Flirting With Disaster (1996)
86%RT Audience Score: 80%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 10 nominations
Darkly funny, solidly cast, and surprisingly thoughtful, Flirting with Disaster proved David O. Russell’s Spanking the Monkey was no fluke
Flirting with Disaster is a hilarious and wild ride that will have you laughing from start to finish. With a star-studded cast and unexpected twists and turns, this movie is a must-see for anyone who loves a good comedy. David O. Russell’s twisted mind is on full display here, and it’s a joy to watch. Ben Stiller gives a fantastic performance, and Tea Leoni’s comic presence is a real standout. Whether you’re watching with your family or just need a good laugh, Flirting with Disaster is the perfect choice. So buckle up and get ready for a crazy adventure!
Production Company(ies)
Margate House Films,
Distributor
Miramax Films
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Tucson, Arizona, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language, sexuality and a comic drug scene
Year of Release
1996
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 32m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 22, 1996 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 1, 2004
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette, Tea Leoni, Alan Alda, Mary Tyler Moore, George Segal, Josh Brolin, Richard Jenkins, directed by David O Russell, written by David O Russell, produced by Dean Silvers, comedy, R rating, box office gross $14.8M, reviewed by Jonathan Rosenbaum, Lisa Schwarzbaum, Todd McCarthy, Edward Guthmann, Susan Stark, Sheila Reid, Mal Vincent, Nick Rogers, Rob Gonsalves, Jeffrey M Anderson, adopted, father, birth parents, cross-country quest, road trip, mistaken identities, ATF agents, neurotic, rom-com, dysfunctional family, search for identity, farce, darkly funny, solidly cast, surprisingly thoughtful, David O Russell’s Spanking the Monkey, watchable, fresh, calculated, toothy material, interesting comic presence, unexpected turns, bitingly funny, hilarious lesson, accepting family, wild, strange, unruly, inspired lunacy, terrific performances, amateur look, realistic, existential farce, oddball characters, bizarre journey
Worldwide gross: $14,702,438
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $28,063,212
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,567
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 3,060,329
US/Canada gross: $14,702,438
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $28,063,212
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,293
US/Canada opening weekend: $164,458
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $313,908
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,524
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $7,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $13,361,219
Production budget ranking: 1,550
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $7,195,016
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $7,506,978
ROI to date (est.): 37%
ROI ranking: 1,210
Patricia Arquette – Nancy Coplin
Téa Leoni – Tina Kalb
Alan Alda – Richard Schlichting
Mary Tyler Moore – Mrs. Coplin
George Segal – Mr. Coplin
David O. Russell – Director
Dean Silvers – Producer
David O. Russell – Writer
Director(s)
David O. Russell
Writer(s)
David O. Russell
Producer(s)
Dean Silvers
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 10 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (55) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (7)
The results are watchable enough–sometimes funny, sometimes over the top–and fairly fresh, though also a bit calculated. Leoni has an interesting comic presence one would like to see in toothier material, though this certainly has a few bites.
June 14, 2022
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
It’s a road movie, and a family comedy, and neurotic Woody Allen-style rom-com, but none of those crisp, compact boxes can properly contain this wild, strange, unruly picture.
April 9, 2016
Jason Bailey
Flavorwire
TOP CRITIC
David O. Russell has a twisted mind; I like that in a man.
September 7, 2011 | Rating: B
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
This whacked-out road comedy about a young man’s search for his real parents takes any number of unexpected turns, most of them bitingly funny.
March 26, 2009
Todd McCarthy
Variety
TOP CRITIC
June 18, 2002 | Rating: 4/4
Edward Guthmann
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/4
Susan Stark
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
It’s a hilarious lesson about accepting your family no matter how crazy they may be.
May 31, 2022
Sheila Reid
Women in the Life
It’s well worth the trip that this wacky lot maps.
March 15, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mal Vincent
The Virginian-Pilot
An immaculately constructed Rube Goldberg device that accumulates comic energy and speed as it reaches its finale, built from social and emotional hypocrisies we use to try and paper over our vices. It’s what Russell does now, only far less serious.
June 2, 2016 | Rating: 4.5/5
Nick Rogers
The Film Yap
Entertainment for the whole dysfunctional family.
February 13, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
Boasting a clever title, this is an inspired piece of lunacy about sociology versus biology, with terrific performances from Ben Stiller and his two sets of parents.
June 27, 2006 | Rating: B+
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
When I caught this modern-day screwball comedy in theaters I didn’t think much of it, and it’s even less appealing now.
May 26, 2006
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid…
Plot
Mel Coplin departs on a mission of discovery dragging his wife and 4 month old son behind. He and wife, Nancy, won’t agree on a name for their son until adopted Mel gets in touch with his roots. He assures her that once he knows who he really is, the right name for their boy will be a snap. Enlisting the aid of student-psychologist and part-time adoption agent, Tina Kalb, they embark on a journey across the United States to find Mel’s “birth” mother. “The best part,” Mel tells Nancy, “is it’s all free.” Tina is finishing her dissertation and will film the happy reunion of mother and child as part of her research. For this privilege, she’s footing the bill. His adoptive parents are left behind feeling abandoned by an ungrateful son. Clerical errors, mistaken identities, Nancy’s misplaced high school friend and his gay lover, and a super-charged libido here and there are thrown into the mix along the way until
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of Flirting with Disaster includes Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette, Tea Leoni, Alan Alda, Mary Tyler Moore, and George Segal.
David-O.-Russell.jpg
