Review of Flirting with Disaster (1996) by Jacob F — 14 Jul 2007

David O. Russell's imaginative story of the farce trip of 'Flirting with Disaster,' though highly implausible, is hysterically spontaneous and profusely funny. Unlike most of Hollywood's comedic productions, which rely solely on absurdity rather than content, 'Disaster' blends legitimate tension with steady humor, amounting to one of the funniest and most enjoyable films of the year.

Russell's script is sharply written, allowing viewers to identify with its characters, even as they come upon outlandish misfortunes ?- to which their approach is often more ludicrous than the matter at hand.

Mel Coplin (Ben Stiller) was an adopted child. Now married, he and his wife Nancy (Patricia Arquette) set out to find his birth-parents, with the help of adoption counselor Tina (Tea Leoni). With their infant child, who has yet to be named due to Mel's emotional strain of not knowing his biological parents, they hit the road for the truth behind his family ties, on a wild cross-country duck hunt that would leave them with a couple of gay government agents, two wrecked rental cars, marital uncertainties and one gigantic headache.

The cleverly pompous humor of Russell's writing shines on screen, with great comedic performances from the whole cast, especially veteran actresses Mary Tyler Moore and Lily Tomlin. The film is well-directed and it's editing, done by Christopher Tellefsen (The People vs.

Larry Flynt, Capote), is clean-cut and thorough, making 'Disaster' a quality movie experience as well as a goofy one. For those who love the genre's best in mishap and mayhem, 'Flirting with Disaster' won't be hard-pressed to generate its due share of laughs.