Customer Reviews

Flirting With Disaster (Collector's Edition)

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.

This is certainly one of the funniest flims to come along in years and years. It is filled with memorable dialog and scenes that are so much fun you'll want to see them over and over. The cast is superb. Everyone is great. Mary Tyler Moore and George Segal as Stiller's adoptive parents are perfect. As he begins the search for his real parents he meets some hilarious characters and it all culminates in the meeting of Lily Tomlin and Alan Alda. Without giving too much away, let me just say that this movie is priceless! A must see.

My highest compliments to the writers and director.

Where to begin! Lily Tomlin and Alan Ada at the top of their game in an all-round stellar comic starcast. Lighthearted but biting dialogue that houses a charming warmth for its dysfunctional characters.

And a doozy theme: a new father's search for his birth parents. He can't name his own baby until he knows more about where he came from. The adoption agent who accompanies them is the epitome of the high strung New Yorker, whose goofs and gaffs lead the group into one riotous predicament after another. Particularly funny if you have recently been thinking of names for a baby, or if you can laugh at 60's counterculture.

The movie is funniest in the last 15 minutes or so. The closing credits alone are worth the price of admission (or DVD). Recommended rental. Even better the second time round.

This is an absolutely stunning, painfully funny film, shamefully underrated (see also 'Office Space', 'Dirty Work' for similarly overlooked comic masterpieces). I'm not such a huge Ben Stiller fan, apart from in 'Mary, and 'Royal Tennenbaums', but he is perfectly cast here, as a reticent man, forced into some horrifically uncomfortable public humiliations.

It wouldn't be fair to reveal much of the plot, but the climax of Stiller's search for his biological parents is pure gut-renching black comedy.

Don't believe the critics who give this anything less than 5 stars - this is top-quality entertainment, for those who like their comedy black, and on the dry side.

Let's face it, comedy is what Hollywood does the WORST. Anybody with a couple of bucks and some bathroom humor can call it a comedy and get it distributed. That's why when you come across a REALLY funny movie....you must TELL PEOPLE! If you like witty, realistic, sarcastic dialogue delivered by a perfact cast this is the movie to buy. MTM was robbed of a supporting actress Oscar nod. Stiller, Arquette and Leoni are quite funny! I don't normally compare movies, but, it you liked "Something About Mary" this is a pretty safe bet for you too! Best Moment: Stiller walking in on Arquette and Josh Brolin!

Sometimes, watching a Ben Stiller movie is like watching a car crash, you just can't look away or you might miss something. In this slightly chaotic film about a man trying to find the identity of his birth parents is a serious topic; but Stiller mananges to weave the characters carefully into a totally neurotic mis-adventure. You have to wonder what kind of daily experiences this man has had. How do you come up with a scene where a friend or is licking the underarm of his wife(Patricia Arquette). Does it happen in his circle of friends? I don't think this film was a big box office attraction, but I watch it over and over again just to see Mary Tyler Moore loose control because her daughter-in-law is nursing her baby and not wearing the right bra--warning her against the perils of an inadequate binding device. I highly recommend this movie just to rattle your cage a little.

I LOVE this movie. Have since the first time I saw it, and it remains in my top 10. Hilarious situations, great acting; there are lines we still quote to this day! The two sets of parents are comic geniuses -- Mary Tyler Moore in particular. Ben Stiller looks so young and ungroomed, but is quite strong in his usual self-depreciating way. The series of situations the characters go through make this a classic farce, not to mention a road show, but does not feel predictable at all. Take a chance, you'll love it!

One of my all-time favorite movies--the only thing I haven't seen mentioned is Glenn Fitzgerald's scene stealing performance as the jealous, younger brother Lonnie, and all of his quotable lines. "The special son is here..." We even named our dog after this memorable character. :)
Definitely one of Ben Stiller's best and a perfect cast. Like another reviewer said, I can watch it a hundred times and still see something I hadn't seen before.

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.

This movie had be laughing all the way through. It's one of those movies you could watch over and over again and never get sick of. And you'll need to watch it over and over because everytime you watch it, you catch other subtle things that ultimately become more hilarious as you get to know what lies ahead. All I have to do is think about parts of that movie, and it lights me up. This movie is awesome and worth every penny. Richard Jenkins is a crack up, who also starred as Stillers therapist in "There's something about Mary", another masterpiece! This movie is beyond hilarious! I wish all comedies were this funny.