Meeting the In-Laws

Good morning Consumers, This is Please Consume, the Film newsletter that loves you more than Ben Affleck loves being from Boston.

The In-Laws (1979)

Written by Tom Fortner

When you’re about to watch a spy film, you pretty much know what you’re getting into. There will most likely be cool music, fight scenes, car chases, stealth, disguises, intrigue, and an iconic villain. If it’s a spy comedy, these things will be turned up to 11.

This movie IS a spy comedy and technically has most of these things… but the result is so different. Let’s talk about why.

Meeting the In-Laws

The movie is called The In-Laws. This is not to be confused with the 2003 remake with Albert Brooks and Michael Douglas that might be more well known. NO! This is the original from 1979 and it’s amazing.

The story revolves around a dentist, played by Alan Arkin, whose daughter is getting married soon. When his new in-laws come over for dinner, he immediately takes a disliking to the father, Peter Falk. Falk is telling stories about mosquitoes so big they carry people away and Arkin smells bullshit, but everyone else seems oblivious.

The thing about The In-Laws is that it’s not a clear cut spy comedy. It doesn’t have gadgets or international significance. Instead, the plot revolves around a pair of engraving plates stolen from the U.S. Mint (for printing money). Why they have been stolen and who stole them is a mystery, but during the dinner, Peter Falk excuses himself to make a phone call and hides the engraving plates in Arkin’s house. 

I don’t want to get into spoilers, but it turns out that Falk is in fact a spy, but who he’s working for is rather ambiguous. Pretty soon, Arkin is dragged into the plot and they are being chased and shot at and flying to another country.

An Adult Film

The thing I love about this film is that it’s not a parody or a satire type of comedy. It’s more along the lines of The Odd Couple in which the circumstances and characters are what makes the movie funny, not jokes and references. In this instance, the circumstances just happen to be spy related.

There are so many examples of witty banter and lines that are secondary to the plot, but are hilarious if you catch them. This is largely due to the amazing work of Arkin and Falk who absolutely blow their performances out of the water. Arkin is just a vibrating ball of nerves, a fish completely out of his warm, comfortable water. Falk, on the other hand, is seemingly oblivious to the actual magnitude of the situation. Or, at least, he doesn’t let it get to his head. You can see it in the clip today: as Alan Arkin is being shot at, Falk lets out a sincere “Whatta guy!”. It’s so out of place and yet so reflective of Falk’s character that you can’t help but love it.

Of course, there are incredibly silly moments in the film (the dictator for goodness sake), but overall this film thrives on its own originality and the incredible talent of its leads.

Today’s Scene