Flirting With Disaster

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Flirting With Disaster

R,

1996,

1h 32m,

Comedy

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Watchlist

Watchlist

88%

57 Reviews

Tomatometer

69%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

57 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Adopted as a child, new father Mel Colpin (Ben Stiller) decides he cannot name his son until he knows his birth parents, and determines to make a cross-country quest to find them. Accompanied by his wife, Nancy (Patricia Arquette), and an inept yet gorgeous adoption agent, Tina (Tea Leoni), he departs on an epic road trip that quickly devolves into a farce of mistaken identities, wrong turns, and overzealous and love-struck ATF agents (Josh Brolin, Richard Jenkins).

Critics Consensus

Darkly funny, solidly cast, and surprisingly thoughtful, Flirting with Disaster proved David O. Russell's Spanking the Monkey was no fluke.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Jun 14, 2022

The results are watchable enough–sometimes funny, sometimes over the top–and fairly fresh, though also a bit calculated. Leoni has an interesting comic presence one would like to see in toothier material, though this certainly has a few bites.

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

Apr 9, 2016

It's a road movie, and a family comedy, and neurotic Woody Allen-style rom-com, but none of those crisp, compact boxes can properly contain this wild, strange, unruly picture.

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Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Sep 7, 2011

B

David O. Russell has a twisted mind; I like that in a man.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Oct 9, 2026

2.5/4

...a watchable yet often grating endeavor...

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William Arnold

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Apr 9, 2026

3/4

The performers form a strong ensemble unit, and it's altogether a pleasant experience.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Sep 20, 2022

4/4

Russell’s deceptively wise film sustains those insane, out-of-touch moments of behavior and prolongs them, making the experience torturously funny, but rewarding on multiple levels.

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Feb 1, 2019

The best comedy movie ever made!

Theodore W

Aug 4, 2018

David O. Russell has a great knack for finding the funny in unusual places. The same premise in other hands would have likely been given a straight drama treatment, with predictably boring results.

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Anakin S

May 10, 2018

The movie started out kind of simple and straight forward then suddenly became this hilarious ride that included interesting characters full of personality and flaws. We get to see as the movie progresses how flawed and human all the characters are. The movie was hilarious. A great bunch of talented actors including Lily Tomlin and Richard Jenkins Alan Alda. Very quirky and funny.

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Anakin S

Aug 12, 2017

It would've been a typical Ben Stiller movie if it weren't for David O. Russel direction and involvement of such talented actresses as Arquette and Leoni. The movie itself is pretty hilarious, with absurd and funny scenes, resembles the future Ben Stiller movie "Meet the Parents" and future Russel movie "Silver Linings Playbook".

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Hermione R

Jul 13, 2017

Fun messy banter, but not much of anything else.

Han W

Feb 15, 2010

I was expecting better. There are a few amusing moments, but it's far from memorable. (First and only viewing - 9/19/2014)

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David O. Russell

Director

Ben Stiller

Mel Coplin

Patricia Arquette

Nancy Coplin

Téa Leoni

Tina Kalb

Alan Alda

Richard Schlichting

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Synopsis

Adopted as a child, new father Mel Colpin (Ben Stiller) decides he cannot name his son until he knows his birth parents, and determines to make a cross-country quest to find them. Accompanied by his wife, Nancy (Patricia Arquette), and an inept yet gorgeous adoption agent, Tina (Tea Leoni), he departs on an epic road trip that quickly devolves into a farce of mistaken identities, wrong turns, and overzealous and love-struck ATF agents (Josh Brolin, Richard Jenkins).

Director: David O. Russell
Producer: Dean Silvers
Screenwriter: David O. Russell
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Miramax
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 22, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 7, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $14.8M
Runtime: 1h 32m
Sound Mix: Surround

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