Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41701 in DVD
• Brand: Universal Studios
• Released on: 2004-12-14
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, Special Edition, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English, French, Hebrew, Spanish, Thai
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 108 minutes

Amazon.com
Randy Newman's opening song, "A Fool in Love," perfectly sets up the movie that follows. The lyrics begin, "Show me a man who is gentle and kind, and I'll show you a loser," before praising the man who takes what he wants. Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) is the fool in love in Meet the Parents. 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 kisses ass rather than having the courage of his convictions. It doesn't take an elite member of the CIA to see right through Greg, but that's precisely what Jack is. Directed by Jay Roach (the Austin Powers movies), Meet the Parents is an incredibly well-crafted comedy that stands in nice opposition to, say, the sloppy extremes 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 humor, while De Niro's Jack is funny as the hard-ass father who just wants a few straight answers from the kid. What makes the Jack character all the funnier is Blythe Danner as his wife, the Gracie to his George Burns, who is the true heart of the movie. Oh, and Owen Wilson turns in yet another terrific comic performance as Pam's ex-fiancé. --Andy Spletzer

From The New Yorker
Jay Roach moves on from the campy delights of the Austin Powers series to direct this smoothly acted comedy of errors. Ben Stiller plays a modern man charged with a Victorian task: asking his girlfriend's father for permission to marry his daughter. With a calamitous surname ("pronounced just like it's spelled, F-O-C-K-E-R") and a faintly hilarious profession (male nurse), Stiller seems like a sitting duck for the secretive, overprotective father, played by Robert De Niro. Stiller grovels, De Niro growls, and the girls (Blythe Danner and Teri Polo) watch from the sidelines. This is dumbed-up comedy: there are just enough unexpected moments to redeem all the easy pleasures of the slapstick. -Michael Agger
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Very Funny Movie(Another Ben Stiller Winner)
I wasn't really sure what to expect with Robert De Niro in a more comedic role and the so-so reviews of Meet the Parents. Well, let me be the first to tell you that all theses reviews were wrong and De Niro shined in his role as the father. The toilet humor of There's Something About Mary is still present in Meet the Parents--I won't give any of it away since the shock factor is what makes these scenes so hilarious. Ben Stiller is wonderful as Gregory, the misguided yet well-intentioned boyfriend of Jack's daughter. This movie had so many well placed comic moments that I never really stopped laughing. Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller make such a great pair because of the fact that they are such polar opposites. De Niro's paranoia feeds Stiller's own paranoia and makes for a lot of awkward but humorous confrontations. Their misunderstandings range from the hidden meaning of "Puff the Magic Dragon" to premarital relations. Mixed in somewhere within the gags and the shock humor is a nice romance story that is somewhat generic but never overshadows Stiller and De Niro's relationship. Meet the Parents is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time and I implore you to see it.

Absolutely Hysterical!!!
My husband & I actually went to see this movie the week before he was going to ask my father for my hand in marriage - thank God he already knew my family, or I think this movie may have scared him off!!!

I have to say that we laughed SO hard during this movie that our cheeks hurt! And, everyone else in the theater was laughing hysterically too. In fact, when it was over, everyone in the theater stood up and clapped - I've only seen a standing ovation in a movie theater twice in my life!

"Meet the Parents" is a romantic comedy about about an awkward guy who is ready to ask his girlfriend to marry him. However, just as he's ready to pop the question, he finds out that her sister's boyfriend had just asked her father for her hand in marriage (and his girlfriend makes it clear that she thinks that this is the way it should be)- so now, he not only has to meet her parents, he has to look good enough in their eyes so that they'll say yes to his proposal.

Well, he winds up becoming even more awkward - telling lies just to look better than he his, and always in such a way that ANYONE could tell he's not on the up & up. To boot, her father is a CIA agent, so of course he can see right through his shinanagins (did I spell that right???). This is hysterical in & of itself, but then the physical comedy comes to play (think Jack Tripper of "Threes Company")... Put together, this movie just couldn't be funnier!!!

If you're looking for a great romantic comedy, & want to laugh until your cheeks hurt, then I HIGHLY recommend this movie!

In-Law Laughs....
This review refers to the VHS edition(Universal) of "Meet the Parents"......

You may not think your in-laws are really so bad after seeing what poor Greg Focker has to go through with his future family. Yes you read right, his name is Greg Focker and he's about to spend the weekend with the parents of the girl he intends to marry. Pam's dad, Jack Byrnes, really loves his daughters, and any man who wants to share their lives better be up to his standards. He's an ex-CIA agent who will scrutinize your every move and you better like his cat as well.What will it take for Greg to win the hand of the girl he loves..and does he really want to be a part of this crazy family after all? It's laugh out loud stuff as every move he makes turns into a hysterical series of events that has Pam's family turning against him.

Who else could be the over protective,over bearing,over analyzing, prospective father-in-law than than Mr. Tough Guy himeslef..Robert De Niro. His straight faced comic timing is just one more side of this very talented actor. Ben Stiller is a laugh a minute as he tries to please this unpleasable Dad.
The rest of the cast is nicely rounded out by Blythe Danner,Teri Polo,James Rebhorn and the fabulous Owen Wilson. Director Jay Roach brings this terrifc ensemble together beautifully and the music by Randy Newman adds more fun to the story.It's one of those great comedies that is still funny with repeated viewings.

The VHS is in Stereo surround, sounds great,has closed captions, and has a nice picture as well.

So kick back,enjoy the film, but..be careful not to let the cat out!.....have fun with this great addition to you comedy or De Niro collection.....Laurie

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