The Thing About My Folks
Encyclopedia
The Thing About My Folks is a 2005 American drama film
directed by Raymond De Felitta
. The screenplay by Paul Reiser
focuses on the effect a terminal illness has on the marriage of an aging couple and their adult children.
Ben learns Muriel went on vacation but, after enjoying a leisurely days by herself, began to experience blackouts. The doctors give her six months to live, and Muriel and Sam begin to mend a marriage Sam never realized was deteriorating. She lives through the summer, and Ben realizes he never has seen his parents happier in their life. When Muriel dies, Sam moves in with Ben and his family, and they enjoy life together until Sam himself passes away. Ben and Rachel have another child and name him Martin Samuel Kleinman to honor his parents, whose gravestone bears the Hebrew inscription "מה שלי שלך ומה שלך שלי" ("What is mine is yours and what is yours is mine"), testifying to the giving and compassionate relationship that Ben's parents truly had with each other.
and Saugerties
, Shokan
and Woodstock
in New York
.
The film premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival
in June 2005 and went into limited release in the US on September 16, 2005. It grossed $235,341 on 93 screens on its opening weekend and eventually earned $816,403 in the US and $6,934 in foreign markets for a total worldwide box office of $823,337.
of the Chicago Sun-Times
observed, "One of the nice things about my job is that I get to enjoy the good parts in movies that aren't really necessary to see. The Thing About My Folks travels familiar movie territory . . . but we discover once again what a warm and engaging actor Peter Falk is. I can't recommend the movie, but I can be grateful that I saw it, for Falk."
Ned Martel of the New York Times said, "As the crotchety paterfamilias, Peter Falk is convincingly grating, and for a few moments heroic, as he makes his character, Sam Kleinman, into someone the son need not complain about so much. Despite the grumpy, flatulent behavior the script demands of him, Mr. Falk rises above the treacly shenanigans."
Steve Persall of the St. Petersburg Times
graded the film B- and commented, "Nothing surprises in The Thing About My Folks except how effective such timeworn material can be when the right people deliver it. The movie contains little that we haven't seen before, but charm can make anything seem a bit fresher. Most credit goes to Peter Falk . . . [who] doesn't merely carry [the film]; he bravely totes it over a mountain of cliché
s like one of Hannibal's elephants . . . somehow this derivative, predictable story works, probably because of Falk's unforced determination to make that happen."
Robert Koehler of Variety
called the film "good-natured but only memorable as a platform for the amusingly feisty Peter Falk" and added, "Pic belongs more to Reiser than to director Raymond De Felitta, who allows the extremely talky script to go on uncut and covers the chatter with an excess of TV-style tracking close-ups."
(Lucky Number Slevin
) for Best Actor honors at the Milan International Film Festival. The National Board of Review
cited the film for Excellence In Filmmaking.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Raymond De Felitta
Raymond De Felitta
Raymond De Felitta is an American independent filmmaker, writer and musician from New York City.-Film career:De Felitta graduated from the American Film Institute's directing program, class of 1990. That same year he was nominated for an Academy Award for Live Action Short Film at the 63rd Academy...
. The screenplay by Paul Reiser
Paul Reiser
Paul Reiser is an American stand-up comedian, actor, television personality, author, screenwriter and musician. He is most widely known for his role on the long-running television sitcom Mad About You.-Early life:...
focuses on the effect a terminal illness has on the marriage of an aging couple and their adult children.
Plot
When Muriel Kleinman unexpectedly leaves her husband Sam, their three daughters Linda, Hillary, and Bonnie and daughter-in-law Rachel set about trying to find her while Sam and his son Ben spend a day in the country inspecting property Ben and his wife are considering buying. The journey evolves into an extended road trip in a restored 1940 Ford Deluxe coupe convertible Sam buys when Ben crashes his car. As time passes, the two men fish, drink, and play pool while discussing the past and re-establishing their relationship.Ben learns Muriel went on vacation but, after enjoying a leisurely days by herself, began to experience blackouts. The doctors give her six months to live, and Muriel and Sam begin to mend a marriage Sam never realized was deteriorating. She lives through the summer, and Ben realizes he never has seen his parents happier in their life. When Muriel dies, Sam moves in with Ben and his family, and they enjoy life together until Sam himself passes away. Ben and Rachel have another child and name him Martin Samuel Kleinman to honor his parents, whose gravestone bears the Hebrew inscription "מה שלי שלך ומה שלך שלי" ("What is mine is yours and what is yours is mine"), testifying to the giving and compassionate relationship that Ben's parents truly had with each other.
Cast
- Peter FalkPeter FalkPeter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
as Sam Kleinman - Paul ReiserPaul ReiserPaul Reiser is an American stand-up comedian, actor, television personality, author, screenwriter and musician. He is most widely known for his role on the long-running television sitcom Mad About You.-Early life:...
as Ben Kleinman - Olympia DukakisOlympia DukakisOlympia Dukakis is an American actress. In 1987, she won an Academy Award, BAFTA, and a Golden Globe for her performance in Moonstruck...
as Muriel Kleinman - Elizabeth PerkinsElizabeth PerkinsElizabeth Ann Perkins is an American actress. Her film roles have included Big, The Flintstones, Miracle on 34th Street, About Last Night..., and Avalon...
as Rachel Kleinman - Ann DowdAnn DowdAnn Dowd is an American actress.She decided to become an actress while a premed student at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. She graduated in 1978 and went on to study at The Theatre School at DePaul University. In 1993 she won the Clarence Derwent Award for her performance...
as Linda - Claire Beckman as Hillary
- Mimi Lieber as Bonnie
Production
The film was shot on location in Garwood, New JerseyGarwood, New Jersey
Garwood is a borough in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 4,226.Garwood was incorporated as a borough on March 19, 1903, from portions of Cranford Township and Westfield Town....
and Saugerties
Saugerties (village), New York
Saugerties is a village in Ulster County, New York, USA. The population was 4,955 at the 2000 census.The Village of Saugerties is a Town in the eastern part of the Town of Saugerties. U.S. Route 9W passes through the village...
, Shokan
Shokan, New York
Shokan is a hamlet located in the Town of Olive in Ulster County, within the Catskill Park. The population was 1,252 at the 2000 census.-History:...
and Woodstock
Woodstock, New York
Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 at the 2000 census.The Town of Woodstock is in the northern part of the county...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
The film premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival
Seattle International Film Festival
The Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
in June 2005 and went into limited release in the US on September 16, 2005. It grossed $235,341 on 93 screens on its opening weekend and eventually earned $816,403 in the US and $6,934 in foreign markets for a total worldwide box office of $823,337.
Critical reception
Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
observed, "One of the nice things about my job is that I get to enjoy the good parts in movies that aren't really necessary to see. The Thing About My Folks travels familiar movie territory . . . but we discover once again what a warm and engaging actor Peter Falk is. I can't recommend the movie, but I can be grateful that I saw it, for Falk."
Ned Martel of the New York Times said, "As the crotchety paterfamilias, Peter Falk is convincingly grating, and for a few moments heroic, as he makes his character, Sam Kleinman, into someone the son need not complain about so much. Despite the grumpy, flatulent behavior the script demands of him, Mr. Falk rises above the treacly shenanigans."
Steve Persall of the St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
graded the film B- and commented, "Nothing surprises in The Thing About My Folks except how effective such timeworn material can be when the right people deliver it. The movie contains little that we haven't seen before, but charm can make anything seem a bit fresher. Most credit goes to Peter Falk . . . [who] doesn't merely carry [the film]; he bravely totes it over a mountain of cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
s like one of Hannibal's elephants . . . somehow this derivative, predictable story works, probably because of Falk's unforced determination to make that happen."
Robert Koehler of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
called the film "good-natured but only memorable as a platform for the amusingly feisty Peter Falk" and added, "Pic belongs more to Reiser than to director Raymond De Felitta, who allows the extremely talky script to go on uncut and covers the chatter with an excess of TV-style tracking close-ups."
Awards and nominations
Peter Falk tied with Josh HartnettJosh Hartnett
Joshua Daniel "Josh" Hartnett is an American actor and aspiring producer. He first came to audiences' attention in 1997 as "Michael Fitzgerald" in the television series Cracker. He made his feature film debut in 1998, co-starring with Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later for Miramax...
(Lucky Number Slevin
Lucky Number Slevin
Lucky Number Slevin, renamed for the German/USA DVDs as Lucky # Slevin , is a 2006 crime thriller film written by Jason Smilovic, directed by Paul McGuigan and starring Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Stanley Tucci, and Lucy Liu...
) for Best Actor honors at the Milan International Film Festival. The National Board of Review
National Board of Review Awards 2005
The 77th National Board of Review Awards, honoring the best in film for 2005, were given on 12 December 2005.-Top 10 films:#Good Night, and Good Luck.#Brokeback Mountain#Capote#Crash...
cited the film for Excellence In Filmmaking.