Alan Alda, Ben Stiller, Josh Brolin

A young man, his wife, and his incompetent case worker travel across country to find his birth parents.

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66% liked it

7,254 ratings

Critics

85% liked it

41 critics

R, 1 hr. 26 min.

Directed by: David O. Russell

Release Date: March 22, 1996

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DVD Release Date: June 15, 1999

Stats: 333 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (333)


  • November 5, 2009
    "Have you flirted yet?"

    A young man, his wife, and his incompetent case worker travel across country to find his birth parents.

    REVIEW

    Hilarious and wickedly sharp satire about a young man (S...( read more)tiller in a memorable turn) searching for his identity by trying to locate his biological parents while alienating his neglected and lovely wife (the yummy Arquette) and Leoni (simply wonderful) as his adoption broker. Fine ensemble cast (especially Moore in an inconoclastic poke at her image) and Alda (ditto). Subversive good, clean fun and seriously dysfunctional family values (thank God!) from filmmaker David O. Russell beating the Sophomore Jinx (in this his second turn at the helm).
  • June 26, 2009
    Tina: Every marriage is vulnerable, otherwise being married wouldn't mean anything, would it?

    A very funny film that takes a fairly straightforward and serious premise involving finding one's birth parents and turns it into a mix of screwball comedy with some indie film quirkin...( read more)ess. It also has a terrific ensemble cast.

    Proving to me once again that Ben Stiller did his best work as an actor during the 90s, he stars as Mel, and new father with his wife Nancy, played by Patricia Arquette, who is intent on finding out who his real parents are, so he can name the baby. Aided by an adoption agent Tina, played by Tea Leoni, looking to document this event, the three head to San Diego to find Mel's real mother. Unfortunately, its just not that easy as mistakes and incompetent work by Tina leads Mel and Nancy on a trip to many different stops before finding the real parents and even then, things do go as planned.

    Mr. Coplin: Why is everyone getting worked up all of the sudden? I thought we were gunna talk about getting new carpeting. Taking out this crap and putting in the wall-to-wall.

    Also featuring Alan Alda, Lily Tomlin, Mary Tyler Moore, George Segal, Josh Brolin, and Richard Jenkins in a film written and directed by live wire David O. Russel, this movie manages to be very funny, with characters all managing to have various quirks and problems with themselves.

    Mary Schlichting: You apologize!
    Lonnie Schlichting: I'm sorry.
    Mary Schlichting: Sorry for what?
    Lonnie Schlichting: I'm sorry that I put windowpane in Mel's quail, and I'm sorry that you ate it.

    Its very enjoyable, even if things become all sorts of strange by the end. The dialog is frequently funny and all of the actors get the type of sense of humor that this movie has.

    Mel: [to Agent Tony] You got a lot of nerve. You come in here, you lick my wife's armpit. You know... I'm going to have that image in my head for the rest of my life with your tongue in there.
    Nancy Coplin: You deserve it.
  • December 31, 2008
    I mostly saw this for Tea Leoni. An early entry in the cringe-wothy comedy genre that Stiller would continue to mine.
  • March 27, 2007
    I saw it in High School and it was ok funny
  • November 7, 2006
    Dysfunctional family comedies are hit or miss, but this one hits. Hard.
  • August 21, 2009
    Ben Stiller is in it so I NEED 2 SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • July 19, 2009
    Enjoyable, but entirely too predictable.
  • May 26, 2009
    fun. not completely stupid, but close.
  • April 11, 2009
    Smarter and funnier than your average Murphy's Law comedy. "Meet the Parents" could almost be accused of plagiarism, right down to Ben Stiller's recurring mugging. The cast is the reason to see this - Tomlin, Alda and Jenkins have impressive chemistry, and it's fun to see a dif...( read more)ferent side of Josh Brolin.
  • February 27, 2009
    Hilarious and original. Some really great comic moments with Lily Tomlin, Alan Alda, and Richard Jenkins.

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Flirting With Disaster Trivia


  • Who directed the films Three Kings and Flirting with Disaster?  Answer »
  • Who directed Flirting with Disaster, Spanking The Monkey, and Three Kings?  Answer »
  • In "Flirting with Disaster," Ben Stiller and his wife, played by Patricia Arquette, travel with an adoption agency rep, played by Tea Leoni, to find his birth parents. Who played his birth parents?  Answer »

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