Meet the Parents (2000)
85%RT Audience Score: 79%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
7 wins & 15 nominations total
Despite sometimes sitcom-like execution, Meet the Parents is a hilarious look at familial relationships that works mostly because the chemistry between its two leads is so effective
Meet the Parents is a classic comedy that will have you cringing and laughing at the same time. Ben Stiller is at his best as the put-upon Greg Focker, while Robert De Niro steals the show as the intimidating father-in-law. Sure, some scenes fall flat, but the everyday humor and awkward situations make up for it. If you’ve ever had to meet your significant other’s parents, this movie will hit close to home. Plus, who doesn’t love a good Focker joke?
Production Company(ies)
Twentieth Century Fox,
Distributor
DreamWorks SKG, Universal Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for sexual content, drug references and language
Year of Release
2000
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 48m
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Language(s):English, Thai, Spanish, Hebrew, French
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 6, 2000 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2003
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, James Rebhorn, Jon Abrahams, directed by Jay Roach, written by John Hamburg, Jim Herzfeld, Greg Glienna, Mary Ruth Clarke, produced by Robert De Niro, Jay Roach, Jane Rosenthal, Nancy Tenenbaum, comedy, PG-13, box office, budget, reviewed by Bob Thomas, Lisa Alspector, Nell Minow, Richard Schickel, Derek Adams, Rick Groen, Michael Kleinschrodt, David Nusair, Michael Dequina, David N Butterworth, Film4 Staff, Rob Gonsalves, ex-CIA agent, familial relationships, chemistry, awkward humor, proposal, in-laws, wedding, father, son-in-law, daughter, girlfriend, drug references, sexual content, language
Worldwide gross: $330,444,045
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $573,127,364
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 238
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 62,500,258
US/Canada gross: $166,244,045
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $288,336,294
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 209
US/Canada opening weekend: $28,623,300
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $49,644,703
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 234
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $55,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $95,392,868
Production budget ranking: 435
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $51,369,059
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $426,365,437
ROI to date (est.): 291%
ROI ranking: 471
Ben Stiller – Greg Focker
Blythe Danner – Dina Byrnes
Teri Polo – Pam Byrnes
James Rebhorn – Larry Banks
Jon Abrahams – Denny Byrnes
Director(s)
Jay Roach
Writer(s)
John Hamburg, Jim Herzfeld, Greg Glienna, Mary Ruth Clarke
Producer(s)
Robert De Niro, Jay Roach, Jane Rosenthal, Nancy Tenenbaum
Film Festivals
Tribeca
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
7 wins & 15 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (148) | Top Critics (43) | Fresh (125) | Rotten (23)
Meet the Parents isn’t as funny as There’s Something About Mary, nor as outrageous. But it confirms that Ben Stiller is the best of today’s young practitioners of frustration comedy.
July 17, 2019
Bob Thomas
Associated Press
TOP CRITIC
Scenes that should have been uproarious are weaker than many of the movie’s smaller moments, whose everyday humor isn’t specific to the plot or characters.
April 9, 2012
Lisa Alspector
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Star-driven comedy at times offensive and funny.
December 26, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
Nell Minow
Common Sense Media
TOP CRITIC
Alas, poor Focker. He can’t help himself. And we can’t help ourselves from falling about, equally helpless, at this superbly antic movie.
August 15, 2008
Richard Schickel
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Astutely observed, subtly played and consistently hilarious…
February 9, 2006
Derek Adams
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
When the script puts its faith in the audience, allowing us to find the laughs on our own, the film is irresistible, a bright lark. Yet when the writers panic, upping the antic volume and shifting into crazed sitcom gear, the lark stops.
March 22, 2002 | Rating: 2.5/4
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller seem evenly matched, making effective foils.
May 30, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Michael Kleinschrodt
Times-Picayune
…large swaths of the proceedings feel as though they’d be more at home within a garden-variety sitcom.
December 20, 2010 | Rating: 2/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
What gives the film its special kick is the match of Stiller and De Niro.
January 14, 2010 | Rating: 3/4
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com
Nobody plays put-upon quite like Ben Stiller.
October 18, 2008 | Rating: 2.5/4
David N. Butterworth
rec.arts.movies.reviews
Packed with cringe-worthy moments from beginning to end, Jay Roach’s comedy is for anyone who has ever endured a weekend in the company of potential in-laws.
August 15, 2008
Film4 Staff
Film4
Owes about 55 percent of its charm to De Niro, who can be hilarious just sitting there.
March 11, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com…
Plot
Madly in love with charming schoolteacher Pam, Greg Focker, an unambitious Chicago nurse and chronic underachiever, wants to make a good impression on her father, Jack, more than anything. And, in the following 48 hours, against the backdrop of a hectic weekend at her parents’ house, Greg will have to put his skills to good use and, hopefully, charm his way out of trouble. However, there is one tiny detail: Jack has a knack for uncovering the truth, and Greg has been quite economical with it. Under those circumstances, will he ever get Jack’s approval? Above all, is love blind?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
“Nobody plays put-upon quite like Ben Stiller.” – Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
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