'Meet the Parents'
The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts Kyle Brandt for a weekend away to play some indoor pool volleyball and rewatch the hit 2000 comedy 'Meet the Parents,' starring Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo, and Blythe Danner.
Cast
Ben Stiller as Greg Focker
Robert De Niro as Jack Byrnes
Teri Polo as Pam Byrnes
Blythe Danner as Dina Byrnes
Owen Wilson as Kevin Rawley
James Rebhorn as Dr. Larry Banks
Directed by: Jay Roach
Written by: Jim Herzfeld, John Hamburg
Music by: Randy Newman
Notes
- Bill and Kyle both consider this one of the best comedies of its era, arguing it holds up better than most early-2000s comedies.
- They discuss how Ben Stiller was perfectly cast as the 'every man who everything goes wrong for' archetype, comparing it to his similar roles in There's Something About Mary and 'Along Came Polly'.
- Robert De Niro's performance as Jack Byrnes is praised as one of his best late-career roles – the idea of De Niro playing a menacing father-in-law who happens to be ex-CIA was genius casting.
- They note the cat (Mr. Jinx) was basically a co-star and one of the most memorable movie animals ever.
- Kyle argues this movie launched an entire subgenre of 'meeting the in-laws' comedies that tried to replicate its success.
- They discuss how Owen Wilson's brief appearance as the ex-boyfriend Kevin stole every scene he was in, a classic 'that guy' performance.
Categories
The indoor pool volleyball scene where Greg spikes the ball into his future sister-in-law's face
Quote from Rog's review:
“The genius of Meet the Parents is that the characters are believable and powerful enough that it doesn't need to push beyond the edge of the possible.”
Ebert appreciated the comedy but felt it relied too heavily on cringe humor.
- Robert De Niro's performance as the intimidating father-in-law – it became a cultural archetype
- The lie detector scene
- Some of the Greg Focker name jokes
- The airport security humor feels different post-9/11
This is a Hanks movie – an everyman just trying to get through an impossible weekend
Owen Wilson as Kevin Rawley, the perfect ex-boyfriend who carves altars and is beloved by everyone
Jim Carrey was originally considered for the Greg Focker role
Ben Stiller's run of There's Something About Mary, Meet the Parents, Zoolander, and Along Came Polly
2000: the height of the comedy boom era with studios greenlighting high-concept comedies with big stars
Kyle argues Meet the Parents is a top-5 comedy of the 2000s
Ben Stiller milking the cat and the urn scenes for maximum physical comedy
The lie detector scene wouldn't actually work that way – polygraphs aren't that reliable or responsive
Never try to impress your future in-laws by lying about everything