Screwball Comedy with a big heart (Meet the Parents (DVD))

Member Name: huggy2009

Product:	Meet the Parents (DVD)
Date:	31/05/09 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The cast, the direction and writing, a very funny film

Disadvantages: Nothing

Meet the Parents is a funny story based as much on the strong personalities of its stars as it is on the flimsy story itself. Written by Greg Glienna and directed by Jay Roach it is a comedy with heart and it made a lot of money at the box office.

The film is based around Gaylord 'Greg' Focker (Ben Stiller) a male nurse who means well but is very accident prone, the role is almost a follow on from his character in 'There's something about Mary'. Greg plans to propose to his girlfriend Pam (Teri Polo) unfortunately having organised her school kids to spell the words 'Will you marry me' out, she receives a call from her sister to say she is getting married. Greg is scuppered but he and Pam are invited before the wedding to go and 'Meet the Parents' for a weekend.

Greg meets Jack and Dina Byrne (Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner), Jack instantly dislikes 'Greg' and takes delight in humiliating him at every opportunity, Greg doesn't help himself by inadvertedly giving the bride a black eye, by losing the families beloved cat 'Mr Jinx' and setting fire to the Wedding Altar, the film is one of those where Greg tries to win the families trust and we hope he does.

The Cast:

Stiller is perfect for the role of Focker, he tries his best but absolutely fails at every opportunity, the set pieces are very funny and he really plays himself up as a loveable fool. De Niro is superb, he really gets into his role as Jack, the ex CIA operative and plays up to it, he's funny, anally retentive and really doesn't like Focker, Jack is a great comedy creation, full of little ticks and unnatural adoration of his cat 'Mr Jinx', Danner and Polo do well playing the straighter roles. Owen Wilson is also excellent in the supporting role of Kevin Rawley, Pam's perfect ex fiancé, a self made man with a love of carpentry.

My View:

This is a funny film, full of little and big jokes, the scenes where Greg gives the bride a black eye and the one where he loses Mr Jinx are very funny, the cast all look like their having fun, it is a comedy which is almost a throwback to the old Billy Wilder films a farce with a good heart underneath, Stiller is good as the unlikely hero, De Niro is great as the uptight Jack and the whole film is a cracking comedy full of humour, good heart and a real sense of occasion, in a way its quite a romantic film, as Greg must love Pam a hell of a lot to put up with what he does and as much as Focker is a fish out of water, the family he visit are just as odd in their own way.

The DVD is available on Amazon for £5, it included deleted scenes and commentary from the director and stars.

Summary: Very Funny Film with a Great Cast