Mel Coplin has a child with Nancy but has yet to name him because Mel feels he cannot give a name until he has met his real parents. Mel approaches the adoption agency and meets Tina, who wants to go with Mel as he meets his parents. Mel, Nancy, Tina and the baby set out on a road trip to met Mel's mother. However when he finds that the agency has made a mistake it sparks a wider search for his real parents.
I taped this film because I have seen several other films by the same director and wanted to give this a shot on the strength of those works. I knew it was a comedy but had no other notion what it was about. At first the plot is worrying because it looks like a dumb road trip movie, however the characters and plot ensure it is more than just that. The plot is basically nothing more than a device for the characters to be themselves and provide the comedy themselves rather than just trough action. The comedy does also work through actions but many of the characters are well enough written to be funny within themselves.
The acting is good on the whole. Stiller gives his usual performance that will be familiar to anyone who has seen Cable Guy, Meet The Parents etc. Arquette is OK and Leoni is sexy if pretty uninteresting. Jenkins steals every scene he is in as the uptight cop. And on that point, how very refreshing to see gay characters in a comedy who aren't flaming stereotypes! Alda, Tomlin, Tyler Moore and Segal are all hilarious in their parental roles and do much more than just provide famous faces.
Overall I found this to be very amusing if not hilarious. The plot holds up well for a road movie but it's the well written characters who carry the majority of the film easily and regularly funny even if it is a little far fetched at points.
