Product Details

• Actors: Peter Falk, Alan Arkin, Richard Libertini, Nancy Dussault, Penny Peyser
• Directors: Arthur Hiller
• Writers: Andrew Bergman
• Producers: Alan Arkin, Arthur Hiller, Dorothy Wilde, William Sackheim
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English, Spanish
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• VHS Release Date: February 7, 1995
• Run Time: 103 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300267903
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,326 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This 1979 comedy is absolutely indispensable for fans of Peter Falk, Alan Arkin, or Andrew Bergman, who wrote the film's screenplay and went on to direct The Freshman and Honeymoon in Vegas. (Let's forgive him for Striptease.) Arkin is extraordinarily funny as a dentist who quickly grows skeptical about the wild claims of his daughter's future father-in-law (Peter Falk) that he is a CIA agent. When he is drawn into a bizarre adventure in a banana republic, however, he takes a different view. Arthur Hiller (Love Story) provides serviceable direction, but the real draw here is the perfect chemistry between the two leads and Bergman's weirdly comic mind. Watch for the look on Arkin's face when Falk's character tells a story about giant tse-tse flies. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

Item Name: The In-Laws; Studio: Warner Home Video

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars five stars are not enough, November 2, 2000

By 

"[e-mail]" - See all my reviews

This review is from: In-Laws [VHS] (VHS Tape)

All respect to Mel Brooks, early Woody Allen, Blake Edwards and any other brilliant filmmaker who has turned their talents to creating the ultimate comedy...they all must take a back seat to this film.

I've never experienced such a perfect merging of screenplay, characterization and direction. Arkin and Falk have a chemistry and timing that simply must be seen to be believed.

I've been a movie buff for a long time, but I must admit that totally missed this when it came out. In fact, it was running one night on a cable station in the mid 80s when I first saw it. I was visiting my parents, and on it came. I had just stopped in to say hello, but after the first 10 minutes I knew I wasn't going anywhere. I'll never forget sitting next to my father, who was in his seventies at the time, hearing him cracking up. He had a great laugh, a deep, full laugh, and I'd never in my life heard such pure joy come out of my father, who was a serious and subdued man. It may sound strange, but I felt closer to my father after watching this movie with. Sharing such a joyful experience with him will always be a very cherished memory.

Do yourself a favor. Find someone you love. Doesn't need to be romantic love, just someone who really counts in your life. Watch this movie with them. If it doesn't become a special memory, email me and complain.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Comedy, August 10, 2003

By 

Morley Dotes "morleydotes" (Flushing, New York USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The In-Laws (DVD)

This is, as you have read in other reviews, a great movie. My reason for writing this review is not to review the movie, you can read that in other reviews, but to let you know that the DVD is so much better than the VHS (I bought the VHS copy a couple of months before the DVD was available for pre-order, because I didn't think it would be coming out on DVD). That said, the banter between the Peter Falk and Alan Arkin is really great, and at some point, you will find yourself quoting parts of the movie. My wife, who does not like "these kinds of movies" laughed throughout the entire film. Anyway, get the DVD and give the VHS away, that's what I did.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jose Grecos de Muertos, November 15, 2002

By 

Susan Hinojoza "It's a full life." (Union City, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: In-Laws [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Run straight out (NOT serpentine!) and get this movie! By far one of the funniest films ever made. The script has hilarious comedic elements which feature straight men who take themselves dead seriously saying and doing the most outrageous things. And, it is absolutly clean, so you can watch it with your kids AND your grandma. Plus, this movie manages to pull off have many different comedic elements--it is not purly slapstick (boring!) or pretentious highbrow schtick. Everyone will find something funny in this movie.

Who would have thought Falk and Arkin could be such perfect foils for each other? Falk is at his best here, very Columbo-ish, seeming totally scatterbrained but really knows whats going on. He plays a top CIA agent (who claims responsiblity for the Bay of Pigs). Arkin is a nerdy dentist who just wants a quiet life. What brings these two together is that their children are marrying. But that's the point where normalcy stops and looniness takes over. This movie is so jam-packed with funny lines you'll find yourself quoting it constantly.

Those of you who remember all of the dictators who featured so prominently in the 70s and early 80s will love the general.

Everything about this movie is great. If you like to laugh, you will find something funny here. Get it!