Meet the Fockers (2004)
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A couple's wedding preparations lead to a clash of cultures when their eccentric and serious parents meet for the first time.
The story
With their wedding date six months away, Greg Focker and his fiancée Pam Byrnes decide to introduce their parents to each other. They travel to Miami, Florida, where the couple's free-spirited and eccentric parents, Bernie and Roz, meet Pam's father, a stern, retired CIA operative named Jack Byrnes. As the two families spend time together, the stark contrast between the Fockers' laid-back lifestyle and the Byrneses' disciplined, high-stakes background creates immediate tension. The situation becomes complicated as the families navigate their differing personalities and the challenges of preparing for the upcoming nuptials.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Greg Focker and Pam Byrnes are preparing for their wedding and decide to introduce their parents. They travel to Miami, where the eccentric Fockers (Bernie and Roz) meet the stern, retired CIA operative Jack Byrnes and his wife Dina. Tensions rise immediately due to their clashing personalities. A series of mishaps occurs, including a dog-cat chase and a physical injury to Jack. When Pam reveals she is pregnant, the group keeps it from Jack. A local boy, Jorge, who resembles Greg, is introduced to the group. Jack becomes suspicious of Greg's past and eventually drugs him with truth serum at an engagement party, causing Greg to reveal the pregnancy and his connection to Jorge. After a series of misunderstandings and a legal dispute involving a traffic stop, the truth about Jorge's paternity is revealed—he is not Greg's son. The film ends with the couple getting married and Jack and Bernie reconciling their differences.
- First release year
- 2004
- Runtime (minutes)
- 115
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jay Roach
- Writers
- Jim Herzfeld · screenplay; John Hamburg · screenplay; Jeff Baena · screenplay; Jim Herzfeld · story; Marc Hyman · story
- Cast and characters
- Robert De Niro · Bernie Focker; Ben Stiller · Greg Focker; Dustin Hoffman · Jack Byrnes; Barbra Streisand · Roz; Blythe Danner · Dina; Teri Polo · Pam Byrnes
- Genres
- romantic comedy
- Themes
- clashing lifestyles; parenting; family dynamics
- Tone and mood
- comedy
- Premise and plot tags
- sequel; romance; comedy
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews but was a box-office success, becoming the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2004.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 5.20 · scale: 10 · review count: 164; Metacritic · score: 41 · scale: 100 · review count: 34; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Best Comedic Performance · MTV Movie Awards · 2005 · Won; Top Box Office Films · ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards · 2005 · Won; Best Feature Film Casting: Comedy · Casting Society Of America, USA · 2005 · Nominated; Best International Movie · MTV Movie Awards · 2005 · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film features a pair of twins, Spencer and Bradley Pickren, as Little Jack.; The production consulted sex experts to develop the character of Roz.; The film was a significant box-office success, breaking records for Christmas Day and Tuesday grosses.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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