Flirting with Disaster (1996)

A young man, his wife, and his incompetent case worker travel across country to find his birth parents.

Director:

David O. Russell

Writer:

David O. Russell

Stars:

Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette, Téa Leoni

2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Stiller	...	Mel Coplin
Patricia Arquette	...	Nancy Coplin
Téa Leoni	...	Tina Kalb
Mary Tyler Moore	...	Pearl Coplin
George Segal	...	Ed Coplin
Alan Alda	...	Richard Schlichting
Lily Tomlin	...	Mary Schlichting
Richard Jenkins	...	Paul Harmon
Josh Brolin	...	Agent Tony Kent
Celia Weston	...	Valerie Swaney
Glenn Fitzgerald	...	Lonnie Schlichting
Beth Ostrosky	...	Jane
Cynthia Lamontagne	...	Sandra
David Patrick Kelly	...	Fritz Boudreau
John Ford Noonan	...	Mitch

Storyline

Mel Coplin departs on a mission of discovery dragging his wife and 4 month old son behind. He and wife, Nancy, won't agree on a name for their son until adopted Mel gets in touch with his roots. He assures her that once he knows who he really is, the right name for their boy will be a snap. Enlisting the aid of student-psychologist and part-time adoption agent, Tina Kalb, they embark on a journey across the United States to find Mel's "birth" mother. "The best part," Mel tells Nancy, "is it's all free." Tina is finishing her dissertation and will film the happy reunion of mother and child as part of her research. For this privilege, she's footing the bill. His adoptive parents are left behind feeling abandoned by an ungrateful son. Clerical errors, mistaken identities, Nancy's misplaced high school friend and his gay lover, and a super-charged libido here and there are thrown into the mix along the way until -- at last -- Mel's real parents, the Schlictings (mispronounced as "...

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Plot Keywords:

adoption | mistaken identity | new mexico | truck driver | face slap | 

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Taglines:

Have you flirted yet?

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sexuality and a comic drug scene

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 March 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amori e disastri

Filming Locations:

Battle Creek, Michigan, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$14,891,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dick Van Dyke was offered the role of Richard Schlichting. Originally, Mary Tyler Moore was to play the role of his wife Mary but she eventually switched roles in order to portray Pearl Coplin.

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Goofs

The amount of brie cheese that Mrs. Coplin is waving at her husband.

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Quotes

Agent Paul: You do know it is a federal offense to destroy a United States Post Office?

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Connections

Referenced in Wanderlust (2006)

User Reviews

A brilliant adult comedy

This movie is one of my all time favorites. It's sophisticated and Richard Jenkins is my favorite actor in the brilliant cast. I became aware of this actor after viewing this film and have followed his career ever since. It's dumbfounding to me that such versatile and highly accomplished actor is relegated to supporting roles while mediocre ones get first billing. "Disaster" is, IMO, brilliant, amusing and sophisticated a film that encompasses many societal taboos, such a gay marriage, a film designed to change the boring and trite landscape of formula comedies. The variety of characters depicted in the plot are highly entertaining and so is the dialog and the variety of personalities and life styles depicted.