Meet The Parents MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +3 1/2 Content: -1 1/2

Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo), a kindergarten teacher, and Greg Focker (Ben Stiller), a male nurse, are very much in love. Shes anxious for him to meet her mom (Blythe Danner) and dad (Robert De Niro). But spending a weekend with Pams parents proves to be the biggest challenge of his life. Nothing has prepared Greg for Jack Byrnes, a former CIA agent, and his fiendish determination to intimidate Pam's suitor with surveillance cameras and a lie detector machine. His future in-laws impression of Greg is not helped by a last name that invites snickers and crude remarks. But the biggest hurdle Greg faces is pretending to like Mr. Jinx, Jack's beloved pet cat. During his desperate attempt to win approval, Greg accidentally lets the pampered cat run away, almost burns the house down and breaks a treasured urn holding the ashes of Jack's deceased mother. What more can go wrong? Plenty. MEET THE PARENTS is one of this year's funniest comedies a real crowd-pleaser.

Honesty plays a big part in the films theme. Greg and Pam lie to her parents about living together, and Greg's bumbling attempts to win over Jack lead to further lies. However, it's almost admirable the humiliation Greg is willing to endure to win the approval of Pam's father. He finally realizes that telling the truth might work. Evidently, Pam's teenage brother doesn't fall under his father's scrutiny because he keeps drug paraphernalia in his room, a lewd poster on his wall and obeys no house rules. Pam's former boyfriend seems to be perfect in every way and proclaims to be a follower of Christ. But when Greg is asked to return thanks at the dinner table, he rambles on and on pretending to be devout. The young couple have a few scenes of passionate kissing, but are interrupted. Greg makes comical remarks about being aroused, and Jack has great fun making remarks about Greg's last name. Nine regular profanities and six obscenities, along with sexually suggestive remarks and behavior, detract from a chance to MEET THE PARENTS.

Preview Reviewer: Mary Draughon
Distributor: Universal Pictures & DreamWorks, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608