Krippendorf's Tribe (1998)

14% of critics liked it
(36 reviews)
22% of users liked it
(6,873 ratings)

Todd Holland directed this Charlie Peters adaptation of Frank Parkin's novel. Respected anthropologist James Krippendorf (Richard Dreyfuss) and his wife, Jennifer (Barbara Williams), bring their three children along during their failed search in New Guinea for a lost tribe. After Jennifer's death,… More Todd Holland directed this Charlie Peters adaptation of Frank Parkin's novel. Respected anthropologist James Krippendorf (Richard Dreyfuss) and his wife, Jennifer (Barbara Williams), bring their three children along during their failed search in New Guinea for a lost tribe. After Jennifer's death, James reaches a zero point back in the U.S., having spent all his foundation grant money raising the kids as a single parent. Scheduled to lecture at a college and fearful he could be charged with misuse of grant funds, James concocts an imaginary tribe, the Shelmikedmu, and fakes a 16 mm "documentary" film, casting his children as tribe members and editing in footage of a legit New Guinea tribe. Anthropologist Veronica Micelli (Jenna Elfman) contacts cable-TV producer Henry Spivey (David Ogden Stiers), forcing James to continue creating fraudulent footage as the rival Ruth Allen (Lily Tomlin) gets suspicious. It seems a shame this racially insensitive film was made, while the once-announced plans to film anthropologist Kenneth Good's nonfiction Into the Heart (Simon & Schuster, 1991) never led to a production. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: Todd Holland
Written By: Charlie Peters
Genres: Comedy, Kids & Family

In Theaters: Feb 27, 1998 Wide
On DVD: Jun 4, 2002

Critic Reviews

Steve Crum, Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers
Pretty lame comedy stuff with Dreyfuss leading family misadventures. Sophomoric.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
The fact that people loved this movie is beyond me; the fact that it was an Oscar contender blows me away.
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Dreyfuss deserves a whole lot better than this garbage.
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
Though it settles for easy laughs, the laughs remain appreciated.
Eric D. Snider, EricDSnider.com
In order to find Krippendorf's Tribe funny, you must agree with it on one fundamental principle: Penises are funny.
Shawn Bowers, Kansas City Star
Look at Richard Dreyfuss on the poster, weep for him, and then rent something else.

Read all 6 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Curtis L

Boy, I hope it's a good movie. Yeah, it's not.
Lafe F

Ooga-Booga! Richard Dreyfuss is hilarious in this movie when he invents his own lost tribe. A fun comedy.
xGary X

Quite how we're expected to swallow the idea that a collection of eminent anthropologists would be fooled by Richard Dreyfuss' wife and kids running around a middle american suburb in grass skirts is beyond me, but he's his usual likeable self in an inconsequential but… More
Quite how we're expected to swallow the idea that a collection of eminent anthropologists would be fooled by Richard Dreyfuss' wife and kids running around a middle american suburb in grass skirts is beyond me, but he's his usual likeable self in an inconsequential but inoffensive family comedy.
Dean M

This family film is wildly funny and Richard Dreyfuss & Jenna Elfman are hilarious.
Sunil J

Maybe not the best movie but it's clever and hilarious.