The Movie Guys: ‘Meet the Parents’ provides plenty of laughs

Friday, Oct. 6, 2000 | 9:48 a.m.

he Movie Guys, starring Jeff Howard and Dave Neil, appears Fridays in the Sun. They can also be seen on the 11 a.m. Friday newscast on KVVU Channel 5. Plus, check them out online at lasvegassun.com/sun/sunlife/visual and themovieguys.com.

Grade: Jeff B, Dave A-

Starring: Robert DeNiro, Ben Stiller, Blythe Danner and Teri Polo.

Screenplay: Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg.

Director: Jay Roach.

Rated: PG-13, for mature themes, language and adult situations.

Running time: 107 minutes.

Playing at: UA Green Valley Cinemas, UA Showcase 8, UA Rainbow Promenade 10, Century Orleans, Century Suncoast, Century Cinedome 12 Henderson, Las Vegas Drive-in, Regal Cinemas Boulder Station, Regal Cinemas Colonnade 14, Regal Cinemas Texas Station 18.

Synopsis: Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) is head over heels in love with his girlfriend, Pam (Teri Polo), and is ready to pop the question. When his attempt to propose is thwarted by a phone call with the news that her younger sister is getting married, Greg realizes that the key to Pam's hand in marriage lies with her formidable father, Jack Byrnes (Robert DeNiro). A trip to New York for her sister's wedding seems just the right occasion for Greg to ask Pam to be his wife. But everything that could possibly go wrong does.

Dave: As my partner in critical crime, Jeff, can attest to, I have had my fair share of girlfriends with whom I've had the pleasure, in most cases anyway, of meeting the parents. Naturally, you like to leave a long-lasting impression to earn their trust and respect. Besides, your first impression is always their last. Now depending on the situation -- whether you meet the family during a special occasion, a holiday gathering, or simply for dinner -- you want to look your best, mind your manners and maybe even bring a gift to show how thoughtful you can be. However, disaster sometimes seems imminent, which is the case in the latest farce that crosses the legendary two-time Oscar-winner DeNiro with comic star Ben Stiller. Fortunately for me, I never experienced the extremes that Stiller bears through in one weekend with his prospective in-laws. Well, at leas t none that I'll ever admit to.

Jeff: "Meet the Parents" is funny to the bone from beginning to end -- no doubt the funniest movie of the year. Its humor is deeply rooted in slapstick, and is situational humor with every confrontation more outrageous than the previous. It begins with misunderstanding and concludes with utter chaos. You're a secret witness to every blundering move that Greg (Stiller) makes -- moves that destroy a family urn, containing the ashes of a beloved grandmother, with a champagne cork, or giving a black eye to the bride-to-be during a pool-volleyball game the day before the wedding. All innocent mistakes that could happen to anyone, but talk about the wrong place at the wrong time! Greg can't do anything right and when he tries, the greater the disaster becomes. He is a sympathetic character and tailor-made for Stiller, whose timing and expressions are the makings of a comic genius. Somehow he finds the balance between comedy and a romantic lead.

Dave: Along with his beautiful girlfriend, Pam (Teri Polo), Greg hopes to win the approval of her eccentric parents (DeNiro and Blythe Danner), while living up to the high expectations that her difficult father, Jack, has set. "How do you pronounce your last name?" inquires Pam's mother, Dina. With a bit of nervous hesitation, Greg answers, "ah, you pronounce it like it is spelled. F-O-C-K-E-R." Before you know it, his own last name becomes a hilarious double meaning. However, Greg eventually enters "the circle of trust," which reveals Jack as a retired CIA agent and a specialist in psychological profiling. Just another added pressure to live up, to since the family has no idea that both Pam and Greg are living together. And just as Jack is suspicious of Greg and his intentions with his daughter, Greg is equally curious about Jack and his secretive acts ar ound the house, which lead to calamitous results.

Jeff: DeNiro has attempted comic roles before, most of which have not been successful including last summer's bomb "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle." He seems right at home playing the father figure. He is over-protective, as any father would be, and goes to great lengths to safeguard his daughter. Stiller and DeNiro are a comedy match made in heaven. Just one stern look from DeNiro is worth a thousand words, and combined with Stiller's fidgety antics, the film works on an effortless level. The supporting cast provides adequate relief, but I wish Owen Wilson (last seen in the hit comedy "Shanghai Noon") as Pam's ex-boyfriend, Kevin, was used more. What surprised me most about "Meet the Parents" was its ability to generate laughs without pushing the vulgarity button, as did "There's Something About Mary." Don't get me wrong: I loved that film and its vulgarity, but here it wasn't needed. Different directors and a different approach accomplished its mission on a simplisti! c level and relied on the embarrassing situations for the laughs.

Dave: Furthermore, Jeff, the film has a universal appeal, as just about everyone has been placed in the predicament of winning the approval of another (namely your future in-laws). Director Jay Roach (the eye behind the blockbuster successes of both "Austin Powers" movies) capitalizes on such a dilemma and pushes the uncomfortable situation into an entangled, absurd mess. Roach develops more of a mature comedy and paces the relationship between our antagonist/protagonist with such enjoyable subtlety. Plus it doesn't hurt in having such established talent in Stiller, DeNiro and Co., along with a sharp script by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg. However, I must point out to you, Jeff (before our faithful readers brutally criticize you), DeNiro's recent venture into the realm of comedy with such recent entries as "Wag the Dog" and "Analyze This." But you hit the nail right on the head with "Meet the Parents" being "the funniest movie of the year."