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Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette, Téa Leoni, Mary Tyler Moore, George Segal ... see more see more... , Alan Alda , Lily Tomlin , Josh Brolin , Richard Jenkins , David Patrick Kelly , Tony Kruk , John Ford Noonan , Suzanne Snyder , Celia Weston , Glenn Fitzgerald , Nadia Dajani , Shawn Michael Howard , Don Creech , Clarke Bittner , Jonathan Teague Cook , Cynthia Lamontagne , Beth Ostrosky , Charlet Oberly , Steve Moreno , Tori Davis

In this satirical comedy, Mel Coplin (Ben Stiller) has a beautiful wife, Nancy (Patricia Arquette), and a four-month old son, and on the surface his life is good. But something's been troubling him: M... read more read more...el knows he was adopted, and he can't resolve his issues with the mother who gave him away years ago, much to the annoyance of his adoptive parents (George Segal and Mary Tyler Moore). Mel decides it's time he met his birth parents and resolved his feelings once and for all, and Tina (Tea Leoni), a psychology student, has offered to tag along to capture the event on video for a research project. But after a few minutes with Mel's "real" mother, they discover that a mistake has been made and they've been directed to the wrong person. A second meeting, this time with Mel's supposed dad, also turns out to be a mistake, and it's quite some time before Mel, Nancy, and Tina are finally face to face with Mel's biological parents -- a pair of burned-out hippies (played by Alan Alda and Lily Tomlin) who support themselves by dealing blotter acid daubed onto pictures of Ronald Reagan. It doesn't help that Mel finds himself attracted to the very leggy Tina, or that Nancy's head is turned by a bisexual ATF agent (Josh Brolin). Writer/director David O. Russell previously made a splash with his independent debut feature, 1994's Spanking the Monkey. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

65% liked it

8,317 ratings

Critics

86% liked it

43 critics

R, 1 hr. 32 min.

Directed by: David O. Russell

Release Date: March 22, 1996

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DVD Release Date: June 15, 1999

Stats: 436 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (436)

  • fb100002359227440
    March 19, 2012
    fb100002359227440
    Flirting With Disarter is a creative dark comedy with different themes, but that David O. Russell can make a funny and terrific film. Fresh.
  • fb619846742
    February 18, 2012
    fb619846742
    A less than stellar comedy concerning a young couple (Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette) who feel it is important to discover Stiller's true biological parents before they can name their newborn child. Dumb premise is saved by a screenplay with ferocious comical bite, mostly thanks ... read moreto tremendous acting that help make the dialogue and conversations likeable enough. The first half is well-executed given what the premise of the film is, however the second half of the film falls flat on its face repeating the same joke over and over again til' its dead. And, while they are funny, Richard Jenkins and James Brolin as a gay couple who work together as law officers (you read that right) serve no realistic purpose for being in this story whatsoever. It does have some great one-liners ("Hey buddy, you come in here, you lick my wife's armpit...") and the cast from top to bottom is fantastic and impressive, but the story begins to feel quirky for the sake of quirky's sake, and that's when it gets a little annoying.
  • jennifxu
    May 1, 2011
    jennifxu
    David O. Russell is a really awkward filmmaker, there's always something that doesn't sit quite right. The scenes with Patricia Arquette were the best, but I felt like it was trying to get at something it never quite hit.
  • dreamfaeries
    August 30, 2010
    dreamfaeries
    Funny. Kind of boring in the beginning but towards the end it gets pretty hilarious and goofy.
  • MrMarakai
    July 11, 2010
    MrMarakai
    Director David O. Russell has certainly got a quirky style and this being only his second film, you can see where he honed those quirky talents of his.
    Mel and Nancy Coplin (Ben Stiller and Patricia Arquette) are a married couple who have started a young family. The problem is ... read morethough, having been adopted from an early age, Mel has some unanswered questions about his past and his real parents. As a result, he can't give his 4 month old baby a name until he has tracked down his biological parents and get a better idea of where he comes from. This then has him, his wife and his adoption case worker (Tea Leoni) travelling across America in search of answers and finding themselves in all sorts of wacky company and ludicrous situations.
    There is lots to be enjoyed here in this situational comedy about a dysfunctional family with equally dysfunctional friends, striving to just live their lives in the way they see fit. It's just that with everybody striving for different things, there are bound to be clashes and it's these clashes that provide the backbone to this farsical comedy. There is plenty of sharply written dialogue from well written individual characters, played by an excellent ensemble of actors. This is one of Stiller's earlier goffball roles and you can see why he has now been typecast. Lily Tomlin and Alan Alda are a treat as Mel's birth parents who haven't really left the sixties and still retain their tantric, hallucinogenic approach to the world but the real star of the show is the wonderfully talented and underrated Richard Jenkins as a homosexual policeman, who unwittingly consumes some LSD in his evening meal.
    A hugely talented cast and it also shows the directors early promise but the jokes feel a little forced at times and the film starts to sag around the midway point. However, when Jenkins turns up he safely carries the film home. It's worth it just for him.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    November 5, 2009
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "Have you flirted yet?"

    A young man, his wife, and his incompetent case worker travel across country to find his birth parents.

    REVIEW

    Hilarious and wickedly sharp satire about a young man (S... read moretiller in a memorable turn) searching for his identity by trying to locate his biological parents while alienating his neglected and lovely wife (the yummy Arquette) and Leoni (simply wonderful) as his adoption broker. Fine ensemble cast (especially Moore in an inconoclastic poke at her image) and Alda (ditto). Subversive good, clean fun and seriously dysfunctional family values (thank God!) from filmmaker David O. Russell beating the Sophomore Jinx (in this his second turn at the helm).
  • DrZeek
    June 26, 2009
    DrZeek
    Tina: Every marriage is vulnerable, otherwise being married wouldn't mean anything, would it?

    A very funny film that takes a fairly straightforward and serious premise involving finding one's birth parents and turns it into a mix of screwball comedy with some indie film quirkin... read moreess. It also has a terrific ensemble cast.

    Proving to me once again that Ben Stiller did his best work as an actor during the 90s, he stars as Mel, and new father with his wife Nancy, played by Patricia Arquette, who is intent on finding out who his real parents are, so he can name the baby. Aided by an adoption agent Tina, played by Tea Leoni, looking to document this event, the three head to San Diego to find Mel's real mother. Unfortunately, its just not that easy as mistakes and incompetent work by Tina leads Mel and Nancy on a trip to many different stops before finding the real parents and even then, things do go as planned.

    Mr. Coplin: Why is everyone getting worked up all of the sudden? I thought we were gunna talk about getting new carpeting. Taking out this crap and putting in the wall-to-wall.

    Also featuring Alan Alda, Lily Tomlin, Mary Tyler Moore, George Segal, Josh Brolin, and Richard Jenkins in a film written and directed by live wire David O. Russel, this movie manages to be very funny, with characters all managing to have various quirks and problems with themselves.

    Mary Schlichting: You apologize!
    Lonnie Schlichting: I'm sorry.
    Mary Schlichting: Sorry for what?
    Lonnie Schlichting: I'm sorry that I put windowpane in Mel's quail, and I'm sorry that you ate it.

    Its very enjoyable, even if things become all sorts of strange by the end. The dialog is frequently funny and all of the actors get the type of sense of humor that this movie has.

    Mel: [to Agent Tony] You got a lot of nerve. You come in here, you lick my wife's armpit. You know... I'm going to have that image in my head for the rest of my life with your tongue in there.
    Nancy Coplin: You deserve it.
  • deano
    January 7, 2008
    deano
    Hilariously original and inventive comedy is reminiscent of Preston Sturges at his madcap best; the star-studded cast is in peak form.
  • mjgildea
    November 7, 2006
    mjgildea
    Dysfunctional family comedies are hit or miss, but this one hits. Hard.
  • StefanoEarnest
    February 20, 2012
    StefanoEarnest
    David O. Russell's comedy of errors "Flirting With Disaster" is downright delightful. It's laugh out loud funny, in all sense of the phrase, and is actually quite well-written. Sure, it may be a little too eccentric for most people's taste, but I very much enjoyed it.

View All Flirting With Disaster Reviews

Critic Reviews

Susan Wloszczyna
January 1, 2000
Susan Wloszczyna, USA Today

Hang on and prepare to laugh continually.

Rob Gonsalves
February 13, 2008
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com

Entertainment for the whole dysfunctional family. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
June 27, 2006
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Boasting a clever title, this is an inspired piece of lunacy about sociology versus biology, with terrific performances from Ben Stiller and his two sets of parents. Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
May 26, 2006
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

When I caught this modern-day screwball comedy in theaters I didn't think much of it, and it's even less appealing now. Full Review

Victoria Alexander
August 14, 2004
Victoria Alexander, FilmsInReview.com

One Stiller movie I actually enjoyed.

Nick Davis
July 30, 2004
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks

If Russell is erratic with plot and the slightest bit smug in attitude, he makes up for these flaws by drawing fun, inspired performances from his ace cast. Full Review

Scott Weinberg
July 1, 2004
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

Avoiding the safety of the PC blanket, David O. Russell has crafted a canny, crafty and altogether adorable little misfit of a movie. Full Review

James Sanford
April 2, 2004
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette

Outstanding, uproariously funny dark comedy

Pablo Villaca
March 9, 2004
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena

Um elenco afiado, personagens atípicos e situações bizarras contribuem para tornar este filme uma comédia surpreendentemente eficaz.

Fred Topel
July 25, 2003
Fred Topel, About.com

Excellent comedy. You can just feel how good intentions turn disastrous.

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Flirting With Disaster Trivia

  • Who directed the films Three Kings and Flirting with Disaster?  Answer »
  • Who directed Flirting with Disaster, Spanking The Monkey, and Three Kings?  Answer »
  • In "Flirting with Disaster," Ben Stiller and his wife, played by Patricia Arquette, travel with an adoption agency rep, played by Tea Leoni, to find his birth parents. Who played his birth parents?  Answer »
  • Which actor and actress play Ben Stiller's biological parents in 'Flirting With Disaster."?  Answer »
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