Mel Coplin’s
(Stiller) search for his biological parents may be over. With the
aid of a sexy adoption councilor and his wife, and newborn child
in tow, he begins a cross-country search for his roots.
CRITIQUE
Flirting
with Disaster begins with a premise that could have led to
nothing more than the usual gross-out road trip film. However, it
rises above the standard and brings to life a unique and darkly
comic world. This is an America from Hell, where the fates
conspire against the meek and anything can and will go wrong at a
moment's notice. This is the world of Mel Coplin. The film weaves
a story so strange that is compelling and one cannot stop
but wonder where it’s going to go next. From insane truck drivers
to bisexual ATF agents to LSD manufacturing ex-hippies, Mel
Coplin’s journey is filled with off-the-wall characters and
situations.
Ben Stiller plays a
role that is familiar to fans. He is neurotic, whiny, and awkward,
traits that seem be embody most roles he chooses. Patricia Arquette is
sweet and we can see how much stress she’s in because of Mel’s need to
know his roots. She’s patient, but we know her patience will end
soon. Téa
Leoni is fun as a slightly bubble-headed but very sincere
councilor. She wants to do the right thing for Mel, but seems unable
to perform her job correctly. Alan Alda and Lily Tomlin are great as
Mel’s real parents, however Mary Tyler Moore and George Segal are
absolutely brilliant as Mel’s adopted parents.
The film does have
a “what the heck?” factor which may throw some viewers for a loop. The
film is not your standard road picture, which is a wonderful relief.
There are no bad guys in this film, no car chases or even people with
hidden agendas. This is just a story about people. Really weird
people.
THE VIDEO
The video is
just a standard transfer. There is no enhancement of image, or is
there any noticeable muting of image. It looks nice.
THE AUDIO
The film is
presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, which sounds really
good. The mix works wonderfully. Nothing special or noteworthy
with the presentation, it’s a standard sound mix.
THE EXTRAS
Deleted
Scenes: The extra scenes are presented in their original
daily form and add little to the story, but they are nice to
watch.
Outtakes:
The standard outtakes of actors goofing lines. But unlike many
outtakes features, this has some really funny bits and alternate
takes.
Flirting With
Disaster Original Featurette: A brief interview session with
the actors. It’s not really worth looking at because there it’s not a
“making of” and presents no helpful information.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s a standard
DVD and has nothing to take note of. The movie is a wonderfully quirky
comedy that is a must for all comedy fans. It’s a shame that this disc
didn’t come with a commentary track, I would love to hear Stiller’s
comments on the film now, years after the film’s debut.
