Reviews (41)

Incredibly funny - SMART funny!
Even though my comments will echo those of other positive comments listed on this site, I felt I HAD to put my two cents in, if only to get the "Average Rating" boosted so that more folks will check out this classic comedy. As you can see from the handful of negative reviews, it's not everyone's cup of tea - some people perceive it to be a somewhat grating experience. True, the humor comes out of putting people in very uncomfortable situations but, if you find humor in well meaning but neurotic people squrming and sweating their way through funny mishap after funny mishap, you will adore this movie. Everyone is fantastic in this film, though Tea Leoni, Alan Alda, and Lily Tomlin come close to stealing the show. Arquette is a sexy straight man (though she gets to earn some laughs, too), Stiller is his usual put-upon self, Mary Tyler Moore & George Segal have great cameos, and Josh Brolin & Richard E. Jenkins make for two unforgettable Feds. A ton of brilliant set pieces and memorable/quotable lines are served up by the very talented David O. Russell ("Three Kings," "Spanking the Monkey") in this, his second film as writer/director. I have no negative criticism to offer - it's hilarious every time you view it (and I've screened it plenty). Really, it's one of the best SMART comedies of the past decade. Folks looking for flatulence jokes, zany hairdos, and pop cultural references in lieu of witty dialogue will have to look elsewhere. I'd give it 10 stars if that were an option - I cannot praise it enough.

Ben Stiller fans should not overlook this one
I have friends who describe themselves as "huge Ben Stiller fans" but then stare at me blankly when I tell them Stiller's best movie is David O. Russell's 'Flirting With Disaster.' I'm not sure why this movie got overlooked by so many people. My guess is that since it pre-dates 'Something About Mary' by two years, the general populace had not yet caught on to Stiller's talents as 'the perfect comic foil' (to quote the apropros phrase used in the official amazon.com review).

And when these friends *do* eventually see it, their response is unanimous: "Wow, how did I miss that one? Absolutely hilarious."

Exactly.

Beyond Stiller, you get the vastly underrated comedic talents of Téa Leoni. [Note to the Coen Brothers and others looking to re-create the Cary Grant-era screwball romantic comedy: Téa's your girl.] Plus, there are great performances by supporting actors Richard Jenkins (who seems to turn up everywhere), Josh Brolin, Patricia Arquette and an amazing foursome of Alan Alda, Lily Tomlin (both cast WAY against type), George Seagal and Mary Tyler Moore.

The key to the movie is the director's touch - David O. Russell put together a stretch of three great movies: 'Spanking the Monkey,' this one, and then followed it up the promise of those two films with 'Three Kings.' Russell knows how to stage dark and/or subtle comedy (recall how Clooney, Wahlberg and Ice Cube came upon the secret map in Kings).

You will love this film. And, by the way, you'll think of it whenever you drive by a white Ford Taurus.

Good movie, poor DVD
I love this Ben Stiller comedy about a grown adopted man looking for his birth parents, traveling all across the country with wife, baby, and assorted others in tow, including Tea Leoni as an incompetent researcher going through a divorce.

The picture quality on this DVD was awful to the point of being distracting. I've seldom seen picture quality this bad on a used VHS tape, never mind a DVD. I don't know what happened, but obviously mistakes were made. Too bad. This movie deserved a better DVD.

Great cast, weak script.
Amazing cast of talented people who put in good performances despite the plodding script. Wow, if these top comic actors had better material this thing would have been dynamite. Instead, the few funny jokes you can all see coming a mile away.

As an adoptee myself of the same age as Stiller's character, I can really relate to much of the truth in this movie. So I recommend this to grown adoptees as well as fans of the stars. Be sure to watch through the credits, some amusing scenes in there.

Hilarious
I saw this movie when it first came out and I admit I didn't like it. At the time, I knew too many toxic, nutty people and to see their fictional counterparts running around was most unpleasant. I guess time has healed, because I recently saw this movie again, and couldn't stop laughing. This movie has more brains and guts than most. It's brilliant. I can understand how it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is a quality film. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Incredibly funny - SMART funny!
Even though my comments will echo those of other positive comments listed on this site, I felt I HAD to put my two cents in, if only to get the "Average Rating" boosted so that more folks will check out this classic comedy. As you can see from the handful of negative reviews, it's not everyone's cup of tea - some people perceive it to be a somewhat grating experience. True, the humor comes out of putting people in very uncomfortable situations but, if you find humor in well meaning but neurotic people squrming and sweating their way through funny mishap after funny mishap, you will adore this movie. Everyone is fantastic in this film, though Tea Leoni, Alan Alda, and Lily Tomlin come close to stealing the show. Arquette is a sexy straight man (though she gets to earn some laughs, too), Stiller is his usual put-upon self, Mary Tyler Moore & George Segal have great cameos, and Josh Brolin & Richard E. Jenkins make for two unforgettable Feds. A ton of brilliant set pieces and memorable/quotable lines are served up by the very talented David O. Russell ("Three Kings," "Spanking the Monkey") in this, his second film as writer/director. I have no negative criticism to offer - it's hilarious every time you view it (and I've screened it plenty). Really, it's one of the best SMART comedies of the past decade. Folks looking for flatulence jokes, zany hairdos, and pop cultural references in lieu of witty dialogue will have to look elsewhere. I'd give it 10 stars if that were an option - I cannot praise it enough.

Ben Stiller fans should not overlook this one
I have friends who describe themselves as "huge Ben Stiller fans" but then stare at me blankly when I tell them Stiller's best movie is David O. Russell's 'Flirting With Disaster.' I'm not sure why this movie got overlooked by so many people. My guess is that since it pre-dates 'Something About Mary' by two years, the general populace had not yet caught on to Stiller's talents as 'the perfect comic foil' (to quote the apropros phrase used in the official amazon.com review).

And when these friends *do* eventually see it, their response is unanimous: "Wow, how did I miss that one? Absolutely hilarious."

Exactly.

Beyond Stiller, you get the vastly underrated comedic talents of Téa Leoni. [Note to the Coen Brothers and others looking to re-create the Cary Grant-era screwball romantic comedy: Téa's your girl.] Plus, there are great performances by supporting actors Richard Jenkins (who seems to turn up everywhere), Josh Brolin, Patricia Arquette and an amazing foursome of Alan Alda, Lily Tomlin (both cast WAY against type), George Seagal and Mary Tyler Moore.

The key to the movie is the director's touch - David O. Russell put together a stretch of three great movies: 'Spanking the Monkey,' this one, and then followed it up the promise of those two films with 'Three Kings.' Russell knows how to stage dark and/or subtle comedy (recall how Clooney, Wahlberg and Ice Cube came upon the secret map in Kings).

You will love this film. And, by the way, you'll think of it whenever you drive by a white Ford Taurus.

Good movie, poor DVD
I love this Ben Stiller comedy about a grown adopted man looking for his birth parents, traveling all across the country with wife, baby, and assorted others in tow, including Tea Leoni as an incompetent researcher going through a divorce.

The picture quality on this DVD was awful to the point of being distracting. I've seldom seen picture quality this bad on a used VHS tape, never mind a DVD. I don't know what happened, but obviously mistakes were made. Too bad. This movie deserved a better DVD.

Great cast, weak script.
Amazing cast of talented people who put in good performances despite the plodding script. Wow, if these top comic actors had better material this thing would have been dynamite. Instead, the few funny jokes you can all see coming a mile away.

As an adoptee myself of the same age as Stiller's character, I can really relate to much of the truth in this movie. So I recommend this to grown adoptees as well as fans of the stars. Be sure to watch through the credits, some amusing scenes in there.

Hilarious
I saw this movie when it first came out and I admit I didn't like it. At the time, I knew too many toxic, nutty people and to see their fictional counterparts running around was most unpleasant. I guess time has healed, because I recently saw this movie again, and couldn't stop laughing. This movie has more brains and guts than most. It's brilliant. I can understand how it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is a quality film. Highly recommended. ... Read more