PETER FALK (A Woman Under The Influence) and ALAN ARKIN (Little Miss Sunshine) make for a hilarious dream team in the beloved American sidesplitter. Directed by ARTHUR HILLER (Love Story) from an ingenious script by ANDREW BERGMAN (Blazing Saddles), The In-Laws may at first seem like a generic meet-the-parents comedy, as Arkin’ mild-mannered dentist suspiciously eyes Falk’s volatile mystery man, who son is engaged to his daughter. But soon, through a series of events too serpentine and surprising to spoil, the two men are brought together by a dangerous mission that takes them from suburban New Jersey to Honduras. Fueled by elaborate stunt work and the laconic, naturalistic charms of its two stars, The In-Laws deserves its status as a madcap classic – and has continued to draw ardent fans in the years since its release.
“Let’s face it: people in comedy can be a tough crowd for other people’s comedy. It’s not that they’re bitter and self-centered (okay, it’s not just that they’re bitter and self-centered). But when you spend your days and nights assembling words and ideas into little mechanisms to create laughter, it’s almost impossible not to see the machinery behind the comedy of others. Still, funny people like to laugh too, and there are always artists and works so brilliant that comedy writers and performers bow before them… One of these was a little movie that seemed to come out of nowhere to become a comedy classic: The In-Laws (1979)… These four artists-indeed, everyone involved with The In-Laws-appear to have worked together in perfect synchronization to make this film the gem it is… Every great film, like every great work of art, is something of a miracle. Some miracles burst through the front door, loudly proclaiming their magnificence. Others sneak in at the back, then slowly move to the front of the room, where they stay forever. The In-Laws is the latter type of miracle.” Stephen Winer [Stephen was one of the original writers for Late Night with David Letterman]