The thing about Ben's folks is that, after four decades, they're breaking up. It starts when Sam (Peter Falk) finds a letter from Muriel (Olympia Dukakis). She's gone off to find herself, he tells Ben (writer/producer Paul... more » Reiser, Mad About You) and daughter-in-law Rachel (Elizabeth Perkins). He isn't as upset as he is confused. Mostly, he thinks it's just a misunderstanding. Ben and Rachel offer to let him stay with them, so he starts spending all his time with his son. Sam doesn't have anything else to do and Ben, a freelance writer, can't bring himself to say no. Meanwhile, Ben's older sisters put their heads together to determine where their mother has gone and to make sure she's all right. After a bumpy start, Ben and Sam bond while on a road trip through upstate New York. The Thing About My Folks is sensitively acted by a talented cast and appears to have been made with love (Reiser wrote the part of Sam specifically for Falk). It elicits a few laughs and even a few tears, but the language is unnecessarily profane--no one would confuse the Kleinmans for the Sopranos--and the humor can be a little crass--for a film aimed at adults, gags about flatulence seem ill-advised. Still, Reiser's heart is in the right place. Sometimes that can be enough, although Raymond De Felitta's previous film, Two Family House, is a more original look at the complexities of family life. --Kathleen C. Fennessy« less
This DVD was a surprise for me. The actors were well known and loved through other movies, but this movie had such realism and compassion that one could see just how the lives of these characters evolved over the years. The father, Peter Falk, and son, played by Paul Reiser, were very believable in their interactions with one another as they dealt with past history as a family. It was one of the best DVD's I have seen in awhile. It is a great way to spend an evening together with your spouse or loved ones.
Michel D. (michelann) from WALNUT GROVE, MO Reviewed on 9/30/2016...
Absolutely delightful film about family and the often times complicated ability to simply communicate. Peter Falk is, as always, a cantankerous old "fart" (you will see what I mean) who has this one track mindedness that can easily be taken wrong. He and son, beautifully portrayed by Paul Reiser, finally spend quality time together while on a road trip and actually get to know each other. Mom, Olympia Dukakis, finally shows up near the movies end but is a strong presence throughout the story. Long story short, this is a beautifully written and acted story about family!
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Lenny N. (Qsrasra) from FORT BRAGG, CA Reviewed on 9/22/2016...
A sweet film, with honest portrayals of relationships and buried questions. Solid acting, with good actors. Fun and touching. Glad I saw it.
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Deborah D. (pmdeborah) from YORK, PA Reviewed on 7/24/2010...
I really like Peter Falk movies and this one was also great. The acting by everyone was great and the plot moved along well.
S A A. (Learned2Heal) Reviewed on 11/6/2009...
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.