Flirting With Disaster
1996
Writer-director David O. Russell follows up his dark independent comedy SPANKING THE MONKEY with this hilarious romp about a man who goes on a quest to find his biological parents. Mel Coplin (Ben Stiller), a new father, is convinced that he won't be able to give his son a name until he reunites with his real mother and father. .. Read more
| Starring | Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette, Tea Leoni, Alan Alda |
|---|---|
| Director | David O. Russell |
| Genres | Comedy |
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Flirting With Disaster
Writer-director David O. Russell follows up his dark independent comedy SPANKING THE MONKEY with this hilarious romp about a man who goes on a quest to find his biological parents. Mel Coplin (Ben Stiller), a new father, is convinced that he won't be able to give his son a name until he reunites with his real mother and father. So Mel, his depressed, neglected wife, Nancy (Patricia Arquette), and a sexy adoption consultant named Tina (Tea Leoni) set out to find them. By the time they reach the New Mexico home of Mel's true parents (Alan Alda and Lily Tomlin)--two laid-back hippie scientists who are in the LSD business--Mel's marriage appears to be completely demolished. But the wackiness doesn't end there, since his neurotic, overbearing adoptive parents (George Segal and Mary Tyler Moore) arrive just in time to add even greater confusion to the mix.
Russell assembles a cast who have contributed greatly to the development of American screen comedy, and they throw themselves into their roles with great fervor. Commenting on identity, sexual and cultural prejudice, and the convention of marriage, Russell's script is a farcical laugh-fest that is at once intelligent, fast-paced, and witty. His assured, grounded direction makes FLIRTING WITH DISASTER's humour all the more outrageous and hysterical.
| Starring | Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette, Tea Leoni, Alan Alda, Mary Tyler Moore, George Segal, Lily Tomlin, Richard Jenkins |
|---|---|
| Director | David O. Russell |
| Studio | WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 28 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 05 Aug 2002 Production year: 1996 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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Less abrasive than Spanking the Monkey, David O Russell's second feature is a madcap, country-crossing comedy, which makes up in eccentric characterisation what it occasionally loses in control. As the orphan hoping to trace his roots before naming his new baby, Ben Stiller is suitably neurotic as ditzy psychologist Téa Leoni leads him up endless blind alleys. But it's the cameos by adoptive parents Mary Tyler Moore and George Segal, and ageing hippies Alan Alda and Lily Tomlin that steal Stiller's thunder and further marginalise the under-used Patricia Arquette, who seeks solace with a bisexual FBI agent. Great screwball, shame about the slapstick.
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Mel (Stiller) has a wife, Nancy (Arquette), an as yet unnamed baby, and a 'psychic need' to track down his biological... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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5 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Modern screwball classic
To me this is one of the best comedies of the last ten years, and a screwball comedy the likes of which they just don't make anymore. Russell makes unpredictable situational comedy look easy here, and the cast are fantastic, especially Tea Leoni who is hot.
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Most recent members' review
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6 out of 10 people found this review helpful
Comedy Without A Comedy
Despite sporting what can only be described as a superb comedy cast, it beggers belief that this is a film without comedy until the last 20 minutes.
The story is a simple and oft-used one. Ben Stiller is adopted, and is told where his real parents are. Result - a road trip, and mishaps a plenty. Along for the ride come wife Rosanna Arquette and (near)psychologist Tea Leoni, as the bumbling comedy relief, while Stiller engages us with his usual borderline frustration/anger schtick.
It is left to the always superb Alan Alda and Lily Tomlin to light up a dreary and often frustrating hour of film, as Stiller's natural, LSD guzzling parents. It is because of them that this film gets 3 and not 2 stars.
Special mention goes to Mary Tyler Moore, who is superb as Stiller's adopted mother. -
News and features
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I Heart Huckabees
- system
- 01 Jan 2000
Even though I loved the screwball farce Flirting with Disaster and admired the politically acute Three Kings, the trailer for I Heart Huckabees left me fearing the worst, despite a super-hip cast including Jason Schwarzman (from Rushmore), Mark Wahlberg, Jude Law, Isabelle Huppert, Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin and Naomi Watts. To start with, that title didn't inspire confidence. And from what you could gather, the story was bewilderingly whimsical - something about 'existential detectives',... Read more
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Flirting With Disaster
Writer-director David O. Russell follows up his dark independent comedy SPANKING THE MONKEY with this hilarious romp about a man who goes on a quest to find his biological parents. Mel Coplin (Ben Stiller), a new father, is convinced that he won't be able to give his son a name until he reunites ...
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