Once in a while,
you feel like seeing something from the old days—thirteen years ago, to be
exact—and I found myself watching Meet the Parents again. I never
appreciated it more than I did now.
The movie is a remake of a 1992 film of the same name, which was written and
directed by Greg Gilenna, who also starred in the movie. The 1992 version was
an independent film and cost only 100,000. Later, Universal Studios bought
the film rights and pumped money ($55 million) into an expanded version of the
1992 film and Meet the Parents (2000) was born.
When the makers
made this movie, there was no plan for a part two or three, so what you’re
watching is the raw masterpiece of when Robert De Niro met Ben Stiller. I just
found myself laughing all the way through. The comedy in this movie is
first-class, the delivery is done with precision, and each comic moment hits
home. When you’re watching this movie, you’ll fully appreciate the acting force
of the duo (De Niro and Stiller).
The movie plot is about Greg meeting his would-be in-laws. Here, Greg
(Ben Stiller) intends to marry his live-in girlfriend, Pam Byrnes, but decides
to get her father’s (Robert De Niro) approval before proposing to her.
So, Greg follows
Pam to her parents’ house as preparations are being made for Pam’s sister’s
wedding, thinking it’s the best opportunity to meet Pam’s parents and get her
father’s permission. As simple as it may seem, things don’t work out as
planned. Greg becomes a menace in the Byrnes household—from almost blinding the
soon-to-be bride to losing the cat, burning down the altar, and flooding the
septic tank. Greg ends up making life hell for the Byrnes family.
The other cast
members in the movie also add to the fun, especially Owen Wilson. The movie’s
cast may have been why the budget was so high, but it was totally worth it. I’m
going to save this movie in my archive to watch again in the near future.
That said, I must add that the pacing can feel uneven at times, with some comedic moments dragging on longer than necessary. While De Niro and Stiller have great chemistry, the film tends to rely too much on repetitive gags. These, lose their impact over time, and can affect you finding those instances funny when you are rewatching the movie.
Another set of things to note is, the plot itself is predictable, and it also leans more on slapstick rather than delving into character development, which can make the movie feel like a series of jokes instead of a fully developed story.
After this
movie, there was Meet the Fockers (2004) and Little Fockers (2010).
Both were far from being as good as the first, and the introduction of Dustin
Hoffman and Barbra Streisand in the sequels was fun in the first (Meet the
Fockers) but overstretched in the second.
I totally advise
that you do as I did and go see this movie again. I guarantee it’ll be worth
it.
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