Meet The Parents (2000)

3 out of 4

Starring: Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner, Owen Wilson, James Rebhorn

Director: Jay Roach

Time: 107 mins

Meet The Parents postulates the ultimate nightmare for a man about to propose to his girlfriend: meeting the prospective in-laws for the first time and making a fool of oneself. And not only making a fool of oneself, but almost destroying the girlfriend's sister's upcoming wedding, losing the girlfriend's father's much-loved pet cat, and setting fire to the potential in-laws' house in the process. A big hit earlier this year in North America, Meet The Parents contains many humorous moments, as our man's troubles leap from bad to worse and his well-intentioned deeds spiral out of control. It's not the funniest comedy released this year, but what there is is hilarious. It's also one of the more painful (in an embarrassed and feel-sorry-for-the-guy sort-of way) and yet eventually pleasant films to grace our screens in the past twelve months as well.

Ben Stiller again plays a lovable fellow who is insecure and trying to impress his girl, much like his character from There's Something About Mary. Here he is Greg Focker (an unfortunate name, yes), who is plucking up the courage to ask his girlfriend Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo) to marry him. Before he does so, however, he must ask her father's permission. A weekend stay at Pam's parents' place in New York state is arranged, providing the perfect opportunity for Greg. Here he meets Pam's father Jack (Robert De Niro) and mother Dina (Blythe Danner). Things don't start off too well for Greg, who is forced to sleep in the den. Later on, Pam's sister Debbie (Nicole DeHuff) and brother Denny (Jon Abrahams), as well as Debbie's fiance Bob Banks (Thomas McCarthy) and his parents, join them in a rehearsal for Debbie's wedding. As the weekend progresses, Greg finds himself more and more at odds with Pam's dad, as he gets into a variety of situations that tests the older man's patience. To make matters worse, Pam's ex-fiance, Kevin Rawley (Owen Wilson), is the best man for Debbie and Bob's wedding! How can Greg rectify all the problems he's created and redeem himself in front of Pam's parents?

There's a grounding of truth to the events in Meet The Parents, even if eventually they become a recurrence of Murphy's famous law ("Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."). I'm sure a lot of men are apprehensive when it comes to meeting the parents of the girl they love, no matter how at ease anyone else tells them to be. The film doesn't quite have the almost laugh-a-minute consistency that distinguished director Jay Roach's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, but as Greg leaps from one disaster to another, you'll find yourself laughing pretty hard. The resolution is too easy, in my opinion, though I'm sure there would have been very few ways to satisfactorily solve Greg's problems, given what he goes through. The ending may be happy, but there is the sense that Jack is still unsure about Greg. A potential (and now almost mandatory, given this film's success) sequel is also set up.

Stiller, a comedian who knows what makes a person laugh, perfectly plays the nervous Greg, who's never sure how to impress Pam's stern-looking father. He is definitely not afraid to make himself look foolish or stupid, as this and his role in There's Somethng About Mary (as well as that MTV awards parody of Mission: Impossible 2, where he played Tom Cruise's stunt double, Tom Crooze) showed. Likewise, De Niro, who has been dabbling in comedies lately (following Wag The Dog, Analyze This and the yet-to-be-released-in-Australia Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle) is also very good, investing the right amount of menace and warmth to make his Jack someone to be feared and yet liked. The pretty Teri Polo takes a back seat to the male leads, and Blythe Danner plays the kind of caring mother Diane Keaton would be proud of portraying. Owen Wilson, who was very funny in the recent Shanghai Noon, has a minor role here as the rich former fiance of Pam.

The fun begins when you hear Randy Newman's distinctive voice singing a jolly song during the opening titles. Not that Randy is a funny singer or anything like that, but you know when Randy writes such a song, you're in for a pleasant time. Meet The Parents is that sort of film: a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours, with good performances from Stiller and De Niro, and some good laughs along the way. Recommended.

(c) Joe Wong (26 December 2000)