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Flirting With Disaster

Play trailer Poster for Flirting With Disaster R 1996 1h 32m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
88% Tomatometer 56 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Adopted as a child, new father Mel Colpin (Ben Stiller) decides he cannot name his son until he knows his birth parents, and determines to make a cross-country quest to find them. Accompanied by his wife, Nancy (Patricia Arquette), and an inept yet gorgeous adoption agent, Tina (Tea Leoni), he departs on an epic road trip that quickly devolves into a farce of mistaken identities, wrong turns, and overzealous and love-struck ATF agents (Josh Brolin, Richard Jenkins).
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Flirting With Disaster

Flirting With Disaster

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Critics Consensus

Darkly funny, solidly cast, and surprisingly thoughtful, Flirting with Disaster proved David O. Russell's Spanking the Monkey was no fluke.

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Critics Reviews

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Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader 06/14/2022
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. Go to Full Review Jason Bailey Flavorwire 04/09/2016
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. Go to Full Review Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly 09/07/2011
B
David O. Russell has a twisted mind; I like that in a man. Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 09/20/2022
4/4
Russell’s deceptively wise film sustains those insane, out-of-touch moments of behavior and prolongs them, making the experience torturously funny, but rewarding on multiple levels. Go to Full Review Sheila Reid Women in the Life 05/31/2022
It's a hilarious lesson about accepting your family no matter how crazy they may be. Go to Full Review Mal Vincent The Virginian-Pilot 03/15/2022
3.5/4
It's well worth the trip that this wacky lot maps. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Matt L @Mattliptak 4d Flirting with Disaster is a wildly funny, lesser-known early gem from David O. Russell, before the prestige era kicked in. The movie thrives on chaos, sharp dialogue, and an absurdly stacked cast firing on all cylinders. Ben Stiller is perfectly neurotic, while Patricia Arquette and Téa Leoni bring fearless, off-the-wall energy. The real MVPs, though, are Richard Jenkins and Mary Tyler Moore, who absolutely steal the movie with pitch-perfect, unhinged performances. Add in Alan Alda and Lily Tomlin for extra comic firepower, plus early appearances from Josh Brolin and George Segal, and you’ve got a nonstop parade of big personalities colliding. It’s loud, weird, reckless, and genuinely laugh-out-loud funny—a road-trip comedy that doesn’t care about polish, only momentum. A cult favorite for a reason, and an easy recommendation if you like your comedies smart, unfiltered, and just a little unhinged. See more thiago s @Thiagostone Mar 8 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é ruim, o filme tenta trazer cenas de comédia entre casais, mas não consegue e falha miseravelmente, o elenco tenta ajudar mas não consegue, com tudo isso, eu não recomendo esse filme. See more P K @Pohaku808 01/08/2025 Definitely not a mainstream easy watch, but amazing genre bending film from start to finish. All of the cast shines, but super kudos for getting Mary Tyler Moore to work wayyyyy against type See more Steve D 02/15/2023 The whole thing is too ridiculous and poorly written to work. See more Celeste B 12/24/2022 This movie is super underrated. It is excellent with an outstanding cast. The themes are hilarious - a must see! See more Diane B @BklynWriter 08/13/2022 Underrated comedy with the incomparable Mary Tyler Moore and Ben Stiller propelling us along with an all-star cast of wackos. You can't choose who your family is -- but you can be damn glad they gave you away. See more Read all reviews
Flirting With Disaster

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Cast & Crew

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David O. Russell

Director

Ben Stiller

Mel Coplin

Patricia Arquette

Nancy Coplin

Téa Leoni

Tina Kalb

Alan Alda

Richard Schlichting

Mary Tyler Moore

Mrs. Coplin

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Flirting With Disaster

Flirting With Disaster (1996) Flirting With Disaster (1996) Flirting With Disaster (1996) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Adopted as a child, new father Mel Colpin (Ben Stiller) decides he cannot name his son until he knows his birth parents, and determines to make a cross-country quest to find them. Accompanied by his wife, Nancy (Patricia Arquette), and an inept yet gorgeous adoption agent, Tina (Tea Leoni), he departs on an epic road trip that quickly devolves into a farce of mistaken identities, wrong turns, and overzealous and love-struck ATF agents (Josh Brolin, Richard Jenkins).
Director
David O. Russell
Producer
Dean Silvers
Screenwriter
David O. Russell
Distributor
Miramax Films
Production Co
Miramax
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 22, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 7, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$14.8M
Runtime
1h 32m
Sound Mix
Surround
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