The Thing About My Folks

I saw the film at the Nashville Film Festival. It was beautifully done, from cinematography to the acting. It's the story of a father and son, and how they come to appreciate each other during a family crisis. Beautifully written with dialog that never rings false, the film showcases the acting talents of Paul Reiser and Peter Falk, among others in this outstanding cast. The film begins with the aging father (Peter Falk)is trying to figure out why his wife (Olympia Dukakis) has left him. The father presents himself, unannounced, on the doorstep of his son and daughter-in-law. The father and son take off the next day to look at some property and end up taking a classic road trip. They fish, play pool, watch a baseball game, get drunk, get involved in a barroom brawl, and dance with strange women. But more important, they each confront the unspoken tensions that can affect any family. It's the kind of film that touches the heart and makes one appreciate those who are closest to them.

Meh. This will not go down in history as a memorable movie. At least not for me it won't. The only thing memorable about it would be Peter Falk's less than masterful overdoing of the Jewish father schtick. And I generally have quite a soft spot for Peter Falk...

The movie overall was OK, but just in the most general sense. The plot line started out interesting but fizzled badly in the end. No real strength to the whole story. Paul Reiser did not do his best work here either. I don't think any of the actors really meshed with each other. Instead of telling a story, they kept kind of acting "at" each other. There was a woodenness about the whole effect. Even the great Olympia Dukakis could not get into her character's groove. And you only saw her for about ten minutes at the very end. But it's the worst acting I've ever seen from her, ever. Which isn't saying much, I know, because she is otherwise a fabulous actress. Let's just say her acting in this probably embarrassed all her acting coaches. It was not good.

Elisabeth Perkins was pretty, as usual, but completely lacked character or depth. The few witty lines she was given somehow just didn't make the cut either. They all fell kind of flat. You somehow knew they were meant to be funny, but just couldn't see the actual funny part for yourself.

All in all, a pretty ho-hum little movie that I would never take the time to watch again.

We saw the film this evening (not my first choice) and I was very pleasantly surprised. Kudos to Paul Reiser; this is not a made for TV movie, nor is it going straight to rental. Peter Falk should get an Academy Award nomination for his wonderful performance. The scenery of upstate NY is also beautiful and fits the movie. The film covers several tracks-father- son, mother- dad, and husband- wife. The whole family relationship thing is covered. You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll recommend it to your 40 plus friends. Not a date movie. Peter Falk needs more work; his talent has been under utilized. Bottom line, the "Thing About My Folks" is I loved it and so will you.

Did I mention this film is wonderful? This is a buddy movie men and women will love. Congratulations to the multi-talented Paul Reiser for his beautifully crafted script and performance. And for casting that national treasure, Peter Falk as the father he never really knew. All of the performances are terrific and the fall foliage scenery is exquisite. This is a rich and resonate comedy that is not afraid to explore the real, confusing, painful and hopeful terrain of love. So take this hilarious and heartfelt journey with this son and father. The sold out crowd at the Santa Barbara Film Festival gave THE THING ABOUT MY FOLKS a standing ovation. You'll feel like standing and cheering too.

I saw this film back at the 2005 Palm Springs International Festival and of the 14 films I saw there I would rank this #4. The 900+ theater was full and at the end it received a standing ovation. This was classic Peter Falk if you are a Falk fan and displayed a lot of chemistry between the Peter Falk and Paul Reiser characters. The film's title seemed to long and too odd sounding to me. I am surprised this didn't make it into general release. This was far better than the majority of junk that the major studios throw at you. Maybe too adult in that it was geared to the baby boomer and senior audience. A lot of people could relate to situations in this movie. This will probably enjoy a revival of sorts years from now when people look back at this film and consider it a kind of a gem. I would rate this 8.0 to 8.5 on a scale of 10 and definitely recommend it.