Meet the Fockers (2004)

Director:

Jay Roach

Writers (WGA):

Greg Glienna (characters) &
Mary Ruth Clarke (characters) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 December 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

And you thought your parents were embarrassing.

Plot:

All hell breaks loose when the Byrnes family meets the Focker family for the first time.

Plot Keywords:

Nurse | Speeding Car | Police Officer | Police Car | Control Freak

Awards:

2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	Jack Byrnes
Ben Stiller	...	Greg Focker
Dustin Hoffman	...	Bernie Focker
Barbra Streisand	...	Rozalin Focker
Blythe Danner	...	Dina Byrnes
Teri Polo	...	Pam Byrnes
Owen Wilson	...	Kevin Rawley
Spencer Pickren	...	Little Jack 'L.J.' Byrnes
Bradley Pickren	...	Little Jack 'L.J.' Byrnes
Alanna Ubach	...	Isabel Villalobos
Ray Santiago	...	Jorge Villalobos
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Officer LeFlore
Shelley Berman	...	Judge Ira
Kali Rocha	...	Flight Attendant
Dorie Barton	...	Airline Clerk
Jack Plotnick	...	Rent-a-Car Agent
Wayne Thomas Yorke	...	Airport Security Guard
B.J. Hansen	...	B.J.
J.P. Manoux	...	Local Cop
Myra Turley	...	Admitting Nurse
Vahe Bejan	...	Gunther - Immigrant Man
Kathleen Gati	...	Venka - Immigrant Woman
Angelo Tiffe	...	Businessman
Kyle T. McNamee	...	Undercover Waiter
Cedric Yarbrough	...	Prison Guard
Max Hoffman	...	Woody Focker
Benjamin Trueblood	...	Newborn Baby
Roberto Garcia	...	Waiter
Bruno Coon	...	Strolling Minister / Band Member
Rock Deadrick	...	Wedding Band
David Sutton	...	Wedding Band
Berna Roberts	...	Girl Bus Driver (as Bernadette Perez)
Linda O'Neil	...	Girl on Bus
Tiffany Turner	...	Girl on Bus
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Christine D. Coleman
John Carey	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Victoria Chalaya	...	Pam's Cousin (uncredited)
Karen-Eileen Gordon	...	Anita Focker (uncredited)
Fabrizio Imas	...	Chicken Man (uncredited)
Angie Jaree	...	Bunny Focker (uncredited)
R. Martin Klein	...	Mo Focker (uncredited)
Allan Kolman	...	Harry Focker (uncredited)
Sean LoGrasso	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Chris Mala	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Rana McAnear	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Connie Richmond	...	Frida Focker (uncredited)
Antonio Rufino	...	Waiter (uncredited)
David Zimmerman	...	Dom Focker (uncredited)

Directed by
Jay Roach

Writing credits (WGA)
Greg Glienna		(characters) &
Mary Ruth Clarke		(characters)
Jim Herzfeld		(story) and
Marc Hyman		(story)
Jim Herzfeld		(screenplay) and
John Hamburg		(screenplay)

Produced by
Robert De Niro	....	producer
Jon Poll	....	co-producer
Jay Roach	....	producer
Jane Rosenthal	....	producer
Amy Sayres	....	executive producer
Larry Stuckey	....	associate producer
Nancy Tenenbaum	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Randy Newman

Cinematography by
John Schwartzman

Film Editing by
Alan Baumgarten
Lee Haxall
Jon Poll

Casting by
Francine Maisler

Production Design by
Rusty Smith

Art Direction by
Andrew Neskoromny

Set Decoration by
Sara Andrews		(as Sara Ingrassia)

Costume Design by
Carol Ramsey

Makeup Department
Terry Baliel	....	hair department head
Kate Biscoe	....	makeup department head
Judith A. Cory	....	hairdresser: Ms. Streisand
David DeLeon	....	makeup artist: Barbra Streisand
Maggie Fung	....	key makeup artist
Teressa Hill	....	key hair stylist
Grady Holder	....	makeup effects technician: K.N.B. EFX Group
Colleen LaBaff	....	assistant hair stylist
Maryann Marchetti	....	assistant makeup artist
Matthew W. Mungle	....	special makeup effects artist
Cheryl Ann Nick	....	makeup artist (as Cheryl Nick)
Valli O'Reilly	....	makeup artist: Dustin Hoffman
Tijen Osman	....	additional hair stylist
Carol Pershing	....	hair stylist
Victoria Wood	....	wig maker: Barbra Streisand
Joy Zapata	....	hair stylist: Ben Stiller, pick up shots

Production Management
Peter Oillataguerre	....	executive in charge of production
Lisa Rodgers	....	post-production supervisor
Lenny Vullo	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marcei A. Brown	....	second assistant director (as Marcei A. Brubaker)
Doug Coleman	....	second unit director
Marisa Ferrey	....	second second assistant director
Jill Frank	....	first assistant director: second unit
Josh King	....	first assistant director
Marc Newland	....	dga trainee
Jon Poll	....	second unit director
Dominick Scarola	....	additional second second assistant director
Marco Schnabel	....	additional second unit director

Art Department
Doreen Austria	....	graphic designer
Adam L. Barker	....	lead plaster foreman
Melissa Bartley	....	art department assistant
Jennifer R. Blair	....	art department coordinator
Adam Braid	....	set dresser
Amanda Bromberg	....	set decorating assistant
Andrew Campbell	....	graphic designer
George Capetanos	....	prop assistant
Bryan Corbett	....	construction foreman
Jill S. Coverdale	....	set dresser buyer
Kevin Cross	....	set designer
Paul Cunningham	....	gang boss
Sam Dean	....	welder
Doug DuRose	....	assistant property master
William J. Durrell Jr.	....	set designer
Carmine Goglia	....	stand-by painter
Donald Goodman	....	drapery foreman
Valerie Green	....	art department assistant
Steven Hanks	....	greensman
Gabriel Hardman	....	storyboard artist
Brock Helfer	....	set dresser
Guy Hietala	....	set painter
Bart C. Hubenthal	....	set dresser
Kim Larsen-Santini	....	assistant property master (as Kim Larsen)
Steve Lauritzen	....	set dresser
Kim Lincoln	....	prop graphics
Joe Lozano	....	greens foreman
Bobby Mara	....	propmaker foreman
Jonah Markowitz	....	assistant art director
Richard F. Mays	....	set designer
Bryan McBrien	....	greens
Eugene McCarthy	....	property master
John McElroy	....	on-set dresser
John Naehrlich	....	leadman
Scott Nifong	....	assistant property master
Fred O'Connor	....	propmaker
John S. Ogden	....	propmaker
William V. Ryder	....	set designer
Steve Salazar	....	welder
Josh Sheppard	....	additional storyboards
Nithya Shrinivasan	....	assistant art director
Reese St. Amant	....	painter (as Charisse St. Amant)
Adam Tankell	....	graphic designer
Leslie A. Tokunaga	....	construction buyer
Jeffry C. Voorhees	....	set dresser
Randall D. Wilkins	....	set designer
Douglas Womack	....	construction coordinator
Christopher Woodworth	....	scenic supervisor
Alan Day	....	set dresser: reshoots (uncredited)

Sound Department
George H. Anderson	....	supervising sound editor (as George Anderson)
Chris Carpenter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Derek Casari	....	adr engineer
Chris Diamond	....	cable utility
Ryan Ferro	....	boom operator
Louis Hone	....	foley recording mixer
Scott Jacobs	....	boom operator
Jason W. Jennings	....	sound effects editor
Andy Koyama	....	sound re-recording mixer
Goro Koyama	....	foley artist
Greg LaPlante	....	digital mastering
Julie Lindner	....	assistant adr editor
Andy Malcolm	....	foley artist
Anna Malkin	....	foley recording assistant
James Matheny	....	dialogue editor
Ken McLaughlin	....	production sound mixer
Bill Meadows	....	sound recordist
Frank D. Menges	....	sound mixer: second unit
Stephen Muir	....	foley recording assistant
Charleen Richards	....	adr mixer (as Charleen Richards-Steeves)
Philip Rogers	....	adr recordist
Roy Seeger	....	supervising foley editor
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer
Cherie Tamai	....	first assistant sound editor
Renee Tondelli	....	supervising adr editor
Don White	....	foley recording mixer

Special Effects by
John S. Baker	....	first unit supervisor
Tony Centonze	....	special effects foreman
Andy Clement	....	animatronic effects
Donald Krause	....	special effects technician
Josh Neugass	....	special effects technician
Clay Pinney	....	special effects supervisor
Joshua Pinney	....	special effects foreman
Arnold J. Verbiesen	....	special effects foreman

Visual Effects by
David D. Johnson	....	visual effects supervisor
Sean Kennedy	....	visual effects: Pacific Vision Productions
Steve Koch	....	digital artist
Kurt E. Soderling	....	visual effects cameraman

Stunts
Cass Asher	....	stunt double: Owen Wilson
Rick Avery	....	stunt double
Doug Coleman	....	stunt coordinator
Greg Fitzpatrick	....	stunt double: Ben Stiller
Ross Gallo	....	stunts
Charles Page	....	stunt double
Kerry Rossall	....	stunts
Bill Willens	....	precision driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Ambrose	....	gaffer: second unit
Dean Andolsek	....	gaffer: second unit
Danny Ault	....	rigging electric
Dana Baker	....	grip
Melanie Banders	....	film loader
Renzo Bartolotta	....	rigging electrician
Tracy Bennett	....	still photographer
Clyde E. Bryan	....	first assistant camera: second camera
David R. Christensen	....	gaffer
Jimmy Culligan	....	rigging grip
Jose Danner	....	rigging grip
Will Dearborn	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Tom Derose	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Christopher Dorowsky	....	electrician
Frank Dorowsky	....	rigging gaffer
Ian Fox	....	camera operator
Rick Harris	....	key rigging grip
Samuel R. Harrison III	....	video assist operator
Matthew Haskins	....	additional second assistant camera
Sean Patrick Hill	....	grip
Michael J. Hogan	....	video assist operator
John Johnson	....	additional still photographer
Scott C. Keys	....	rigging electric best boy
Thom Lairson	....	second assistant camera (as Thomas D. Lairson Jr.)
Charles 'Woody' Lang	....	rigging foreman
Jonathan Leary	....	grip
Lonnie Leslie	....	grip
James M. McClure	....	dimmer board operator
Ronald A. Miller	....	rigging grip foreman
Daisuke Dice Miyake	....	grip
Laurence Monier	....	rigging electrician
Richard Mosier	....	Steadicam assistant
Richard Mosier	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Gannon Murphy	....	dimmer operator
Travis Panarisi	....	electrician
Ray Patrick	....	super technocrane operator
Michael Pinkey	....	director of photography: second unit
Daniel R. Purinton	....	rigger
Lyle Robbins	....	rigging electrician
Andrew Rowlands	....	camera operator
Craig Scagnetti	....	lighting technician
Kurt E. Soderling	....	aerial director of photography (as Kurt Soderling)
Donald A. Spadoni	....	best boy rigging grip
James M. Sterba	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Joseph T. Terranova	....	lighting technician: additional photography
Les T. Tomita	....	key grip
Michael T. Travers	....	grip
Suzanne Trucks	....	second assistant camera
Art Villasenor	....	technocrane technician
Bob Waers	....	rigging electrician
Chris Wagganer	....	video assist operator: second unit
Jerry Woodside	....	electrician
Kirk Greenberg	....	rigging grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Vanessa Rodriguez	....	casting assistant
Pamela Lynn Thomas	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marisa Aboitiz	....	costume supervisor
Fran Allgood	....	set costumer
Jeanie Baker	....	set costumer
Lois DeArmond	....	assistant costume designer
Kendall Errair	....	costumer: Ms. Streisand
Jill Korengold	....	costumer: Dustin Hoffman
Marcie Olivi	....	costumer: Mr. DeNiro
Douglas J. Stewart	....	textile artist
Haik Tateossian	....	fabric dyer & printer
Christine Wada	....	key costumer

Editorial Department
Craig Alpert	....	additional editor
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Ahmadu Garba	....	post-production assistant
Gene A. Lewis Jr.	....	post-production assistant
Kelly Matsumoto	....	additional editor
Ray Neapolitan	....	assistant editor
Kurt Smith	....	color timer

Music Department
Mark Bensi	....	assistant music editor
Bryan Clements	....	scoring crew
Bruno Coon	....	composer: additional music
Bruno Coon	....	supervising music editor
Sandy DeCrescent	....	musician contractor
George Doering	....	musician
Mark Eshelman	....	scoring crew
Luana Jackman	....	vocal contractor
Greg Loskorn	....	scoring technician
Adam Michalak	....	score recordist
Maria Newman	....	musician
Jonathan Sacks	....	orchestrator
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Patrick Spain	....	score assistant engineer
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn
Frank Wolf	....	score mixer
Frank Wolf	....	score recordist

Transportation Department
Orlando Avila	....	driver: cast
John A. Brubaker	....	transportation coordinator
Jack Carpenter	....	driver: camera car
David W. Dale	....	driver: Robert De Niro
Robert E. Dingle	....	driver
Glen Evans	....	driver: Ben Stiller
Troy Flynn	....	transportation
Adam Fox	....	driver: Dustin Hoffman
Joey Freitas	....	driver
J. Armin Garza II	....	driver: camera car
Rita Lundin	....	transportation
Marco Lupi	....	driver
Dennis McCarthy	....	picture car coordinator
A.J. Mink Jr.	....	driver
Jack Jay Reece	....	driver (as Jay Reece)
Sean C. Ryan	....	driver
Fred Teague	....	driver
Steve D. Weinmuller	....	transportation captain
Richard Denson	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Natalie Alexander	....	adr voice
Netta Bank	....	representative: American Humane Association
Dawn Barkan	....	head animal trainer
Julie Benson	....	personal assistant: Dustin Hoffman
Jeff Berger	....	assistant: Jane Rosenthal
Laura Berman	....	consultant: sex therapy
Brian Bird	....	key assistant location manager
Oren Bonen	....	assistant: Robert De Niro
Calvin Callaway	....	production assistant
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot
Tony Cicola	....	photo double: Ben Stiller
Brett Marcus Coady	....	assistant: Mr. DeNiro (as Brett Coady)
Derek Cole	....	production assistant
Rebecca Feldman	....	second assistant accountant
Jaroslava Fernandez	....	special effects contact lens technician
Wilma Garscadden-Gahret	....	script supervisor
Eric Glasser	....	production assistant
Rick Granville	....	production secretary
Barrett Gregory	....	production assistant
Jennifer Hamilton	....	assistant choreographer
Michael A. Heath	....	asset manager
Kevin Lane Hummel	....	assistant location manager
Nicki Johnson	....	assistant production coordinator
Perry M. Kimura	....	digital scanning and recording
Hannah Kozak	....	assistant location manager
Marisa Lederman	....	assistant baby wrangler
Marisa Lederman	....	baby production assistant
Brigette Lester	....	production coordinator
Andrew Lipschultz	....	unit publicist
Scott Allen Logan	....	key location manager
Michael B. Louis	....	assistant location manager
Cody Lutz	....	script assistant
Marlene Marks	....	payroll accountant
Ryan McCormick	....	assistant: Mr. Roach
Michael Morgenthal	....	production accountant
Tim Nagasawa	....	office production assistant
Denis O'Sullivan	....	production assistant
Kyle Oliver	....	assistant location manager (as Kyle 'Snappy' Oliver)
Bill Phillips	....	construction accountant
John Polce	....	stand-in: Robert DeNiro
Denise Anderson Poore	....	key set production assistant
Keith Potter	....	personal assistant: Dustin Hoffman
Stephen Richards	....	additional production assistant
Gail Rose	....	first assistant accountant
Marissa Schwierjohn	....	alligator wrangler
Rhonda Sherman	....	baby wrangler
Rhonda Sherman	....	studio teacher
Billy Slaughter	....	stand-in: Dustin Hoffman
Anthea Strangis	....	assistant accountant
Summer Valdes	....	production assistant
Ted Yonenaka	....	craft service
Terri Farley-Teruel	....	production services (uncredited)
Richard Lilly	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Seth Marshall	....	assistant: Robert De Niro (uncredited)
Melissa Milo	....	assistant: Mr. De Niro (uncredited)
Peter F. Tegan	....	photo double: Robert DeNiro (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents)
• DreamWorks SKG (presents)
• Tribeca Productions
• Everyman Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (2004) (USA) (all media)
• DreamWorks Distribution (2004) (non-USA) (all media)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Italy) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (2007) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2005) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2005) (Germany) (VHS)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2007) (Canada) (DVD) (2 film collection)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD) (2 film collection)

Special Effects

• Creative Character Engineering (CCE) (animatronic effects)
• Pacific Vision Productions (visual effects)

Other Companies

• BT Industrial Supply  expendables
• Birds & Animals Unlimited  animals provided by (as Birds & Animals Unlimited)
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Deluxe Digital Studios  transfer
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• Footsteps Post-Production Sound  foley recording
• Jo Anne Kane Music Services  music preparation (as JoAnn Kane Music Services)
• Movie Movers  trailers (uncredited)
• Movie Movers  transportation (uncredited)
• Pacific Vision Productions  titles
• Playback Technologies  24-frame video playback (as Playback Technologies Inc.)
• Runway  post-production
• Sessions Payroll Management  extras payroll services
• Signet Sound Studio  rhythm sessions recorded at (as Signet Sound)
• Sony Scoring Stage  orchestra recorded at (as Sony Pictures Scoring Stage)
• Technicolor  color timing
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack released by

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language and a brief drug reference

Runtime:

115 min | Turkey:106 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | Hebrew

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-11 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:12A | Netherlands:12 | Norway:7 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | USA:PG-13 | UK:12 (video rating) (2005) | UK:12A (original rating) | Taiwan:R-12 | Indonesia:Dewasa | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Germany:6 | Iceland:L | Malaysia:18SX | Malaysia:U (cut) | Venezuela:PG-13 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:Btl | USA:TV-14 | Italy:T

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The MPAA would not allow the movie to use the title unless they found a family with the name "Focker".

Goofs:

Factual errors: Sodium pentathol works as a truth serum in that it relaxes a person and does make them very communicative, sharing thoughts without hesitation. This makes them easily guided in questioning since they speak first and think later. However, the person loses inhibition but not self-control. The person will not simply begin to spill information if they choose not to or are not prompted to do so. Sodium pentathol is also a commonly used anesthetic. A syringe with a highly concentrated dose of that amount would have put Gaylord out cold on the floor. He wouldn't have been awake enough to tell the truth.

Quotes:

Greg Focker:[about the coach loudspeaker] I like that thing. Hey, mind if I, uh make a little announcement?
Jack Byrnes:Only the captain gets to make an announcement, Greg.
[pause]
Jack Byrnes:You want to honk the horn?
Greg Focker:Um, sure.
Jack Byrnes:Only the captain gets to honk the horn.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Drew Barrymore/Lily Allen (#32.12)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Rock and Roll (Part Two)

A different kind of comedy than Meet the Parents

Series note: As this is a direct continuation of Meet the Parents (2000), it is recommended that you watch that film first. It gives necessary background exposition and characterization for this film.

Gaylord "Greg" Focker (Ben Stiller) and fiancée Pam Byrnes' (Teri Polo) wedding is fast approaching, and their parents still have not met each other. So Greg and Pam fly from Chicago to New York to meet her parents, Jack (Robert De Niro) and Dina (Blythe Danner), before heading off with them to Miami to meet his parents, Bernie (Dustin Hoffman) and Mother Focker Roz (Barbara Streisand). The problem is that the Byrnes are staid, conservative (though slightly crazy) types who would never think of showing public affection, while the Fockers are still hippies--she is a sex therapist for elderly couples and he's a lawyer who became Mr. Mom once Gaylord was born. Can Gaylord keep his parents reined in enough to not cause Jack blow his lid and try to stop the wedding? Although I didn't think Meet the Fockers was quite as funny or successful as Meet the Parents, it's still funny and successful, with a bit less of an emphasis on nonstop outrageous humor and a bit more of an emphasis on the often amusing complexities of extended family relationships.

If you've seen Meet the Parents first--and you should--some of the material, such as Gaylord's job, jokes based on the "Focker" name, and even Jack's background and disposition will have less of an impact, which initially partially depends on novelty and surprise. Additionally, director Jay Roach and the writing team of James Herzfeld, Marc Hyman and John Hamburg telegraph quite a few of the punch lines. For just one example, it's obvious that something is going to happen to Gaylord's rental car in New York as soon as we hear him opt out of purchasing insurance, blowing it off as a "scam" to make money.

On the other hand, Roach and crew make it clear from the start that they're not exactly shooting for the same style of film as Meet the Parents. This is evident from the beginning, which cleverly pokes fun at Meet the Parents' "gradually going to hell in a handbasket" style by having everything go exactly right.

Roach aims for classic scenarios of families colliding that have surprisingly serious subtexts (and in the real world, these kinds of situations do have an attendant humor, at least when we're not right in the midst of them). Every family tends to have its own customs and norms, its own take on ethics, etiquette, politics, religion and so on. Naturally, when we try to merge families through marriages, uncomfortable, often embarrassing, and frequently tense situations abound. Aside from the humor, this is the crux of Meet the Fockers.

Another important subtext that occurs in various guises through the film (and for which the potential was there in Meet the Parents even if it wasn't capitalized on in quite the same way) is opening up to "free", honest expression of one's thoughts, feelings and desires versus showing a "proper" public face. This is particularly amusing and poignant in the case of Jack, whose job involved obtaining honest expression, but who is the strongest case of putting on a false public face--to an extent that he's bought into the persona himself. In a way, Roach and crew are suggesting that if we can really reach that ideal self-expression, maybe those family mergers, and even other kinds of cultural encounters (such as the Fockers' run-in with the police) could proceed more smoothly.

So it's not so important whether Meet the Fockers is as funny as Meet the Parents. Roach isn't just trying to make you laugh, even though he does so frequently. Despite all the comments in others' reviews about sex-oriented humor (how could you not expect that in a film with a title like this?), or general "low-brow" humor, the comic situations here are more sophisticated in many ways than a typical "outrageous" comedy. That means that you're not going to laugh out loud, with tears streaming down your face, as often as you're going to be sitting there with a big smile on your face watching scenarios such as Bernie trying, and mostly succeeding, to hold on to his hippie ideals no matter what the short term costs. This is more a humor of slightly exaggerated but realistic folly, played fabulously by a stellar cast.