Totally Daft Movie! ‘The In-Laws’

It's Over the Ocean to Scranton, Pennsylvania: An Appreciation of “The In- Laws” | TV/Streaming | Roger Ebert

Alan Arkin (left) is a suburban dentist, Peter Falk (right) is a CIA agent, and The In-Laws (1979) is one of the zaniest, wackiest, funniest movies that I’ve ever seen.

This was the movie we wound up watching yesterday, when we needed a break. As one who promotes Violet Crepuscular’s epic romance, Oy, Rodney, I can only stand in awe of Andrew Bergman’s out-to-lunch screenplay. In this film he has truly gone… where? But holy moly, is it funny! It goes from squirmingly tacky, to downright nightmarish, and from thence to Loopy-land–what a ride!

The plot? Oh, who cares! The dentist’s daughter is going to marry the spy’s son: this turns loose a mini-armageddon. Please don’t ask me to describe it. I can’t.

But if you like truly crackpot comedy, this flick’s for you.