Product Description

The Thing About My Folks is a heart warming tale of family bonds and enduring love. After 47 years of marriage, Ben's (Reiser) mother unexpectedly leaves her husband. With no where else to turn, Ben's father Sam (Falk) is forced to spend time and get to know his son. Hysterical antics ensue as Ben and Sam strengthen their father/son relationship while Ben helps his father rekindle the romance with his mother.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41599 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2006-02-14
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 98 minutes

Amazon.com
The thing about Ben's folks is that, after four decades, they're breaking up. It starts when Sam (Peter Falk) finds a letter from Muriel (Olympia Dukakis). She's gone off to find herself, he tells Ben (writer/producer Paul Reiser, Mad About You) and daughter-in-law Rachel (Elizabeth Perkins). He isn't as upset as he is confused. Mostly, he thinks it's just a misunderstanding. Ben and Rachel offer to let him stay with them, so he starts spending all his time with his son. Sam doesn't have anything else to do and Ben, a freelance writer, can't bring himself to say no. Meanwhile, Ben's older sisters put their heads together to determine where their mother has gone and to make sure she's all right. After a bumpy start, Ben and Sam bond while on a road trip through upstate New York. The Thing About My Folks is sensitively acted by a talented cast and appears to have been made with love (Reiser wrote the part of Sam specifically for Falk). It elicits a few laughs and even a few tears, but the language is unnecessarily profane--no one would confuse the Kleinmans for the Sopranos--and the humor can be a little crass--for a film aimed at adults, gags about flatulence seem ill-advised. Still, Reiser's heart is in the right place. Sometimes that can be enough, although Raymond De Felitta's previous film, Two Family House, is a more original look at the complexities of family life. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews

THE REAL DEAL
I just viewed this movie last night with my husband and we thought it was THE BEST! I feel it deals with REAL families and emotions, right down to the "farts". I didn't realize Paul Reiser was such a talented writer. He turned out a movie that didn't once make me feel that it was contrived or stilted. It was like being with the family---a family that cares and shows anger and fear and frustration and LOVE. And it shows us that we CAN grow and change AND still love and support each other.
It was one of the best 98 minutes we've had together right up to and including the tears we shared at the end. Right on, Paul Reiser! Don't let anyone convince you otherwise, this is THE REAL DEAL!!

"You're talking out of your @** right now"
This movie opens with a funny scene with a good monologue given by Ben (Paul Reiser) describing his father's talcum powder habit. We soon learn that Ben's mother (who is in her 70s) has left his father and has not disclosed her whereabouts to anyone.

Peter Falk plays Sam, the unfortunate husband. He has a heart of gold, although he seems to be quite difficult to deal with. What a character, though! In spite of his character flaws and thick-headedness, there is something very lovable about his personality. There are some really great scenes between Peter Falk and Paul Reiser. Some are funny - and others are touching and honest, as these two men go on a "road trip" of sorts together. These are two good men who seemingly needed this time with each other.

Ben's mother and father ultimately reunite, under unexpected circumstances, and the movie has a very sweet ending. Some of the characters in this film reminded me of members of my family, which made the viewing experience very enjoyable for me. The characters are so relatable and so honest that I believe all of us will be able to relate to it, on one level or another. The movie is funny, quirky and entertaining. I would recommend it.

"Families!"
Paul Reiser's new movie is an absolute delight. It will touch your heart and your humor button. Paul's story is so close to the stories of most of the families I know. The story is so real. I appreciated the excellent acting on the part of all of the actors. The rapport between the sisters was hilarious because we have all heard similar remarks go back and forth among siblings. All in all, this is one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. The only negative comment that I have is that some of the language (about which we were warned) is not good at all. Seems like writers and producers think that they have to insert off-color words, but I wish they would understand that most families just don't talk that way. To spite the language (for which they have a PG-13 rating), I highly recommend the movie. You will enjoy the time you spend watching the film.