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Meet the Parents (2000)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 6.9/10
Reviews Counted: 143
Fresh: 120 | Rotten: 23

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.

Average Rating: 7.1/10
Critic Reviews: 35
Fresh: 29 | Rotten: 6

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.

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Movie Info

In this comedy from Austin Powers director Jay Roach, Ben Stiller plays a young man who endures a disastrous weekend at the home of his girlfriend's parents. Greg Focker (Stiller) is completely in love with Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo), and views their upcoming trip to her parents' house on Long Island (where her sister is to be married during the weekend) as a perfect opportunity to ask her to marry him. Once Greg is introduced to Pam's parents, however, things stampede steadily downhill. Pam's

PG-13, 2 min.

Comedy

Directed By: Jay Roach

Written By: Jim Herzfeld, John Hamburg

In Theaters: Oct 6, 2000 Wide

On DVD: Mar 6, 2001

Box Office:$164.5M

Universal Pictures

Meet the Parents Trailer & Photos

Cast

Robert De Niro
Jack Byrnes
Ben Stiller
Greg Focker
Blythe Danner
Dina Byrnes
Teri Polo
Pam Byrnes
James Rebhorn
Larry Banks
Jon Abrahams
Denny Byrnes
Phyllis George
Linda Banks
Kali Rocha
Flight Attendant
Tom McCarthy
Bob Banks
Nicole DeHuff
Debbie Byrnes
Owen Wilson
Kevin Rawley

Critic Reviews for Meet the Parents

All Critics (149) | Top Critics (36) | Fresh (127) | Rotten (23) | DVD (45)

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 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine

| Comment

Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

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 Full Review Source: Globe and Mail

| Comment

Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

Top Critic

A hilarious hodgepodge of The In-Laws and Annie Hall, in which De Niro gives his best comic performance to date.

June 4, 2001 Comment

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

Top Critic

I had a good time at Meet the Parents, even though the ratio of clinkers to yucks is disproportionately high.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: New York Magazine

| Comment

Peter Rainer

New York Magazine

Top Critic

Within its formulaic confines, the humor works uncommonly well from time to time.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle

| Comment

Eric Harrison

Houston Chronicle

Top Critic

De Niro delivers.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee

| Comment

Joe Baltake

Sacramento Bee

Top Critic

Star-driven comedy at times offensive and funny.

December 26, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

| Comment

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

...large swaths of the proceedings feel as though they'd be more at home within a garden-variety sitcom.

December 20, 2010 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews

| Comment

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

What gives the film its special kick is the match of Stiller and De Niro.

January 14, 2010 Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com

| Comment

Michael Dequina

TheMovieReport.com

Nobody plays put-upon quite like Ben Stiller.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews

| Comment

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 Full Review Source: Film4

| Comment

Film4

Owes about 55 percent of its charm to De Niro, who can be hilarious just sitting there.

March 11, 2008 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com

| Comment

Rob Gonsalves

eFilmCritic.com

Director Jay Roach of the Austin Powers films keeps the pace brisk, and the script by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg ably piles the pratfalls ludicrously high.

July 14, 2007 Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound

| Comment

Joe Lozito

Big Picture Big Sound

Stiller portrays a human accident better than anyone and he definitely knows how to extort laughs and sympathy from his audience

September 27, 2006 Full Review Source: Bangitout.com

| Comment

Jordan Hiller

Bangitout.com

Director Roach ... uses awkward pauses and bizarre situations to create a near-perfect blend of verbal and physical humor.

September 1, 2006 Comment

Betsy Bozdech

Reel.com

Contains enough belly-laughs and sly jokes to become one of the bigger crowd-pleasers of the fall.

July 24, 2006 Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion

| Comment

Frank Swietek

One Guy's Opinion

Astutely observed, subtly played and consistently hilarious...

February 9, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Derek Adams

Time Out

Never before have two such skilled actors been so monstrously squandered in a movie so replete with failed gags and pathetic gaffes.

December 6, 2005 Full Review Source: Film Threat

| Comments (2)

Susannah Breslin

Film Threat

An entertaining little outing, but not something that will stay with me.

April 9, 2005 Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews

| Comment

Robin Clifford

Reeling Reviews

The thinking behind the 'bonus edition' DVD is inexplicable, as they have dropped some extras from the original DVD release, and added others.

January 29, 2005 Full Review Source: Apollo Guide

| Comment

Brian Webster

Apollo Guide

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Meet the Parents

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I wish some of the slapstick gags were funnier than they were but there's no denying that as a whole, the movie was funny. DeNiro and Ben Stiller were absolutely flawless working with eachother and they had a lot of comedic charm. I do wish that it focused more on the laughs than the sitcomish drama. It wasn't perfect

February 3, 2012

Michael Miller

Super Reviewer

Very funny movie about a guy who meets his girlfriend's parents for the first time. Her dad is suspicious of him. Love Robert's character. Owen is great as the ex-boyfriend. Feel sorry for Ben, should have gone home earlier!

July 13, 2007

Candy Rose

Super Reviewer

Meet the Parents Quotes

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1. Greg Focker: How about you take those little sticks out of your hair and realise that I am a person with feelings.
– Submitted by Tom V (6 days ago)
1. Jack Byrnes: [in slow-mo] Spike the ball FOCKER!
– Submitted by Tom V (6 days ago)
1. Greg Focker: I'm gonna go upstairs and pay a visit to the shower fairy.
– Submitted by rob g (9 months ago)
1. Jack Byrnes: I have nipples, Greg. Could you milk me?
– Submitted by Chris P (9 months ago)