Peter Falk’s Father Knows Best
During the opening of writer-actor Paul Reiser's reflective The Thing About My Folks, old salt Peter Falk is seen splashing baby powder all over his body. "You never know," Falk explains to his son, played by Reiser in this fine, if draggy, family affair. The caution, told in Reiser's narration, is one of those quirky parental tidbits that makes you laugh.
As profound as an episode of Reiser's 1990s television comedy series, Mad About You, which this often plays like, The Thing About My Folks is not half bad, if hearing Reiser and Mr. Falk kvetch for a couple of hours doesn't get on your nerves (it didn't get on mine, but it came close). The thing about this movie is that it's like a visit to Aunt Sophie's; it is a bit bothersome, but, by the time you're finished, you're smiling.
The father-son tale commences as writer Reiser and his wife, played by Elizabeth Perkins (Must Love Dogs), are trying to put the kids to bed at their Manhattan apartment. It's a very New York family, with everyone yapping and someone on the phone, and the little grasshoppers are jumping on the sofa when, suddenly, Pop (Falk, aged to old Jewish perfection) shows up and throws everyone off track. It's the middle of the night. Something's happened.
But Pop, who doesn't want to be a burden—wink, wink—waits to tell his only son of four children until after the grandkids have gone beddie-bye. With Reiser and Perkins sitting down, the news comes: Mom left Dad, and he has the note from the fridge to prove it.
The network of three competing Jewish sisters is activated, and it's up to Reiser to pull Daddy out of New York City and take him road tripping upstate, where Reiser and Perkins are considering moving to what New Yorkers ridiculously call "the country," which means a big house on a small farm. Back in "the city" (San Francisco does this, too), his sisters work the phones and try to figure out what happened to Ma, who, come to find out, has been itching to ditch Dad for decades.
Or so it seems. One of the things about The Thing About My Folks is that, as baby-powdered Falk is fond of saying, "you never know"—which in this context means that only the two persons involved ever truly know anything about the nature and dynamics of a couple, a good if overplayed theme for Reiser's pleasant picture about commonplace family issues.
Talky in certain stretches, the sleepy action takes place between father and son traveling through the Empire State in a nostalgic journey back in time—complete with flashbacks that unravel the mystery of what may be a troubled marriage—that leads them to variously harmless exploits. If not always a treat, the interplay is a humanistic slice of interesting lives, or maybe it simply feels good to see and hear thoughtful people speak in sentences (though Reiser includes flatulence to titillate those expecting "Something About Grandpa"). A scene where the men go fishing stands out for laughs.
Of course, there is more to the story, and, since The Thing About My Folks tells the tale of a carpet salesman and his wife (Moonstruck's Olympia Dukakis), it's fairly ordinary. The picture is also bittersweet and realistic in expressing its father/son—and, to a lesser extent, mother/son—sentiment. It occasionally tries too hard, but it has subtlety and something to say. Reiser plays Reiser, Dukakis portrays Dukakis, and the cast is fine. Easily the best performance is delivered by Peter Falk, who pours it on thick and slow as the typical Baby Boomer's father, keeping to himself, working hard and—because you never know when you might need to—knowing how to use a pool stick in a tricky situation.
DVD Notes
Paul Resier's vanity comedy is a bare bones outing on DVD, especially at a suggested retail price of over $25. Aside from the 96-minute movie in widescreen format, the standard package includes subtitles, closed captioning, and sneak previews of some lowbrow releases coming up from New Line. This homey, New York Jewish journey is worth taking at least once, especially around Father's Day.
As profound as an episode of Reiser's 1990s television comedy series, Mad About You, which this often plays like, The Thing About My Folks is not half bad, if hearing Reiser and Mr. Falk kvetch for a couple of hours doesn't get on your nerves (it didn't get on mine, but it came close). The thing about this movie is that it's like a visit to Aunt Sophie's; it is a bit bothersome, but, by the time you're finished, you're smiling.
The father-son tale commences as writer Reiser and his wife, played by Elizabeth Perkins (Must Love Dogs), are trying to put the kids to bed at their Manhattan apartment. It's a very New York family, with everyone yapping and someone on the phone, and the little grasshoppers are jumping on the sofa when, suddenly, Pop (Falk, aged to old Jewish perfection) shows up and throws everyone off track. It's the middle of the night. Something's happened.
But Pop, who doesn't want to be a burden—wink, wink—waits to tell his only son of four children until after the grandkids have gone beddie-bye. With Reiser and Perkins sitting down, the news comes: Mom left Dad, and he has the note from the fridge to prove it.
The network of three competing Jewish sisters is activated, and it's up to Reiser to pull Daddy out of New York City and take him road tripping upstate, where Reiser and Perkins are considering moving to what New Yorkers ridiculously call "the country," which means a big house on a small farm. Back in "the city" (San Francisco does this, too), his sisters work the phones and try to figure out what happened to Ma, who, come to find out, has been itching to ditch Dad for decades.
Or so it seems. One of the things about The Thing About My Folks is that, as baby-powdered Falk is fond of saying, "you never know"—which in this context means that only the two persons involved ever truly know anything about the nature and dynamics of a couple, a good if overplayed theme for Reiser's pleasant picture about commonplace family issues.
Talky in certain stretches, the sleepy action takes place between father and son traveling through the Empire State in a nostalgic journey back in time—complete with flashbacks that unravel the mystery of what may be a troubled marriage—that leads them to variously harmless exploits. If not always a treat, the interplay is a humanistic slice of interesting lives, or maybe it simply feels good to see and hear thoughtful people speak in sentences (though Reiser includes flatulence to titillate those expecting "Something About Grandpa"). A scene where the men go fishing stands out for laughs.
Of course, there is more to the story, and, since The Thing About My Folks tells the tale of a carpet salesman and his wife (Moonstruck's Olympia Dukakis), it's fairly ordinary. The picture is also bittersweet and realistic in expressing its father/son—and, to a lesser extent, mother/son—sentiment. It occasionally tries too hard, but it has subtlety and something to say. Reiser plays Reiser, Dukakis portrays Dukakis, and the cast is fine. Easily the best performance is delivered by Peter Falk, who pours it on thick and slow as the typical Baby Boomer's father, keeping to himself, working hard and—because you never know when you might need to—knowing how to use a pool stick in a tricky situation.
DVD Notes
Paul Resier's vanity comedy is a bare bones outing on DVD, especially at a suggested retail price of over $25. Aside from the 96-minute movie in widescreen format, the standard package includes subtitles, closed captioning, and sneak previews of some lowbrow releases coming up from New Line. This homey, New York Jewish journey is worth taking at least once, especially around Father's Day.
