Andrea’s Angle | “About My Father” – Fantastically Funny
As soon as I saw the trailers, I wanted to see this film. With the hilarious scenes in the trailer and the bonus of Robert De Niro, I was very hopeful that the film would be as funny as the trailer. While the film isn’t groundbreaking, using the ideas of family and being an outsider to sell the humor, the movie is hilarious. Robert De Niro, Sebastian Maniscalco, and Kim Cattrall are particularly talented and funny in this film. The film fulfills every one of my expectations.
About My Father is a comedy film directed by Laura Terruso from a screenplay written by Sebastian Maniscalco and Austen Earl. The film is loosely based on Maniscalco’s life and his relationship with his father. In the film, Sebastian is dating a rich girl, Ellie (Leslie Bibb). He plans to ask her to marry him but is waiting for just the right moment. Then, her father, Bill (David Rasche), and her mother, Tigger (Kim Cattrall), invite them to their summer place for the Fourth of July. His father, Salvo (Robert De Niro), insists on joining them for the weekend. As cultures clash and after an initial perception that they have nothing in common, the two families come together by the end of the weekend. The film also stars Anders Holm as Lucky Collins and Brett Dier as Doug Collins, Ellie’s brothers.
Even though the idea of a culture clash and comedy based on family aren’t new, especially when it comes to Italian Americans, Sebastian Maniscalco and the rest of the cast infuse fresh humor into this movie. The comedy is hilarious from start to finish. Most of that is in the scenarios but also in the dialogue. There are some fantastically funny lines like dressed for prom like a pit boss or having resting bitch face for Sicilian men or the line Italian gargoyles. The humor threaded throughout this film will keep you laughing. But it is as much the scenarios as the lines. There is plenty of humor in the expectations, such as Sebastian taking lessons so he can become a decent tennis player or Tigger’s reactions when she’s losing at tennis. The quirky behavior of Salvo is matched by the idiosyncrasies of the Collins family. Both families are weird, dysfunctional, and what makes this movie so funny is how each family comes together in their differences and similarities.
The pacing of the film is great. There is never a slow moment or a scene that isn’t funny or thoughtful in some way. I love the way Sebastian and Salvo bond over their signature scents and their bedtime routine. I also love how quirky Ellie’s family is. The scenes with her family trying to manipulate her or get her to come home are as funny as the scenes with Salvo. And the ending is as funny as the beginning.
The acting is brilliant. Sebastian Maniscalco is funny and loves playing himself in this fictionalized comedy. I love the rich dynamic between him and Robert De Niro, but I also like the chemistry with Leslie Bibb, who plays Ellie. The pair are believable as a loving couple who are on the verge of getting engaged. Leslie Bibb plays her character as warm, and her comedic timing is as good as Maniscalco’s. Robert De Niro is fantastic as Salvo. His timing is excellent, and his character is the perfect foil for Maniscalco while being believable as a father. Kim Catrall manages to infuse humor into the smallest of gestures, and her expressions are fabulous as Tigger. David Rasche is funny as Bill, and the dynamic between the Collins family and Salvo is hilarious. Even Anders Holm and Brett Dier are terrifically hilarious.
Now, if you have seen any family comedy films, you know exactly how the movie will turn out. The jokes and routines are based somewhat on stereotypes we all have about Italian Americans and the rich. But stereotypes exist for a reason. And even in this film, there are surprises. Some of them are divulged in the trailer, which is a shame. It would have been funnier without seeing them in the trailer first. But the movie is fantastically funny, even if you can predict where it is going. The journey is enough to entertain audiences.
If you like family comedies, especially fathers and sons, I would suggest seeing this one. Robert De Niro, Sebastian Maniscalco, and Kim Cattrall are riotously funny. So too are Leslie Bibb, David Rasche, Anders Holm and Brett Dier. This is a perfect cast, and that shows in the film. I loved it from the beginning to the end. I even almost snorted my drink at one point. This is a comedy well worth seeing and illustrates why Sebastian Maniscalco is so popular right now. I loved the humor and the quirkiness of the two families.
Rating: 4 out of 5 peacocks.
Official Website: About My Father | Official Website | May 26 2023
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About My Father
Genre: Comedy
The hottest comic in America, Sebastian Maniscalco joins forces with legendary Italian-American and two-time Oscar® winner, Robert De Niro (Best Actor, RAGING BULL, 1980), in the new comedy ABOUT MY FATHER. The film centers around Sebastian (Maniscalco) who is encouraged by his fiancée (Leslie Bibb) to bring his immigrant, hairdresser father, Salvo (De Niro), to a weekend get-together with her super-rich and exceedingly eccentric family (Kim Cattrall, Anders Holm, Brett Dier, David Rasche). The weekend develops into what can only be described as a culture clash, leaving Sebastian and Salvo to discover that the great thing about family is everything about family.
ABOUT MY FATHER opens exclusively in theaters on May 26, 2023.
ONE-LINER: This Memorial Day weekend, feathers will be ruffled.
