Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19606 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-01-17
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL, Special Edition, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 103 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Randy Newman's opening song, "A Fool in Love", perfectly sets up the scenario of Meet the Parents: "Show me a man who is gentle and kind and I'll show you a loser". Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) is the fool in love. Just as he's about to propose to his girlfriend Pam (Teri Polo), he learns that her sister's fiancé asked their father, Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro), for permission to marry. Now he feels the need to do the same thing. When Greg meets Jack, he is so desperate to be liked that he makes up stories and feebly attempts to ingratiate himself with his prospective father-in-law rather than having the courage of his convictions. It doesn't take an elite member of the CIA to see right through Greg, but unfortunately that's precisely what Jack is. Directed by Jay Roach (the Austin Powers films), Meet the Parents is a well-crafted comedy that makes for a pleasant contrast to the sloppy excesses of the Farrelly brothers. Stiller is great at playing up the uncomfortable comedy of errors, balancing just the right amount of selfishness and self-deprecating humour, while De Niro's excels as the intimidating father. Blythe Danner as his wife, the Gracie to De Niro's George Burns, is the true heart of the film and Owen Wilson turns in yet another terrific comic performance as Pam's ex-fiancé. --Andy Spletzer, Amazon.com

Synopsis
MEET THE PARENTS stars Ben Stiller as the unfortunately named Greg Focker, a neurotic nurse intent on marrying his girlfriend, Pam (Teri Polo). But when the couple visits Pam's family home for her sister's wedding, he must first win the approval of her father, Jack (Robert De Niro), a protective ex-CIA agent. Before long, the awkward Greg and the suspicious Jack go head-to-head, resulting in hilarious scenes that feature a lie detector test, a suburban car chase, a toilet-trained cat, and a mean game of water volleyball. As the misunderstandings and mistakes reach an almost nightmarish peak, it seems as though Greg may never win over Pam's unflinching guardian. Featuring the inspired pairing of Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller (and an excellent appearance by Owen Wilson), director Jay Roach's clever comedy exemplifies every man's worst fears about courtship. When things for Stiller's character get bad, they just continue to get worse, culminating in a ridiculously funny airport scene. In the tradition of ANNIE HALL and FLIRTING WITH DISASTER, MEET THE PARENTS is an intelligent yet slapstick comedy about the eccentricities of the American family.

Customer Reviews

What a great film!
This film is just hilarious. It really does cheer you up to know that you are not Ben Stiller. I love De Niro's face it is comical!! This is a good film for everyone. I love the moments when you squirm because you are that embarrassed for Stiller's character. And if you are a dog lover and a cat hater this is definately your cup of tea!! However if your wedding is next week dont watch this before hand - watch it after, you will be so relieved at how your wedding went so smoothly.

Meet The Parents
Meet the Parents is one of those films that has a more gentle snigger quality to the laughs it brings rather than being an outrageous mirth fest but for all that it still remains an awfully funny film.

Probably where the humour works best is that the story remains very realistic in both the basic plot, the feelings of nervousness and dread at meeting your would be in-laws for the first time and trying to make the all important good first impression, and it also works very well in that the story progression remains plausible even if a little far fetched as we watch the poor hapless Greg bumble from one awful mishap to the next.

Stiller is one of those curious actors who can sometimes do as much as turn off his audience with his capering, as appeal to them. Happily in this film he plays it just right and comes across as a most loveable innocent trying to do his best to appeal to his fiancée's parents. De Niro is fantastic and pulls of a performance that is magnificent in its "understatedness", his facial expressions alone cause as nearly as many laughs as the crazy situations the film produces.

As I say the humour is quite subtle rather than laugh out loud but it is still very sharp and quite biting. In this sense the rather sentimental and soppy ending looks a little out of place and comes over a little weak in comparison to the rest of the film.

That said though, all in all it's still an awfully funny film and represents great entertainment.

Laugh out loud comedy
Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) is in love with his girlfriend, Pam, and he is just about to ask her to marry him when he finds out that her sister has just got engaged, and her fiance has asked her father, Jacks (Robert DeNiro) permission first. Feeling he needs to do the same it is time to meet Pam's parents.

So desperate is he to please Jack that from the off when asked questions and faced with situations he concocts stories and scenarios to show himself up in the best light possible. Seeing straight through him and unbeknown to Gregg, Jack is not the ex rare plant salesman Pam told him he was, but is instead an ex-CIA operative, who'll be damned if he's going to let his beloved Pam marry some pothead nurse!

This film is a great laugh, with the main cast seemingly perfect for their roles, DeNiro in particular is brilliant and Owen Wilson superb as the ex-fiance.
The movie combines moments that are hilarious but also make you want to cringe with embarrassment, usually for Greg, with pure laugh out loud one liners and visually comical scenes. This is a brilliant comedy that I have watched a several times, and I'd definitely recommend it as a must see.