The filmmakers were asked if they had made up the name or if they can prove that such a name exists. "[5] This stands in direct contrast to the schlemiel or "the Jewish fool"[5] which was seen to have been revitalized in the mid-1990s after faltering since the 1960s. She was a nymph and daughter of Peneus, a river god. Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker.. His role in Friends was the portrayal of Tommy in the episode "The One With The Screamer". It's sad that I had to explain that. "[30], Explaining how Ben Stiller came to be cast in the role of Greg, Roach states: "I saw Meet the Parents as an anxiety dream, and in my view nobody plays that kind of material better than Ben. [61] The soundtrack features 14 original compositions by Randy Newman as well as additional tracks by Bobby Womack, Lee Dorsey, and Dr. John and a hidden bonus track. Alundra 37. Well, if you replace the "o" in "Focker" with a "u", it is a profanity. Jack angrily reveals that the secret mission was a surprise honeymoon for Debbie and her fiancé Bob, and Greg realizes he has only dug himself deeper into a hole. [38] It quickly proved to be a financial success taking in $28.6 million during its opening weekend and averaging $10,950 per theater in a total of 2,614 theaters. This serves to achieve comedic effect through character development and has also been commented upon as being indicative of thematic portrayal of Jewish characters' roles in modern film as well as being a prime example of how male nurses are portrayed in media. [25], The consideration to play the character of Pam Byrnes, Greg's girlfriend who acts as a mediator between Greg and the Byrnes family, especially her father, Jack, was initially given to British actress Naomi Watts. Gaylord "Greg" Focker is a nurse living in Chicago. Martha sounds like "mother". Set two years after the events of the first film, Gaylord "Greg" Focker and his fiancée Pam Byrnes decide to introduce their parents to each other. [39] In the United Kingdom, it had its theatrical premiere on December 15, 2000 and was distributed by United International Pictures (UIP). By now, the entire Byrnes family, including Pam, agrees that it is best for Greg to leave Long Island until the wedding concludes. While Little Fockers is set in Greg and Pam's home base of Chicago, locations across Southern California once again provided the majority of the comedy's locations…just as they did with the previous film. "[25] Universal initially declined to have relatively inexperienced Roach take on the project. [28] Screenwriter Jim Herzfeld and director Jay Roach both confirmed that, after committing to the project and reviewing the script, De Niro was actually the person who came up with the idea for the famous polygraph test scene. Greg's full name is Gaylord Myron Focker. He had to rock prominent 'brows to resemble Greg in the film, and it turns out they were au naturel. … Just as "Gaylord Focker" is something that would refer to anal sex with a man. Late Night Courier: That's not what it says here. [99][100][101] It was to be directed by Roach with the screenplay written by Larry Stuckey, Roach's former assistant. [Jack's Poem] Jack Byrnes : "My Mother", by Jack Byrnes. ... Pam's middle name. The cultural differences are often highlighted, and Greg repeatedly made aware of them. The aspect ratio is 1.85:1 with an accommodation for an enhanced 16:9 playback. For other uses, see, "But I was trying to have in a kind of forties-farce way, the opportunity to create realistic characters, but heighten the comedic situations and predicaments a bit so that they're still very funny and there is still some very broad humor, but you would connect to the characters and completely identify with Ben Stiller's anxiety about not only meeting Robert De Niro's character and all, but the kind of characters from his past that come with him. "[5] He explains the "manly Jewish triumph"[5] of characters like Jeff Goldblum's David Levinson in Independence Day and labels it as a "certain answer to America's yearnings for a new Jewish hero. "[66], However, Internet film critic James Berardinelli, in spite of awarding it two-and-a-half stars out of four, gave the film a somewhat scathing review. Most people have trouble coming up with cool character names, which is why some kids end up with names like Vagena (true story) or Gaylord (Gaylord Focker is truly the worst name ever). Universal ended up inviting about 20 Fockers from British Columbia, and a Cleveland family whose name was close - Foecking. Gaylord isn’t the worst name, but it’s odd she thinks “Gail” is an improvement. This serves to achieve comedic effect through character develo… Here Greg is shown eating a bagel, which Bower argues as being a clear signifier of Jewishness. [34], The role of Jinx the cat was played by two five-year-old Himalayan cats named Bailey and Misha (sometimes written as Meesha[35]). The casting in this film, bringing together the stars of the original with Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand as Greg aka Gaylord Focker's parents, is sensational. [59][60] The region 2 edition of the DVD was released on October 22, 2001. It led to two sequels: Meet The Fockers in 2004, and Little Fockers in 2010. thanks. [14][15][19][21] Film producer Elliot Grove, founder of Raindance Film Festival and the British Independent Film Awards, listed the original Meet the Parents on his personal Top Ten list of favorite films where he called it "much funnier and tighter than the Hollywood version". "[25] His character is a nurse who loves his girlfriend and tries desperately to impress her parents by any means which includes telling harmless little lies which are then covered up with bigger lies and elaborate cover-up schemes. However, it appears that the atrocious Little Fockers was the final nail in the coffin of the unnecessary Meet the Parents franchise. [79] Todd McCarthy of Variety magazine called the film "flat-out hilarious"[80] and Neil Smith of BBC proclaimed that "there's not a weak scene in this super-funny picture"[81] while awarding it a rating of five stars out of five. "[96] The sequel proved to be another financial success grossing $280 million domestically and $516 million worldwide,[97] outperforming Meet the Parents by a large margin and finishing as the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2004. Universal ended up inviting about 20 Fockers from British Columbia, and a Cleveland family whose name was close - Foecking. Greg Focker: That's me. [11] Commenting on the same issue but disagreeing, Barbara Cherry in her book Contemporary Nursing: Issues, Trends, & Management called the portrayal of Greg as a nurse "one of the most positive film portrayals of men who are nurses"[12] and commented that Greg "humorously addresses and rises above the worst of all stereotypes that are endured by men in this profession. "[67] Critic Christopher Null of AMC's Filmcritic.com claimed that "Meet the Parents is one of the funniest comedies I've seen since Annie Hall". [There's a long pause] Oh no. For example, if my name is Gaylord Focker, but I prefer to be called Greg. Unwillingly, Greg goes to the airport where he is detained by airport security for insisting that his luggage stays with him rather than be checked. [59] A French-language audio track is also available only in 5.1 Dolby Digital Format. [27][28] This resulted in deletion of some scenes but also in introduction of at least one unscripted scene that was completely improvised by Stiller. In 2004, Meet the Fockers was released as a sequel to the film. "[4] She describes the example of Greg sitting down for dinner with the Byrnes family and being asked to bless the food. [102][103] The plane was met by a bomb squad of the local sheriff's office as well as the FBI whose agents questioned its 176 passengers about the note. Throughout both films, the last name is a running gag. [55][56], The DVD release provides only the letterbox format of the film and is also 108 minutes in length. Producer Nancy Tenenbaum acquired the rights to the 1992 film. Cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification. Also Know, will there be a Meet the Parents 4? [4], Based on common misconceptions and stereotypes about men in nursing, Greg's profession is repeatedly brought up by Jack in a negative context and the character of Greg Focker has come to be one of the best known film portrayals of a male nurse. He initially presented it to Roach who had, up to that point, directed the first two Austin Powers films. The studio was skeptical of Roach's ability to direct a "less-cartoony, character-driven script" compared to a comedy like Austin Powers. At that time, Steven Spielberg was interested in doing so while Jim Carrey was interested in playing the lead role. The schlemiel, Brook explains, is an anti-hero in whose humiliation the audience finds supreme pleasure. 374018 Filet Mignon. Rather than going to the airport as planned, Jack decides to drive the family to Miami to meet Greg's parents in his new RV. Actually there are two jokes around this name, because his real first name is Gaylord, which allows Robert De Niro's character, Jack Byrnes, to call him Gay Focker … Such stereotyping is due to a presumption that a man would prefer to be a physician but is unable to become one due to lack of intelligence or non-masculine attributes. [47], At the end of its theatrical run on March 29, 2001—twenty-five weeks after its opening day in North America, the film had grossed $166.2 million in the United States and a total of $330.4 million worldwide,[49] making it the seventh-highest-grossing film of the year both domestically[50] and worldwide. Greg: Yes. Greg unintentionally gives Debbie a broken nose and a black eye during a pool volleyball game, uses a malfunctioning toilet which floods the Byrnes's backyard with sewage, and sets the wedding altar on fire. Throughout both films, the last name is a running gag. [65] Dan Goldwasser, in his review of the soundtrack for Soundtrack.Net, gave credit to Newman and the soundtrack for doing "an excellent job keeping the humor level high. Nobody's called me by it since third grade. You gave me life / You gave me milk / You gave me courage / Your name was Angela / The angel from Heaven / But you were also an angel of God / And He needed you, too / Selfishly I tried to keep you here / While the cancer ate away your organs, / Like an unstoppable rebel force / But I couldn't save you / and I shall see … Jack: Have you ever smoked pot? Jan 26, 2011 1,919 18 Status. i've been anticipating this movie all year and it finally comes out on boxing day..YAY only 6 days away! [33] Phyllis George, who is a former Miss Texas and Miss America pageant winner and has appeared on numerous television programs as a guest and a host, made her acting debut as Linda Banks, Larry's wife and Bob's mother. Meet the Parents is a 2000 American comedy film written by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg and directed by Jay Roach. The director discusses issues that include working with the cast, utilizing the best camera angles for comedic effect, discussing scenes that were improvised and scenes that were scripted, and commenting on issues surrounding shooting on location. The film's script was initially written with Jim Carrey in the role of Greg and contained much more physical comedy, something that Stiller did not think would be successful with himself playing the role. Jack: Is your name Gaylord Focker?Yes or no? Well, if you replace the "o" in "Focker" with a "u", it is a profanity. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Greg: Yes. Released in the United States and Canada on October 6, 2000 and distributed by Universal Pictures, the film earned back its initial budget of $55 million in only 11 days. [14], The original motion picture soundtrack for the film was released on September 26, 2000 on the DreamWorks Records record label. Late Night Courier: Gaylord M. Focker? So Focking What! [36], Greg Glienna did not come up with the surname Focker; Greg's character in the original film did not have a last name. Additionally, English language subtitles are provided as well. 3 Archer Is there a reason why mysterious names and dark names are becoming popular? [42] [91][92] In September 2002, NBC also aired a situation comedy entitled In-Laws. [41] Its earnings for the second week of release dropped by 26% down to $21.1 million, which still kept it at No.1 at the box office beating Remember the Titans by a margin of over $8 million. Meet The Parents is a 2000 Kafka Komedy that is Exactly What It Says on the Tin.It starred Ben Stiller as Greg Focker, Terri Polo as Pam, and Robert De Niro as Pam's dad Jack. Jack: Did you spray-paint the tail of a cat to pass him off as Mr. Jinx? Could you milk me?" Greg Focker: That's me. "[82] Jeff Vice of the Deseret News, another detractor of the film, proclaimed Meet the Parents "only erratically funny"[83] and accused Roach of taking "the cheap way out with a series of unfunny jokes. Also to know is, who is the kid in Meet the Fockers? © AskingLot.com LTD 2021 All Rights Reserved. Meet The Parents-- Male nurse Gaylord "Greg" Focker attempts to propose to his schoolteacher girlfriend Pam Byrnes, but … She noted that the social gap is further widened next morning when Greg is the last person to arrive at the breakfast table; he shows up wearing pajamas while everyone else is fully clothed. He rushes to the airport, convinces airport security to release Greg, and brings him back to the Byrnes's house. He intends to propose to his girlfriend, Pam Byrnes, but his plan is disrupted when they are invited to the wedding of Pam's sister, Debbie, at their parents' house on Long Island. How do I get a copy of my grant deed in San Bernardino County? For which, Motion Picture Association of America film rating system, Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, "Carrey Has 'No Regrets' Over Meet The Parents", Jay Roach – Director of Meet The Parents, 'Meet the Parents' Finds Success by Marrying Classic Themes to Modern Tastes, Local Film Producer Brings America's #1 Film School To Detroit, Jay Roach talks about his hit film Meet the Parents and spewing sewage on Robert De Niro, Ten Questions with MEET THE PARENTS screenwriter Jim Herzfeld, Interview with Fran Drescher; Jim Carrey Discusses Movies, Comedy and Relationships, Meet the Parents (2000) – Acting Credits, Good-time 'Fockers' is a pronounced success, 'Blair Witch' sequel has disappointing box-office debut, Home Video Booms VHS Blockbusters, DVD Sales Fuel Rise, Dylan, Björk, Sting Get First Oscar Nods, Film Review; So You're the Lunkhead Who Wants Daddy's Girl, Meet the Parents and Say Hello to Disaster, In 'Meet the Parents,' Everything Goes Wrong And It Plays Just Right, With some great jokes and laughs to spare, Meet The Parents is one of the funniest films of the year, Meet the Parents: Close encounter of worst kind, About Metascores. Jack Byrnes: I thought your name was Greg. While I admit that I believed I would read comments and reviews about the crudeness of the material, I believe the reason this is not a typically tragic Hollywood farce is due to the strength of the performances … [78] Kenneth Turan, film critic for Los Angeles Times, called it "the funniest film of the year so far, possibly the most amusing mainstream live-action comedy since There's Something About Mary. [59], The single-disc "Collector's Edition" contains two audio commentaries, one a light-hearted and humorous discussion between Roach, Stiller, De Niro, and producer Jane Rosenthal and the other a more formal technical commentary on the film-making aspects by the director and editor Jon Poll.