Overview
A visit to the in-laws turns into a comedic nightmare filled with misunderstandings and mishaps.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- cringe-inducing
- sincere
- date night
- lazy sunday
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a sharply orchestrated, unusually consistent mainstream comedy whose grounded social embarrassment makes its escalating mishaps especially funny.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Greg's lost luggage, failed proposal preparations, family scrutiny, and missing cat repeatedly intensify his visit's problems.
Greg must win over Jack while seeking Pam's hand in marriage under the Byrnes family's unusually demanding scrutiny.
Jack's former CIA background and basement lie detector transform an ordinary meeting with future in-laws into an interrogation.
Greg's intended proposal is conditional on receiving Jack's approval before Pam can accept.
Films like Meet the Parents, and why
There's Something About Mary
shares screwball escalation, romantic stakes, awkward social embarrassment, and family-in-law conflict
The Wedding Singer
shares fish-out-of-water comedy, escalating misunderstandings, and pressure surrounding a romantic relationship
The Birdcage
shares cringe comedy, family scrutiny, and a socially anxious protagonist trying to earn acceptance
Along Came Polly
shares romantic comedy structure, disastrous social encounters, and warm reconciliation beneath broad humor
Movie Details
- Director
- Jay Roach
- Release Date
- 2000-10-06
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (6579)
Cast
- Ben Stiller
- Robert De Niro
- Teri Polo
- Blythe Danner
- Nicole DeHuff
- Jon Abrahams
- Owen Wilson
- James Rebhorn
- Tom McCarthy
- Phyllis George
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Meet the Parents about?
- A hopeful male nurse's proposal plans unravel into a suburban gauntlet of parental scrutiny, romantic anxiety, and escalating comic disasters.
- What is Meet the Parents like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Meet the Parents as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Meet the Parents violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Meet the Parents as mild.
- What did critics think of Meet the Parents?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a sharply orchestrated, unusually consistent mainstream comedy whose grounded social embarrassment makes its escalating mishaps especially funny.
- Which films are like Meet the Parents?
- Films with a similar feel include There's Something About Mary, The Wedding Singer, The Birdcage, and Along Came Polly.
- How long is Meet the Parents?
- Meet the Parents runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch Meet the Parents?
- In United States, Meet the Parents is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
