. That is, at any time you could find yourself laughing or hating them. What's masterfully done is the filmmaker's (and of course actors') ability to turn you on a dime, take you to the edge of wanting to kill someone but then having a hearty laugh at their antics. Like I said earlier, Robert De Niro is the anchor that makes this possible, and any casting short of him (well, or maybe Christopher Walken) would have resulted in the film falling apart due to the demands it puts on our willingness to accept a complete jerk like the character he plays. Really his only redeeming quality is that he likes cats. But that's the point, I guess. No matter how rude a person may seem, there's always something redeeming in there.
Well, maybe except for the hilariously loathsome airline attendant who appears in a short but pivotal role at the film's climax. To me, that scene was worth the price of admission.
Don't think twice, this is a movie worth seeing. Other similar films focusing on severely dysfunctional families trying to act normally include De Niro & Billy Crystal in "Analyze This", a great Andy Garcia movie called "City Island" and--this may be a stretch but--I think fans of "Meet the Parents" would really enjoy the original British "Death at a Funeral" (2007). Ya just gotta love comedies about trying to be normal in an utterly abnormal situation.
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a truly marvelous comedy
Funny as well as touching, `Meet the Parents' blazes forth as one of the outstanding comedies of recent years.
Co-writers Greg Glienna and Mary Ruth Clarke, along with director Jay Roach, have managed to make a film that is often laugh-out-loud hilarious without ever becoming overbearing or obnoxious, the style of choice for far too many other comedies made in this day and age. Although the film overflows with madcap situations and even outright slapstick at times, these comic elements are always tethered to the reality of the premise and to the emotional states of the characters involved.
The foundation for any great comedy must, first and foremost, be its ability to connect with its audience on a personal level. `Meet the Parents' does so from the very start by tapping into the universal dilemma we all face at one time or another of desperately trying to make a good impression on someone we feel holds nothing less than the fate of our lives in their own two hands. For some of us this person might come in the form a boss or a potential employer or, as in poor Greg Focker's case, those most dreaded figures of all – the prospective in-laws. The comedy arises from seeing the chain of ever more preposterous events and circumstances that come along to sabotage his efforts. Greg is a goodhearted, well-meaning nebbish who wants nothing more out of life than to marry Pam, the girl he loves. First, however, he must climb over the rather formidable barrier of her eccentric father, Jack Byrnes, played to perfection by Robert De Niro, who certainly has his own offbeat way of looking at the world.
The triumph of this film is that it never overdoes anything. The people in Pam's family and in their coterie of friends are all twisted it's true, but twisted in sly, subtle ways that knock both Greg and us slightly off our balance. Like Greg, we never quite know where these people are coming from and this greatly enhances the comedic quality of the film. Tone is everything in comedy and here the tone is just right. Byrnes can seem at one moment to be a reasonable loving father, then turn immediately around and make the most unbalanced comments about the most trivial matters. Even when the movie is at its most outrageous in terms of plot complications and slapstick, it never veers off the scale into incredibility. Part of the reason is that we feel so much empathy for Greg, the best Everyman character I have seen in a movie in a long time. Ben Stiller gives a beautifully understated comic performance in the main role. Greg's completely understandable feelings of nervousness, intimidation and growing frustration help to keep the film anchored in reality, even as the story threatens to spiral off into undisciplined absurdity. Luckily, the filmmakers never let this happen. They are also blessed with the genius of Mr. De Niro, who never makes a false move as the seemingly crazy ex-CIA agent who may or may not be harboring a few secrets of his own. Above all, De Niro never lets us bank on the extent of his character's eccentricity, which brilliantly enhances this `weekend from hell' scenario. For crazy and maddening as he can be at times, we can't help loving this character.
Finally, unlike in many other romantic dramas and comedies, the relationship between the young couple in this film is both believable and touching. Greg and Pam are so likable - and the odds against them seem so staggering - that we find ourselves rooting them on from first moment to last. Their moments together are genuinely touching at times, particularly in the film's closing stretches.
Kudos go out to everyone involved for making `Meet the Parents' one of the slyest, wittiest and flat-out funniest movies to come our way in a long, long time.
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Painfully funny
Most of the funny moments in 'Meet the Parents' involve painful scenes with Ben Stiller. He plays Greg Focker, a male nurse who loves Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo). He wants to marry her with her father's permission. He hasn't met her parents yet. The movie shows us the weekend where Stiller meets the parents. Pam's father is Jack (Robert De Niro) and her mother is Dina (Blythe Danner). The more Greg tries to impress the parents, especially Jack who is a former CIA-agent, the more he humiliates himself. Not only with his actions, also with his words and stupid lies to look better.
Stiller is perfect in this kind of role. We already saw that, especially in 'There's Something About Mary'. The more he gets in trouble, the more painful it gets, the better Stiller gets and the more we laugh. There is also a fine little part from Owen Wilson as Pam's former lover. Stiller and Wilson have made a lot of films together and for some reason their scenes always work, they at least make you smile. De Niro doesn't try very hard to be a strict person who doesn't give Greg a chance and therefore succeeds even better. The way he slowly gets harder and harder on Greg is good for a new laugh every time. 'Meet the Parents', directed by Jay Roach who also directed the 'Austin Powers' trilogy, is a fine comedy with a lot of sequences where you might feel a little uncomfortable.
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This comedy doesn't fock around. It really does meets the requirement on being funny! I'm satisfied with the results.
Warning: Spoilers
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.
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Parental Discretion
tedg 1 August 2001
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers herein.
Movies are seldom about life, but life is often about movies. Most cultural dynamics are fueled by stereotypes and those stereotypes are manufactured for us in increasing measure by film. There's a feedback loop where filmmakers chase formula and that formula follows from previous films and the stuff of this formula in most entertainment is stereotypes.
This film is pure drek. The slide of DeNiro from great actor isn't even interesting anymore. What IS interesting, at least to me, is how Stiller is reviving a certain stereotype -- the warmhearted, weak Jew: the oddball anti-intellectual. When Chaplin played the tramp, it was a class thing. When Jackson plays a literate killer, its a race thing. The portrayal of Jews at this level is both: it seems unhealthy to me, and somewhat cowardly, much lower than the septic tank jokes.
Instead of the Jew-doctor, Stiller plays a nurse who is belittled by `real' doctors. Instead of the banker powerbroker, we have Stiller easily ridden by the CIA guy (incidentally a John Bircher to judge from his bedtime reading*). His predecessor and still competitor is a Jesus-freak. He is bested by a cat. His name is derided. Shrewdness (that mainstay) is replaced by spinelessness and incompetence. His bumbling destroys an altar.
But he still aces his grad school test, and once away from the WASPs becomes aggressive, so there is some hint that underneath is a `regular' Jew. These films have lots of managers, so surely this is engineered. I can imagine the pitch, knowing they have Stiller who can play this kind of part.
Think about it. Not funny is it?
(* For those who don't know, the book DeNiro is reading is perhaps the most influential screed on `global Jewish conspiracies' in the postwar US. Such stuff as: Eisenhower was secretly a commie Jew who gave half of Europe to Stalin.)
((PS This comment was written in the same suspicious-of-everything stance.))
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De Niro The Comedian
Odd to state that "Robert De Niro is the star of this comedy," but that's the case here. One doesn't normally associate him with comedy, but he's a pretty versatile actor, and can play a lot more characters than Mafia-type thugs. He's also a pretty darned good comedian, as he first proved way back in the early '80s with Rupert Pupkin in "The King of Comedy."
Anyway, De Niro and Ben Stiller provide a lot of laughs in this modern-day comedy. No sense going into detail as there are plenty of other reviews here. I hate to see the "hero" of a movie being a character who is chronic liar (Stiller's "Greg Focker") but that's not unusual in the world of films. That, and Blythe Danner's excessive use of God's name as exclamations gets annoying.
Other than that, it's a fun movie that turned out to be a hit and justifiably so. I imagine you could get a lot of laughs from watching this over and over. That would be better than watching the sequel.
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Well? Could you?
The moment in which 'Meet The Parents (2000)' solidifies itself as an exemplary entry in the genre is the very same in which De Niro's tight-lipped, ex-CIA retiree asks his soon-to-be son-in-law a simple, innocuous question: "I have nipples, Greg. Could you milk me?". As soon as the question leaves his lips, it's clear that the movie is completely in control of its eponymous premise. Via a series of awkward interactions, haphazard misunderstandings and just a smidge of slapstick tomfoolery, the piece definitely delivers the goods when it comes to comedy. It's a fun, funny and often frustrating experience that does, essentially, exactly what it needs to. It's good-natured, remaining fairly 'feel good' even when it's putting its likeable protagonist through the wringer. Its cast is compelling and its writing is quite sharp; it's ultimately an enjoyable experience throughout. It isn't especially deep - although it hits its emotional pay-offs rather well and has a fairly major character arc - but it doesn't really need to be. It's a good time. 7/10
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Delivers on Comedy Tense
Warning: Spoilers
Meet The Parents (2000) introduces Greg (Ben Stiller) and Pam with silly quirks that come up later in the story. Pam's parents are also quite the treat; the movie does not go over the top but portrays them with serious humor and charismatic wit. It is DeNiro and Stiller who make the movie, however. The filmmakers take advantage of the phenomenal tension between Greg and Jack, and place them in one hilarious situation after another.
The more Stiller gets in trouble, the more painful it gets, the better Stiller gets, the more the audience laugh. There is also a part from Owen Wilson. Stiller and Wilson have made a lot of films together as their scenes always work. The way we see DeNiro slowly gets harder and harder on Greg is timely pacing among the directors choice decision.
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A pretty funny movie...
Warning: Spoilers
I really like this movie. I thought it was funny, and I am very excited to see the two sequels; Meet The Fockers, and Little Fockers.
This movie is about a man's worst nightmare. Meeting his girlfriend's parents. Greg Focker goes with his girlfriend, and soon-to-be (hopefully) fiancé. Whilst at the parents house, a lot of stuff goes down. Most of it being accidents, but looking like it's Greg's fault. Because of this, Pam's (the girlfriend) Father is very untrusting, and feels like Greg is hiding something. But maybe it's the Father himself hiding something from his family.
Recommended for: Ben Stiller fans, and Robert De Niro fans.
Overall, I give this movie a 7 out of 10, which in my ratings book is: Great.
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A Terrible Movie
This movie is almost painful to watch. You just feel sorry for Ben Stiller's character. He basically spends a couple days being tormented and humiliated by his girlfriend's family. There is no way anyone would put up with this crap in real life. I would have left the first night. He is intimidated and nervous around his girlfriend's father, and desperate for approval, so he screws up over and over, each time worse than the last. The father doesn't help matters, as he belittles and embarrasses the poor guy at every opportunity. (Sorry, I forget the characters names.) The girlfriend hardly does a damn thing to stick up for him. Then Dad's friends show up and join in on the fun. One scene in particular has them playing volleyball in the pool and they are ridiculing him for missing the ball. So then he overcompensates and ends up smashing his girlfriend's sister in the face with the ball. They all criticize him, telling him it's "just a game, Focker!" and act as if he meant to hurt the girl. Another is when he finally has enough and is leaving and the whole bunch stands on the porch and laughs at his given name, which we find out is Gaylord. The girlfriend says nothing, just letting the poor guy take another kick in the teeth after all the other humiliation he's been through for her sake. The entire family is totally unlikable, Focker is the only one I cared about, and that's only because I was forced to care by watching this poor guy get put through the ringer over and over. Then comes the contrived ending where everything is made good in about five minutes and he forgives all. If I were this guy, I would never speak to these psychos again. Sorry to run on so much, but this movie really affected me and I couldn't see how someone could laugh at this guy's misfortunes. Maybe it's just me...
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A comedy with Stiller at his most awkwardly best
Rating-7/10
Meet the Parents is a comedy and almost kind of romance movie that boats a stellar cast and some funny lines. The humour here is spread out well and the laughs don't just all come in one scene or the other, it makes you laugh at the end and the beginning too. I think the majority of the laughs are more physical than what they say, but what I will add is that when Greg(Ben Stiller) says certain lines, they come off brilliantly. I felt it was just about good and here below is why.
The cast here seem excellent and Ben Stiller as I mentioned is cast well in the lead role as Greg, his physical humour matches up to his line delivery and both combine very well. Robert De Niro as the father in law Jack is great as well, he somehow seems to mix serious but still feel funny and all credit to him on this one. Teri Polo as Pam, Greg's finance, is well cast and so even is Blythe Danner including people like Owen Wilson too to create a first rate bunch of characters.
It's written well, now what I will say is that the script doesn't quite produce as memorable scenes as some of the more physical jokes do but there still funny anyway. John Hamburg and Jim Herzfeld do a good job as I say writing this and both seem to combine past experiences well, with Hamburg who worked with Stiller on "Zoolander" yet again bringing out the laughs and the type of humour we have come to expect.
I think the director Jay Roach is probably the best thing in a way about this, yes you may say how is it not Stiller, but Roach is the master here when it comes to the most memorable parts, and a lot of the laughs. Roach seems to be able to not only get good delivery, but make things very awkward, and part of you even feels awkward watching it at times.
Now Meet the Parents isn't the funniest film you will ever see, if it is then there is much else out you need to see, but it does stand tall when it comes to comedy, and laughs can be had a plenty everywhere. I think although it is a typical comedy type plot, the jokes and the cast involved+ some memorable scenes create a movie that is new when it comes to jokes and even maybe creates a new type of Rom-Com.
On the jokes side again, pretty much any scene where it goes wrong for Greg is funny, whether he is hurt, hurts somebody or basically does something to destroy something, It makes not only Stiller's reactions funnier, but also how the cast react, just hilarious on that side of things. I also think how De Niro goes from actually kind of nice to angry in a matter of seconds is perfect, top class acting from the great.
So overall I think this is a good movie, just scraping into being good but still a good one. I think the reason it isn't great is that it isn't smart ENOUGH, it is smart but there could have been some better jokes or maybe even this type of plot just only works to a certain point. Nevertheless I can't recommend this more, whether you like Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro or any of the cast involved, your sure to have a great time and laugh a lot along the way.
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Meet The Parents Or Not?
'Meet the Parents' is a comedy that's funny enough for an evening watch. The central characters Pam and Greg are very likable but the Pam's family are portrayed to be slightly a bit of a caricature. I find it a bit far-fetched that everyone hates Greg. Even Pam's mother reacts with indifference. I mean she does 'object' but it's as if she could care less. But then again, 'Meet the Parents' is about the tension between Greg and Jack and both De Niro and Stiller do well with their comic abilities. Even though De Niro's character is less likable, it is nice to see him in a comedic role for a change. Stiller is his usual goofy on screen persona (a part he's best at doing). However, due to the director's focus on this, the romantic angle between Polo's Pam and Stiller's Greg isn't well developed, but Teri Polo does a good job. Blythe Danner is adequate (though I don't know whether it was the director's intention to present her as being indifferent towards Jack's cruelty). The toilet and sex humour could have been toned down as it is the overload use that brings the entertainment factor down for me. Also the story follows the old formula of a guy trying to impress his girlfriend's parents, therefore the freshness is lacking. Even so, there are a lot of loose ends such as what happens to Jack's son and his pot. But, in spite of the flaws there are a few genuine funny moments and I liked the 'race' scene towards the end, Greg's problems with the flight attendant, and Greg's attempt to propose to Pam at the beginning of the movie. Roach's direction isn't of the remarkable sort and 'Meet the Parents' mostly works to an extent because of the actors. This could have been more of a fun ride had it not been too over-the-top but it's hell of a lot better than the sequel. There are a lot more other comedies I can recommend over this, but 'Meet the Parents' isn't so bad that you won't want to give it a chance either.
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the circle of trust or circle on the outside
Warning: Spoilers
well here is my review of a hilarious film by director Jay Roache set in New York we meet the nurse Gaylord Focker as he sees his Pamela Byrnes who looks after kids he wants to get married but has meet the future family in laws so in this funny film witch is dying for a sequel as focker as a last name is going to meet her parents cue scenes of mistrust fires circle of mistrust prayers cats septic tanks volleyball car race I am watching you teddy bears cue a hilarious scene with jacks wife with Ben stiller watching the television with the camera pointing at the mothers legs with jack mistrusting him doing a polygraph test on Gaylord fockers as he was a undercover agent so he knows what going on this film is short but brilliant film I gave it 8/10 and Owen Wilson cameo is just hilarious cant wait for the next one
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DeNiro and Stiller make a surprisingly effective comic duo...
MEET THE PARENTS was the surprise hit of 2000 that firmly established comic credentials for dramatic actor Robert DeNiro and put Ben Stiller on the map. Ben plays Greg Focker, a male nurse who after becoming engaged to a schoolteacher (Teri Polo) nervously agrees to accompany her to her sister's wedding in order to meet his future father-in-law (DeNiro). Greg is naturally freaking out and try as he may, once he and Dad meet, everything that can go wrong for Greg does and it just gets worse for him as the story progresses. Stiller is wonderful as the hassled and harried everyman whose intentions are always good but the end results are never what he planned. But the real surprise here is two-time Oscar winner DeNiro in a deft comic turn as Jack Burns, the father-in-law from hell who turns out to be a former CIA agent. DeNiro proves to be equally adept at comedy here, instinctively knowing when to take center stage and when to let young Stiller shine. Polo is attractive as Pam, the woman caught between these two guys and Blythe Danner is lovely as Jack's wife and Pam's mother. Owen Wilson also provides some grins as Pam's ex-fiancée who Jack adores. Though the misery that gets heaped on Greg throughout the length of the film seems to be a bit much, the smart screenplay and attractive cast make for an entertaining comic romp. Followed by a sequel called MEET THE FOCKERS.
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Disappointing comedy.....
I guess I'm in the minority when I say that I found "Meet the Parents" to be very disappointing. In spite of all the hype and advertising, I just didn't think the film was funny. I mean when the running joke of the movie is the hero's surname (Focker) you know the producers are going to be hard up for laughs. And yes, we are again exposed to yet another "typical American family" living in an upscale neighborhood with riches and privileges only few outside the movie colony can afford.
Ben Stiller as the hero does the best that he can with limited material. Robert DeNiro as the prospective father-in-law is again parodying his tough guy image, but it doesn't come off this time as well as it did in "Analyze This" (1999). DeNiro's performance, I thought, was a bit over the top, and was for the first time a performance of his that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. The performance of Teri Polo as Stiller's love interest didn't impress me. Blythe Danner is wasted as DeNiro's scatterbrained wife. Owen Wilson's character is a bit of a mystery. How are we to believe that a hugely successful businessman such as he seems to be, can't even get a date for dinner "at the Club". My god, even ex-beauty queen Phyllis George is in the cast, but if you blink you'll miss her.
I was not impressed with the be-belittling of the nursing profession or the continuous insults heaped upon the Stiller character. If fact, I was rooting for him to turn around and walk out right from the beginning. Both Stiller and DeNiro have done and will do better. Extremely disappointing.
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Impossible not to laugh...
"Meet the Parents" is a hilarious movie which has to do with a male nurse who is getting to know the parents of his girlfriend and there his nightmare begins because her father is a very suspicious man who wants the best for his daughter. Also in this movie watch the difficulties which he has to surpass and how is going to do that.
I really liked this movie because it was unpredictable, the plot and story line were equally good. I also liked it because of the interpretation of Ben Stiller who plays as Gaylord 'Greg' Focker (boyfriend of Pam) and I believe that he made one of his best interpretations. Another good interpretations made by Robert De Niro's who plays as Jack Byrnes (suspicious father) and he was simply outstanding, Teri Polo's who plays as Pam Byrnes (daughter of Jack) and of course Owen Wilson who plays as Kevin Rawley an old boyfriend of Pam.
Lastly I have to tell you that "Meet the Parents" is one of the best comedy and romance movies which is really hilarious and I believe that everyone have to watch it because it's really worth seeing.
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I dedicate my next bowel movement to this film
Well let's start off by saying that comedy cinema has been in troubling decline for about 10 years. It's all political correct, contrived, formulaic and worst of all, unfunny.
In all my IMDb reviews, I have not rated one Ben Stiller film. All of them are pathetic (and guess what, there's something about mary was just as bad as the rest). Some fellow actors say he's so serious when he works and so many people think he's side-splitting. If you ask me, he is the most unfunny actor in the history of comedy and has a clear ability to pick the most pathetic scripts circling Hollywood.
Him aside, this film is dreadful. It isn't funny and if you think it is, then I wonder what would happen if i put a flash light to your left ear. Would I see light coming out the right side? Let's look at some of the pathetic attempt at comedy used in this one.
The character's surname is Focker. Gee that's funny (not). The screenwriters must have agonized for months before coming up with the idea of giving the main character a surname that they can milk about 1000 unfunny one-liners and jokes from. Then, after you think they milked that one for everything it's worth, a sequel emerges titled "Meet the Fockers", where the surname is giving rise to more material. Suffice to say that the sequel was worse than this, but I won't review it since I can't set the IMDb star rating into negative territory.
Then they set up stupid and deeply contrived scenarios like Mr. Focker going through the brother's underwear draw. Gee, that one was funny and original..... NOT.
After this, the writers obviously had to apply their intelligence as they must have realized that it was seriously lacking. So they ever so slightly raised the bar and tried to come up with the father-in-law from hell, even though that in itself is deeply clichéd. So they made him some sort of ex-CIA something or rather, with a lie detector in his basement so that the future son-in-law's sexual past can be probed.
At this point, I actually felt embarrassed for Robert De Niro. Someone certainly must have called in a big favor to get him on-board this rubbish.
Another pathetic protuberance along the downwardly-inclined road that is Hollywood comedy.
And.... I've said it before so I'll say it again - I'm still waiting for a Ben Stiller film that I actually like.
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Stiller Strikes Again
It's not entirely clear why Ben Stiller continues to get work and acclaim for his performances, since he really doesn't do much at all. His main role in any given film is to stand there and look dumbfounded as the world falls apart around him. He played one of his most successful versions of this when he played Gaylord Focker. The first time was in "Meet the Parents", which was a remake of a little seen independent film. Stiller plays a male nurse, a detail that punctuates several of the running jokes. He goes home with his fiancée for a wedding, at which point Murphy's Law strikes, his patience is tested, and all of that.
Robert DeNiro is here too, fresh off his uncharacteristic comic turn in "Analyze This". He plays the fiancée's overbearing, ultra-critical, highly suspicious father. It's a role that was originally slated for Christopher Walken, who would have ruined it with an added sense of creepiness. The main meat of the film comes from the tug-of-war between DeNiro's psychological testing and Stiller's struggle to be heard and accepted. This is a classic formula that works surprisingly well as a modern-day screwball comedy, given the weaknesses in Stiller and his irritating and frequent co-star Owen Wilson.
"Meet the Parents" is a formulaic comedy with a bit of a dark streak. It's a decent movie with some memorable bits, but it's more of a trial to get through than enjoyable which is something ironed out in time for the sequel.
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I want my money back
This is perhaps the worst film I have seen in ten years. It simply was not funny...the gags were predictable (His name was "Focker"...her middle name Martha...they marry and what's her full name???) Awful. Not even DeNiro can save this one. The theater wasn't 1/3 full, and only a little red haired lady in the back would laugh now and then...I walked out it was so bad, and really would like my money back.
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Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212338/reviews
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