ABOUT MY FATHER movie review

ABOUT MY FATHER is directed by Laura Terruso. The film stars Sebastian Maniscalco, Robert De Niro, Leslie Bibb, Anders Holm, David Rasche, and Kim Cattrall.

Sebastian is the son of a working-class immigrant, and the relationship of father and son is jeopardized when Sebastian falls in love with artist Ellie, who hails from an upper-class family. He and his father head to Ellie’s family’s estate for the Fourth of July weekend where he plans to propose to the woman of his dreams. But will clashing backgrounds and values derail the weekend and Sebastian’s plans to propose?

Confession time: My familiarity with Sebastian Maniscalco is minimal at best. But apparently he’s a hugely successful comedian, and ABOUT MY FATHER, in which he plays a fictional version of himself, could easily be viewed as a passion project for the actor/comedian. I was certainly curious to see how a film like this would turn out; a supporting cast that included the likes of Robert De Niro and Leslie Bibb certainly didn’t hurt things either. The film is formulaic and plays it safe too much of the time (it’s held back by a PG-13 rating), but at the end of the day, the purpose of a comedy is to make me laugh, and ABOUT MY FATHER certainly succeeded there.

A comedic film (or any film for that matter) doesn’t work if there’s no chemistry between the leads and the characters aren’t interesting. Fortunately, ABOUT MY FATHER delivers in that department. Maniscalco is perfect as the man torn between respecting his father’s working-class values and falling in love with a wife who’s an artist from a wealthy family, yet she resents much of that aspect. Romantic comedies and fish-out-of-water stories with clashing values are nothing new. From a ruthless bad-ass mob man to an eccentric father-in-law, there’s no role Robert De Niro can’t play, and he’s certainly the MVP here. The movie will inevitably draw comparisons to MEET THE PARENTS (which also starred De Niro), for better or worse. In the film, the central leads all do fantastic work, but supporting cast like Ellie’s brothers are relegated to one-joke characters who sadly don’t get much to do.

The approach a comedy takes can make or break it. Do you go for witty, verbal humor, or for more outrageous slapstick moments that try to hit the audience with shock value? ABOUT MY FATHER stays pretty grounded for the most part, though it’s not above having the occasional scene that tries to be a little more risque (well, as much as PG-13 will allow). Although it’s those dialogue sequences that are the movie’s strongest and most relatable, some of the attempts at “shock value” humor worked. I saw this in a shared press/public screening, and one scene set on the family’s yacht got enormous belly laughs from everyone in the auditorium (though I won’t spoil it here).

I also appreciate that this film clocks in at a mere 90 minutes, telling a fairly complete story and never outstaying its welcome. If there’s a weakness to ABOUT MY FATHER, it’s that it can feel a bit rushed at times, and many conflicts and potential crises are dealt with and fixed too quickly. Despite this though, it felt good to be in and out of the theater in an hour and a half, particularly in a day and age where it’s not uncommon to have to sit through movies an hour longer than that or more.

ABOUT MY FATHER is getting mixed reviews despite Maniscalco’s top-notch reputation as a comedian, but this moviegoer had a good time with it. When it comes to comedies, this one doesn’t reinvent the wheel, nor will it be something I expect to see honored come Oscar season. But it’s a perfectly entertaining 90-minute comedy, even if it does play it safe a little too often. It’s at least good enough to moderately recommend.