Meet the Parents Comedic Analysis

1.        Meeting the parents has always been considered a pressure filled and awkward situation and in “Meet the Parents”, it is what drives the entire story.  Much of what occurs is an extreme exaggeration of the things that can go wrong when someone’s parents meet their significant other.  Throughout the movie, Greg’s only ambition is to please Pam’s parents and gain their approval.  All that he truly wants is for them to be happy or even impressed with him so that he can ask for Pam’s hand in marriage.  Her father, Jack seems to want nothing to do with Greg and is immediately suspicious.  All of this is hyperbole of the real life situation.

2.       One pair of foils is Greg and Jack.  Jack is a very serious man with a dry sense of humor.  He takes everything he does very sternly.  These two are foils because Jack is constantly threatened by Greg.  He thinks that Greg is going to take his place in Pam’s life and is convinced that he won’t be able to do as good of a job.  Another pair of foils is Greg and Kevin.  To Jack, Kevin embodies everything that Greg does not.  He is successful in a job that Jack finds admirable and lives in an enormous house.  Greg is also Jewish and Kevin is not which Jack is quick to point out.  Jack has very opposing views concerning Greg and Kevin.

3.       Robert DeNiro’s character in “Meet the Parents” is funny because he is so incredibly serious in situations where others might take a joke.  For example, when Greg makes a joke about Jinxy lifting the toilet seat, Jack treats his jest as if he is being completely serious.  He is also very much bothered by Greg’s hatred of cats, often referring back to it.  When Deborah shows concern for Jinxy being the ring bearer for her wedding, Jack interjects with “That cat’s been like a brother to you!”  DeNiro’s usual portrayal of serious characters only adds to the humor of his role as Jack in “Meet the Parents”.

4.       The most influential socio-cultural juxtaposition in “Meet the Parents” is clearly shown with Greg.  Greg is an average man who has an about average income.  When he meets Pam’s family it is shown right away that they live in a rather extravagant home and make more money than he does.  The same thing is shown with Kevin who is very obviously wealthy.  Greg is also Jewish while the other characters are not.  All of these things are played off of each other.  Greg is constantly baffled by the wealth of the other characters and he is made to feel like a lesser person.

5.       Pam’s ex, Kevin adds an element of humor to the movie because he and Greg are such opposites.  He is incredibly successful and talented in ways Jack thinks Greg is not which he is always making clear.  When they visit Kevin’s home, Jack says how incredible everything about Kevin is from his kitchen to his skill in carpentry.  Kevin even does better than Greg in their game of pool volleyball.  He’s also funny because of his relationship with Pam.  He has all kinds of pictures of Pam around his home and it is very obvious that he still has feelings for her.

6.       My favorite scene was probably closer to the end of the film when Greg is attempting to board the plane.  This scene was a sort of anecdote.  The stewardess calls the rows to board the plane and even though there is no one else left, she refuses to let Greg board before his row is called. 
Once he finally boards, a bit of buffoonism follows with Greg trying to shove his bag into the overhead compartment.  You could also call this a “latti”.   He also has a “bon mot” when talking to her and he brings up bombs.  There is situational irony when Jack ends up on the receiving end of the lie detector test he originally put Greg to.