Monday evening I was fortunate to sit through Flirting With Disaster shown on USA Network. The names on the screen appearing in this movie were the indicator for me that I would like this movie. Ben Stiller and Patricia Arquette, known as Mel and Nancy, are a young couple with a four month old little boy that has yet to be named. Ben has decided he needs to meet his birth parents before he can name the child. His adoptive parents, played by Mary Tyler Moore and George Segal feel deserted after hearing this news. Later in the movie we meet his birth parents in New Mexico, played by Lily Tomlin and Alan Alda.

Nancy has prepared a sexy rendezvous with Mel unaware that a long and lean woman named Tina, (Tea Leoni) is in the living room waiting to meet her. Tina is still finishing her Doctorate and will be taping the meeting between son and birth parent(s) for the original adoption agency. Mel is so excited that the agency is paying the entire trip to San Diego, while Nancy is feeling rejected after thinking Mel is attracted to Tina.

The poor baby boy, who is currently called Ethan at times, until Mel can find his roots and give him a name, is taken on an adventure whisked to various States in search of the birth parents. It is unclear how they manage to get the time off of work, but Mel and Nancy both work in the field of science. Before they set off on their quest Nancy is discussing an issue Mel has with oral sex to a female co-worker when Mel enters the room. There are a few other times in the movie with other people, that the topic comes up again, and it is always embarrassing for Mel.

One of the funniest scenes is when Nancy, Mel and Tina head over to Mel’s parents (adoptive) to inform them of the trip. Mel’s mother is discussing how Nancy should wear a supportive bra to keep her husband interested in her since she is breastfeeding and her boobs are dropping. Mel’s mother wanted Tina to analyze her instead of helping Mel find his birth family and they both ended up needing a cigarette, while Nancy and the baby had to suffer. It always seemed like Nancy was eating, wherever they were, and she was holding the baby as well.

They set out on the trip promising Mel’s father they would be back in time for his sixtieth birthday. Arriving in San Diego the birth mother assumed Nancy was the nanny and Tina the wife. Here in the living room trying to fix the video camera we have the first encounter between Mel and Tina. They are both attracted to each other and try to fight their desires. It turns out this woman in San Diego is not Mel’s birth mother after all so with a call to the adoption agency they learn of the existence of his birth father in the midwest. They leave the sun and fun of San Diego for the snow and sleet in a truck parking lot where they are beat up by the man believed to be Mel’s birth father. It turns out Tina was not able to get a hold of him by phone so they just arrived unannounced which prompted the rude treatment upon approach to the men in the parking lot.

The truckers had to prepare for a three-week trip but coaxed Mel into learning to ride a rig. At this point Nancy and the baby got out of the rig before Mel crashed into a small little post office that brought the police into the matter. Now it turns out that one of the two officers went to school with Nancy and after they are released the officers tell them of some Bed and Breakfast spots to go after they all have dinner at some Restaurant. Here we learn the officers are a couple wanting to find a way to have a baby of their own.

Well it appears that Mel might be homophobic and unaware that while in the restroom Nancy invited the two men to go with them to a third location to find the actual birth parents this time. The trucker was actually an old boyfriend who just dropped Mel off at the agency because his birth parents at the time could not. While at the airport the two officers do show up to accompany them on the trip as they are taking a vacation. Tina and Mel end up sitting in the back of the plane while Nancy is breastfeeding the baby with the friend cop, played by Josh Brolin, known as Tony. Tony explains to Nancy how she should be holding the baby outside her breast instead of under it as he used to date a midwife. Mel comes over to her seat to cover her up and when the other cop, Paul, played by Richard Jenkins goes to sit down on the other side of Nancy, Paul asks him to sit elsewhere.

We do learn later that Paul is actually bisexual and not happy with the lack of attention Mel has for Nancy. There is lots of jealousy going on with these adults as no one is really sure who is coming on to one another. They finally arrive in New Mexico to learn the birth parents are still living like hippies from the 1960’s with an acid lab in the basement. The reason they had to give up Mel was they were in jail at the time for drugs. There is also another son, who is quite strange and he laced one portion of the meal with acid but it went to Paul.

They all drag Paul into the kitchen to try to help him, which the Lily Tomlin character says will take ten hours to come out of his system so the rest head to bed. Tina was shocked to learn the house where acid was allowed did not permit smoking. Nancy was going to take a shower but Tony came out with a towel on and asked her to take one with him. She spent a long time trying to find a shower cap and during this time Tina and Mel went into a room to grope each other. Tina stated that Mel did not make enough money for her, while he told her she reminded him of his mother. By the time Mel found which room Nancy was in he walked in to find Tony licking her armpits. Mel was not sure if he would ever be able to get that vision out of his mind.

Earlier Tony was not too happy that Paul had brought his revolver with him but during his drug-induced state he showed the birth parents his badge with the AFTB and then pointed his gun at them. They were so paranoid that this was all a set up and not their real son and feared going back to jail that they were going to take him to Mexico and dump him. They opted instead to drag him out in the back after their other son banged him on the head with a frying pan. That son tore apart the acid lab hauling it to the trunk of the white car that Mel had rented. At one point there were two white cars but Nancy had lost the keys when she went to pee in the woods along the way.

Mel had forgotten about the sixtieth birthday for his adoptive parents and while at one of the B&B’s called them up. His mother interpreted the call as they were in trouble so they set out to find the kids. At the time the birth parents were inside the house to get things to head out of the country, a white car pulls up on the other side of the round driveway and they head up to the front door. At first Mel’s mother thinks they are not good enough to meet the birth parents but then they knock on the door.

The couple comes out the back door with their son to find the white car moved around the driveway so they hop in and go. Since Mel’s mother changes her mind they head back to the driveway and get into the car which happens to have the drugs in the trunk and registered to her son. They have a fender bender with the other white car but the birth parents split, thinking the police would find the drugs if they stay.

Well the police arrive and the adoptive parents are arrested and call the house to find Mel and Nancy. They arrive and explain the parents are not the ones using drugs. At this time Tina and Tony arrive with Paul who is only in a suit jacket and underwear with his badge around his neck informing the police that he is an AFTB agent and the wrong couple was apprehended.

At the closing credits there are scenes shown that are continuing with the story. We see Tina pregnant in a gown smoking a cigarette waiting to go out on a date. Might this mean she had sex with Tony so he and Paul could have a baby? The two sets of parents are in their own beds with the baby in his seat so his parents can finally have some private time together. We never really know what the decided name of the baby is either.

There were amusing scenes throughout Flirting with Disaster. Directed by David O. Russell and in theatres back in 1996 this is worth viewing for anyone who might of missed the box office run. The casting of the two sets of parents was perfect. Mary Tyler Moore was actually funnier than Lily Tomlin. I have always liked George Segal and got a kick out of the character Alan Alda portrayed. The other son’s character was not as well developed as the other ones, plus he was a bit unusual as opposed to just funny. David Patrick Kelly played the trucker known as Fritz. The last names on the potential birth parents and actual ones were very funny and Mel was trying to figure out his identity and what his heritage was.

In the end I doubt he was happy with the outcome once he found his birth parents, although they all shared a love of science. This was an entertaining flick that would be perfect for a snowed in day, rainy day or just when you have a group of adults over and want a laugh. This is so much better than There's Something About Mary, if only I had known this existed I could of seen this years ago!

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older