Son in Law
Encyclopedia
Son in Law is a 1993 comedy film
starring Pauly Shore
, Carla Gugino
, Lane Smith
, Cindy Pickett
, Tiffani Thiessen
, Patrick Renna
, Dan Gauthier
and Dennis Burkley
.
) is a small town South Dakota
farm girl who has given up the small town life in favor of college
at the University of Los Angeles. After arriving, she encounters a massive culture shock
in both the city and her own dorm; her roommate is a lesbian
and the shocking parties and habits of the Californian culture have her seriously considering returning home—until she meets Crawl (Pauly Shore
), her dorm residential advisor who has been attending college for several years. He persuades her to stay in California and begins to introduce her to the lifestyles and customs that she had been so afraid of. She begins to enjoy her time there, and gives herself a makeover, cutting and dying her hair and even getting a tattoo
of a butterfly on her ankle. When it comes time for the Thanksgiving
holiday break, an impending almost-definite proposal from Becca's at-home boyfriend Travis fills her with mixed feelings. Discovering that Crawl has no family to visit during this time, she impulsively invites him to come spend Thanksgiving with her family.
Upon her return home, Becca's parents Walter (Lane Smith
), Connie (Cindy Pickett
), her teenage brother Zack (Patrick Renna
), her grandfather Walter Sr. (Mason Adams
) and Travis (Dan Gauthier
) are shocked by her SoCal style and changes. Their normally conservative lifestyle is intruded upon by Crawl, who initially got on Walter's wrong foot when Walter was moving Becca into the dorms. Their objections are kept relatively mild until they go to dinner, when Becca prompts Crawl to intervene with Travis' proposal. Improvising, Crawl says that he had already proposed. The announcement prompts Travis to punch Crawl in the face, causing Crawl's nose to bleed and making a big scene even worse. Walter is appalled at the idea of his daughter marrying Crawl, especially when Crawl claims his interest in someday inheriting the Warner dairy farm. Walter's farmhand Theo (Dennis Burkley
) helps to send Crawl through the pratfalls and often failures of adjusting to farm life. Incredibly, Crawl rebounds, slowly earning Walter's grudging respect along the way. Crawl also makes friends with one of Becca's high school friends, Tracy (Tiffani Thiessen
) and he adjusts to the life of a country boy.
Slowly, but surely, Crawl's distinctive and outgoing nature begins to win over the Warners. Crawl saves Walter Sr.'s life through CPR when Walter has a spell without his heart medication; Crawl's abundant knowledge of computers and youthful attitude endear him to Zack, who starts to think of Crawl as a big brother. And Connie is brought out of her shell through Crawl's praise of her hidden good looks. Soon everyone starts to see Crawl in a new light—except for Travis, and Theo, whose job has been made much harder due to circumstances brought about by Crawl's buffoonery. Travis sets up a bachelor party to welcome Crawl into their lives and sets up Tracy to sing and dance for him. The next morning Crawl and Tracy awaken in the barn, having apparently slept together, but neither of them can remember what happened. This upsets Becca, who immediately calls off the engagement. Crawl, ashamed, leaves to hitchhike back to LA. However, Tracy discovers a bottle of pills in her car, and that the driver's seat has mysteriously been pushed far back. She picks Crawl up from the road and they confront Theo and Travis, who claim responsibility for setting them up. Theo is praised for his honesty, but fired by Walter on the spot. Travis tries to confront Becca about the incident, but Crawl knocks him to the floor, revealing that he had majored in karate
for two of his semesters. Tracy is then welcomed to the table, and just as Becca is about to reveal that the proposal was a hoax, Crawl interrupts her, advising that they should wait a while before actually getting married, suggesting he plans a legitimate proposal to Becca, and finally earning Walter's full respect.
makes an appearance at Crawl's Halloween
party. He is playing the same character Link as he did in the film Encino Man
. Crawl says "Great costume!", looks at him curiously after Link bites into a frog, then shakes it off and says "Nah"!
Carla Gugino
and Pauly Shore
later both appear in an episode of the HBO series Entourage
. Dan Gauthier and Tiffani Thiessen
appeared together in the TV movie Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style
(as well as Beverly Hills, 90210
). Carla Gugino also appeared on an early episode of the Saved by the Bell
TV series (entitled "Good Morning, Miss Bliss" at the time.)
The tattoo
that Becca gets in Los Angeles
is actually Carla Gugino's real, pre-existing tattoo. The tattooist is actually musician Flea
(of Red Hot Chili Peppers
fame), though he is not credited. Disc jockey
Mark Osgood can be seen skateboarding
by the tattoo shop as Pauly and Carla are walking in.
The promotional poster for the film is a parody
of the painting American Gothic
. The opening title sequence and graduation
ceremony
scene were filmed at Sierra Vista High School,located in Baldwin Park, California
at the old Football stadium.
To promote the film, MTV
ran a contest to marry Pauly Shore
in Las Vegas
. Tanya Cinotti of Salisbury, MA, won the honor and the wedding was set for July 2, 1993. Though there was a ceremony, no marriage certificates were signed.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
starring Pauly Shore
Pauly Shore
Paul Montgomery "Pauly" Shore is an American comedian and actor who starred in several comedy films in the 1990s and hosted a video show on MTV in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
, Carla Gugino
Carla Gugino
Carla Gugino is an American actress known for her roles of Sally Jupiter in Watchmen, Dr. Vera Gorski in Sucker Punch, Lucille in Sin City, Amanda Daniels in seasons 3, 5 and 7 of Entourage, Ingrid Cortez in the Spy Kids film trilogy, and as the lead characters of the television series Karen Sisco...
, Lane Smith
Lane Smith
Walter Lane Smith III was an American actor. Some of his well known roles included portraying collaborator entrepreneur Nathan Bates in the NBC television series V, Mayor Bates in the film Red Dawn, newspaper editor Perry White in the ABC series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,...
, Cindy Pickett
Cindy Pickett
Cindy Lou Pickett is an American actress best known for her 1970s role as Jackie Marler-Spaulding on the CBS soap Guiding Light; her role as Dr. Carol Novino on the hugely popular television drama St...
, Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Thiessen is an American actress best known for her roles as Kelly Kapowski in Saved by the Bell and as Valerie Malone in Beverly Hills, 90210. She is also known for her role on Fastlane as Wilhelmina 'Billie' Chambers...
, Patrick Renna
Patrick Renna
Patrick Renna is an American actor who began his career in the film The Sandlot playing Hamilton "Ham" Porter. Since then, he has appeared in over 25 feature films as well as numerous guest-starring and recurring roles in award-winning television series such as Boston Legal and The X-Files among...
, Dan Gauthier
Dan Gauthier
Daniel Lester "Dan" Gauthier is an American actor.-Early life:Gauthier was inspired to act early on by his mother, who was a local theater actress in their Central Oregon home. By the time he turned 18, Gauthier moved to California to attend San Diego State University. He was recruited by SDSU's...
and Dennis Burkley
Dennis Burkley
Dennis Henry Burkley is an American character actor from Texas who has appeared in numerous films and television series since the 1970s.-Early life:...
.
Plot
Rebecca "Becca" Warner (Carla GuginoCarla Gugino
Carla Gugino is an American actress known for her roles of Sally Jupiter in Watchmen, Dr. Vera Gorski in Sucker Punch, Lucille in Sin City, Amanda Daniels in seasons 3, 5 and 7 of Entourage, Ingrid Cortez in the Spy Kids film trilogy, and as the lead characters of the television series Karen Sisco...
) is a small town South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
farm girl who has given up the small town life in favor of college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
at the University of Los Angeles. After arriving, she encounters a massive culture shock
Culture shock
Culture shock is the anxiety, feelings of frustration, alienation and anger that may occur when a person is emplaced in a new culture.One of the most common causes of culture shock involves individuals in a foreign country. Culture shock can be described as consisting of one or more distinct phases...
in both the city and her own dorm; her roommate is a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
and the shocking parties and habits of the Californian culture have her seriously considering returning home—until she meets Crawl (Pauly Shore
Pauly Shore
Paul Montgomery "Pauly" Shore is an American comedian and actor who starred in several comedy films in the 1990s and hosted a video show on MTV in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
), her dorm residential advisor who has been attending college for several years. He persuades her to stay in California and begins to introduce her to the lifestyles and customs that she had been so afraid of. She begins to enjoy her time there, and gives herself a makeover, cutting and dying her hair and even getting a tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
of a butterfly on her ankle. When it comes time for the Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
holiday break, an impending almost-definite proposal from Becca's at-home boyfriend Travis fills her with mixed feelings. Discovering that Crawl has no family to visit during this time, she impulsively invites him to come spend Thanksgiving with her family.
Upon her return home, Becca's parents Walter (Lane Smith
Lane Smith
Walter Lane Smith III was an American actor. Some of his well known roles included portraying collaborator entrepreneur Nathan Bates in the NBC television series V, Mayor Bates in the film Red Dawn, newspaper editor Perry White in the ABC series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,...
), Connie (Cindy Pickett
Cindy Pickett
Cindy Lou Pickett is an American actress best known for her 1970s role as Jackie Marler-Spaulding on the CBS soap Guiding Light; her role as Dr. Carol Novino on the hugely popular television drama St...
), her teenage brother Zack (Patrick Renna
Patrick Renna
Patrick Renna is an American actor who began his career in the film The Sandlot playing Hamilton "Ham" Porter. Since then, he has appeared in over 25 feature films as well as numerous guest-starring and recurring roles in award-winning television series such as Boston Legal and The X-Files among...
), her grandfather Walter Sr. (Mason Adams
Mason Adams
Mason Adams was an American character actor and voice-over artist.-Early life:Adams was born in Brooklyn, New York. He earned an MA degree from the University of Michigan in Theatre Arts and Speech and also attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, studying theater arts...
) and Travis (Dan Gauthier
Dan Gauthier
Daniel Lester "Dan" Gauthier is an American actor.-Early life:Gauthier was inspired to act early on by his mother, who was a local theater actress in their Central Oregon home. By the time he turned 18, Gauthier moved to California to attend San Diego State University. He was recruited by SDSU's...
) are shocked by her SoCal style and changes. Their normally conservative lifestyle is intruded upon by Crawl, who initially got on Walter's wrong foot when Walter was moving Becca into the dorms. Their objections are kept relatively mild until they go to dinner, when Becca prompts Crawl to intervene with Travis' proposal. Improvising, Crawl says that he had already proposed. The announcement prompts Travis to punch Crawl in the face, causing Crawl's nose to bleed and making a big scene even worse. Walter is appalled at the idea of his daughter marrying Crawl, especially when Crawl claims his interest in someday inheriting the Warner dairy farm. Walter's farmhand Theo (Dennis Burkley
Dennis Burkley
Dennis Henry Burkley is an American character actor from Texas who has appeared in numerous films and television series since the 1970s.-Early life:...
) helps to send Crawl through the pratfalls and often failures of adjusting to farm life. Incredibly, Crawl rebounds, slowly earning Walter's grudging respect along the way. Crawl also makes friends with one of Becca's high school friends, Tracy (Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Thiessen is an American actress best known for her roles as Kelly Kapowski in Saved by the Bell and as Valerie Malone in Beverly Hills, 90210. She is also known for her role on Fastlane as Wilhelmina 'Billie' Chambers...
) and he adjusts to the life of a country boy.
Slowly, but surely, Crawl's distinctive and outgoing nature begins to win over the Warners. Crawl saves Walter Sr.'s life through CPR when Walter has a spell without his heart medication; Crawl's abundant knowledge of computers and youthful attitude endear him to Zack, who starts to think of Crawl as a big brother. And Connie is brought out of her shell through Crawl's praise of her hidden good looks. Soon everyone starts to see Crawl in a new light—except for Travis, and Theo, whose job has been made much harder due to circumstances brought about by Crawl's buffoonery. Travis sets up a bachelor party to welcome Crawl into their lives and sets up Tracy to sing and dance for him. The next morning Crawl and Tracy awaken in the barn, having apparently slept together, but neither of them can remember what happened. This upsets Becca, who immediately calls off the engagement. Crawl, ashamed, leaves to hitchhike back to LA. However, Tracy discovers a bottle of pills in her car, and that the driver's seat has mysteriously been pushed far back. She picks Crawl up from the road and they confront Theo and Travis, who claim responsibility for setting them up. Theo is praised for his honesty, but fired by Walter on the spot. Travis tries to confront Becca about the incident, but Crawl knocks him to the floor, revealing that he had majored in karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
for two of his semesters. Tracy is then welcomed to the table, and just as Becca is about to reveal that the proposal was a hoax, Crawl interrupts her, advising that they should wait a while before actually getting married, suggesting he plans a legitimate proposal to Becca, and finally earning Walter's full respect.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Pauly Shore Pauly Shore Paul Montgomery "Pauly" Shore is an American comedian and actor who starred in several comedy films in the 1990s and hosted a video show on MTV in the late 1980s and early 1990s... |
Fred/"Crawl" |
| Carla Gugino Carla Gugino Carla Gugino is an American actress known for her roles of Sally Jupiter in Watchmen, Dr. Vera Gorski in Sucker Punch, Lucille in Sin City, Amanda Daniels in seasons 3, 5 and 7 of Entourage, Ingrid Cortez in the Spy Kids film trilogy, and as the lead characters of the television series Karen Sisco... |
Rebecca "Becca" Warner |
| Lane Smith Lane Smith Walter Lane Smith III was an American actor. Some of his well known roles included portraying collaborator entrepreneur Nathan Bates in the NBC television series V, Mayor Bates in the film Red Dawn, newspaper editor Perry White in the ABC series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,... |
Walter Warner |
| Cindy Pickett Cindy Pickett Cindy Lou Pickett is an American actress best known for her 1970s role as Jackie Marler-Spaulding on the CBS soap Guiding Light; her role as Dr. Carol Novino on the hugely popular television drama St... |
Connie Warner |
| Mason Adams Mason Adams Mason Adams was an American character actor and voice-over artist.-Early life:Adams was born in Brooklyn, New York. He earned an MA degree from the University of Michigan in Theatre Arts and Speech and also attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, studying theater arts... |
Walter Warner, Sr. |
| Patrick Renna Patrick Renna Patrick Renna is an American actor who began his career in the film The Sandlot playing Hamilton "Ham" Porter. Since then, he has appeared in over 25 feature films as well as numerous guest-starring and recurring roles in award-winning television series such as Boston Legal and The X-Files among... |
Zack Warner |
| Tiffani Thiessen Tiffani Thiessen Tiffani Thiessen is an American actress best known for her roles as Kelly Kapowski in Saved by the Bell and as Valerie Malone in Beverly Hills, 90210. She is also known for her role on Fastlane as Wilhelmina 'Billie' Chambers... |
Tracy |
| Dan Gauthier Dan Gauthier Daniel Lester "Dan" Gauthier is an American actor.-Early life:Gauthier was inspired to act early on by his mother, who was a local theater actress in their Central Oregon home. By the time he turned 18, Gauthier moved to California to attend San Diego State University. He was recruited by SDSU's... |
Travis |
| Dennis Burkley Dennis Burkley Dennis Henry Burkley is an American character actor from Texas who has appeared in numerous films and television series since the 1970s.-Early life:... |
Theo |
| Brendan Fraser Brendan Fraser Brendan James Fraser is a Canadian-American film and stage actor. Fraser portrayed Rick O'Connell in the three-part Mummy film series , and is known for his comedic and fantasy film leading roles in major Hollywood films, including Encino Man , George of the Jungle , Dudley Do-Right , Monkeybone ,... |
Link (uncredited) |
Additional notes
Brendan FraserBrendan Fraser
Brendan James Fraser is a Canadian-American film and stage actor. Fraser portrayed Rick O'Connell in the three-part Mummy film series , and is known for his comedic and fantasy film leading roles in major Hollywood films, including Encino Man , George of the Jungle , Dudley Do-Right , Monkeybone ,...
makes an appearance at Crawl's Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
party. He is playing the same character Link as he did in the film Encino Man
Encino Man
Encino Man, released in Europe as California Man, is a 1992 comedy film directed by Les Mayfield and starring Brendan Fraser, Sean Astin and Pauly Shore. The plot revolves around two geeky teenagers from Encino, Los Angeles, California played by Astin and Shore, who discover a caveman in their...
. Crawl says "Great costume!", looks at him curiously after Link bites into a frog, then shakes it off and says "Nah"!
Carla Gugino
Carla Gugino
Carla Gugino is an American actress known for her roles of Sally Jupiter in Watchmen, Dr. Vera Gorski in Sucker Punch, Lucille in Sin City, Amanda Daniels in seasons 3, 5 and 7 of Entourage, Ingrid Cortez in the Spy Kids film trilogy, and as the lead characters of the television series Karen Sisco...
and Pauly Shore
Pauly Shore
Paul Montgomery "Pauly" Shore is an American comedian and actor who starred in several comedy films in the 1990s and hosted a video show on MTV in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
later both appear in an episode of the HBO series Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
. Dan Gauthier and Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Thiessen is an American actress best known for her roles as Kelly Kapowski in Saved by the Bell and as Valerie Malone in Beverly Hills, 90210. She is also known for her role on Fastlane as Wilhelmina 'Billie' Chambers...
appeared together in the TV movie Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style
Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style
Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style is a 1992 made-for-TV movie based on the television series Saved by the Bell and featured the regular cast of that series.-Synopsis:...
(as well as Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
). Carla Gugino also appeared on an early episode of the Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell is an American television sitcom that aired between 1989 and 1993. The series is a retooled version of the 1988 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was itself later folded into the history of Saved by the Bell...
TV series (entitled "Good Morning, Miss Bliss" at the time.)
The tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
that Becca gets in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
is actually Carla Gugino's real, pre-existing tattoo. The tattooist is actually musician Flea
Flea (musician)
Michael Peter Balzary , better known by his stage name Flea, is an Australian-American musician and occasional actor. He is best known as the bassist, co-founding member, and one of the composers of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
(of Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
fame), though he is not credited. Disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Mark Osgood can be seen skateboarding
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
by the tattoo shop as Pauly and Carla are walking in.
The promotional poster for the film is a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of the painting American Gothic
American Gothic
American Gothic is a painting by Grant Wood, in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Wood's inspiration came from a cottage designed in the Gothic Revival style with a distinctive upper window and a decision to paint the house along with "the kind of people I fancied should live in that...
. The opening title sequence and graduation
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
ceremony
Ceremony
A ceremony is an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin.-Ceremonial occasions:A ceremony may mark a rite of passage in a human life, marking the significance of, for example:* birth...
scene were filmed at Sierra Vista High School,located in Baldwin Park, California
Baldwin Park, California
Baldwin Park is a city located in the central San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 75,390, down from 75,837 at the 2000 census.- History :...
at the old Football stadium.
To promote the film, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
ran a contest to marry Pauly Shore
Pauly Shore
Paul Montgomery "Pauly" Shore is an American comedian and actor who starred in several comedy films in the 1990s and hosted a video show on MTV in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. Tanya Cinotti of Salisbury, MA, won the honor and the wedding was set for July 2, 1993. Though there was a ceremony, no marriage certificates were signed.