IN-LAWS, THE
SYNOPSIS:
Vince (Peter Falk) is an unlikely CIA agent who gets involved with the Kornpett family via
the impending marriage of their respective kids. The Kornpetts never knew what hit them,
as Vince, the agency's loose canon (is he REALLY CIA?) involves the dentist father of the
family, Sheldon Kornpett (Alan Arkin), in a crazy caper involving loot and a Latin
American dictator. That's all we're telling.
"The In Laws is one of my favourite comedies of all time. Alan Arkin and Peter
Falk play it dead funny but deadpan, in this exquisitely crafted contemporary comedy - or
is a drama that simply is it too real to be real, if you know what I mean - about a dentist,
a CIA agent and lots more. Director Arthur Hiller, with a natural penchant for comedy,
takes Andrew Bergman's superbly honed script and fulfills every promise with pay off after
pay off. One of the many memorable scenes involves an off the wall sequence in a flight on
a small plane. The comedy is heightened by Hiller's tight rein on the performances and the
camera work: nothing is allowed to be bigger than life, creating a black undertone that
pumps the humour with pathos - but the zing is in the tale. It's first a very good story
and the humour spurts from the combination of character and situation. Watch this without
interruption. Tape it. Steal it…see it any which way you can."
Andrew L. Urban
"The In-Laws is the funniest comedy I've ever seen. It doesn't matter how many
times I see it, it still feels fresh and makes me laugh as if for the first time. In fact,
it has got funnier with time. Parts of the script have even become in-jokes for my entire
family. A marvellous script with the perfect cast - beautifully executed - makes this one
of those films that deserves to sit with the best comedies of all time. It's all played
for real, not for laughs but the characters have been created with comedic flair and
imagination; Peter Falk steals every scene, while Alan Arkin, his total nemesis, is
wonderful as the unwilling accomplice. There are so many memorable scenes and situation,
but my favourite is at the conclusion of the fabulous flight sequence that Andrew
describes above, when Vince instructs Sheldon to 'serpentine' from the plane,
through the flying bullets to the safety of the waiting car. Its bizarre nature typifies
what the film is all about. Special mention to dentists, who will enjoy the scene when
Sheldon is absconded from his dental surgery, while a patient waits (for a very long time)
with mouth wide open, while a cast hardens. Clever, wacky and very, very funny, The
In-Laws is the best in-joke for movie lovers."
Louise Keller
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CRITICAL COUNT
Favourable: 2
Unfavourable: 0
Mixed:0
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IN LAWS, THE
(US)
CAST: Peter Falk, Alan Arkin, Richard Libertini, Nancy Dussault, Penny Peyser, Arlene
Golonka, Michael Lembeck
DIRECTOR: Arthur Hiller
PRODUCER: Arthur Hiller, William Sackheim
SCRIPT: Andrew Bergman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: David M. Walsh
EDITOR: Robert Swink
MUSIC: John Morris
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Pato Guzman
RUNNING TIME: 103 minutes
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