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The In-Laws

 The In-Laws
type
TVTItem
 The In-Laws
label
The In-Laws
 The In-Laws
page
TheInLaws
 The In-Laws
comment
The In-Laws is a 1979 American action comedy film written by Andrew Bergman, directed by Arthur Hiller and starring Alan Arkin and Peter Falk.Sheldon Kornpett (Arkin) is a successful Manhattan dentist whose daughter Barbara (Penny Peyser), a psychology student, is marrying Tommy Ricardo (Michael Lembeck), a law student, this upcoming weekend. Everyone approves of the wedding and is excited, but Sheldon's a bit nervous because he still hasn't met Tommy's father Vince (Falk), who apparently does "international consulting work".When Vince does make it to dinner one night, he immediately turns Sheldon off with his tales of seeing tsetse flies carrying children off in Guatemala, and by the way he treats Tommy when Tommy makes a joke about the long-distance phone calls that he makes. Sheldon wants to call off the wedding, but Barbara and Sheldon's wife Carol (Nancy Dussault) talk him out of it, and convince him to be nicer to Vince. So the following morning, when Vince comes to Sheldon's office asking for a favor, Sheldon says yes. Turns out Vince is really working for the CIA, and he's stolen some currency engraving plates, which he plans to sell to a corrupt Latin American dictator named General Garcia (Richard Libertini) in order to nail him in a sting operation. Pretty soon, Sheldon is wishing he never decided to help Vince in the first place, and Hilarity Ensues.While the film received mixed reviews from critics when it first came out (Roger Ebert liked it, Gene Siskel didn't), it performed well at the box office and has since come to be viewed as one of the best comedies of the last few decades; Premiere magazine put it on its list of the 50 best comedies of all time. It was remade in 2003 with Albert Brooks in the Arkin role and Michael Douglas in the Falk role, but it wasn't well-received by critics or the box office.
 The In-Laws
fetched
2024-03-15T20:46:37Z
 The In-Laws
parsed
2024-03-15T20:46:37Z
 The In-Laws
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Dropped link to JamesBond: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The In-Laws
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Dropped link to TheEagleHasLanded: Not a Feature - ITEM
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Dropped link to ThePriceIsRight: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The In-Laws
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DBTropes
 The In-Laws / int_13d6db18
type
One Last Smoke
 The In-Laws / int_13d6db18
comment
One Last Smoke: Like just about everything else, Played for Laughs - as Vince and Sheldon are about to be executed by the firing squad, and Sheldon is having a meltdown, Vince demands General Garcia given him and Sheldon and blindfolds and cigarettes (partly to calm Sheldon down, but also partly to stall until The Cavalry, in the form of the CIA, shows up), only for Sheldon to spit it out and declare he doesn't smoke.
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The In-Laws / int_13d6db18
 The In-Laws / int_1777688d
type
Genre Savvy
 The In-Laws / int_1777688d
comment
Subverted later, however; when Vince acts increasingly nervous at General Garcia's house because the CIA hasn't shown up yet, Sheldon doesn't pick up on it. Of course, it's because Sheldon isn't Genre Savvy like Vince.
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The In-Laws / int_1777688d
 The In-Laws / int_281de59f
type
Extremely Short Timespan
 The In-Laws / int_281de59f
comment
Extremely Short Timespan: The majority of the movie takes place in the three days before the wedding, which happens at the end.
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 The In-Laws / int_281de59f
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The In-Laws / int_281de59f
 The In-Laws / int_2bc0fc4d
type
Ice-Cream Koan
 The In-Laws / int_2bc0fc4d
comment
Ice-Cream Koan: When Sheldon is telling his patient Mr. Hirshorn about the wedding, he mentions he hasn't met Vince yet. Hirshorn immediately tells Sheldon to call off the wedding because he hasn't met Vince yet, and claims Tommy could be bad because "the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree". This strikes Sheldon as ridiculous...at first.
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 The In-Laws / int_3ad8e6a
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Slower than a Speeding Bullet
 The In-Laws / int_3ad8e6a
comment
Slower than a Speeding Bullet: Played with. Vince warns Sheldon not to run straight away from the gunmen ("Serpentine, Shel, serpentine!"). But Sheldon spends so much time dodging sideways that he doesn't make much distance away.
 The In-Laws / int_3ad8e6a
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The In-Laws / int_3ad8e6a
 The In-Laws / int_403b6f3
type
Fainting
 The In-Laws / int_403b6f3
comment
Fainting: As Sheldon tries to get back to a patient he left earlier to go with Vince, Vince shows Sheldon the engravings he took, and says they're punishable by a fine and jail time, at which point Sheldon faints and falls to the floor.
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The In-Laws / int_403b6f3
 The In-Laws / int_49f20c6a
type
Gory Discretion Shot
 The In-Laws / int_49f20c6a
comment
Gory Discretion Shot: We don't actually see Vince running over a pig in the car, but with the blood on the windshield...
 The In-Laws / int_49f20c6a
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 The In-Laws / int_49f20c6a
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The In-Laws / int_49f20c6a
 The In-Laws / int_4c083756
type
Signed Up for the Dental
 The In-Laws / int_4c083756
comment
Signed Up for the Dental: When the cab driver asks Vince about being in the CIA:
 The In-Laws / int_4c083756
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 The In-Laws / int_4c083756
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The In-Laws / int_4c083756
 The In-Laws / int_4d45aa06
type
Banana Republic
 The In-Laws / int_4d45aa06
comment
Banana Republic: General Garcia's mansion is located on United Fruit Way.
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The In-Laws / int_4d45aa06
 The In-Laws / int_4fdd0d29
type
Place Worse Than Death
 The In-Laws / int_4fdd0d29
comment
Place Worse Than Death: Implied - when General Garcia's guards bring Vince the money, the general tells him they're the best security guards in the world, since they used to work at J.C. Penny in Detroit.
 The In-Laws / int_4fdd0d29
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The In-Laws / int_4fdd0d29
 The In-Laws / int_525478f9
type
Consulting Mister Puppet
 The In-Laws / int_525478f9
comment
Consulting Mister Puppet: "Señor Pepe" is a face drawn on General Garcia's hand. The General has conversations with "Señor Pepe"—with General Garcia providing "Señor Pepe's" dialogue in a high-pitched childish voice—insists "Señor Pepe" wants to give the protagonists a kiss, and later that "Señor Pepe" wants a glass of water.
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The In-Laws / int_525478f9
 The In-Laws / int_6a0b03a6
type
One Last Job
 The In-Laws / int_6a0b03a6
comment
One Last Job: Subverted; the scheme Vince cooks up does turn out to be his last job, but not only does he stick to it, he also doesn't announce that fact until after the CIA has rescued him and Sheldon from the firing squad. Of course, it helps he and Sheldon have $5 million each from what General Garcia paid them.
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The In-Laws / int_6a0b03a6
 The In-Laws / int_6bf93fc7
type
FanService
 The In-Laws / int_6bf93fc7
comment
Fanservice: The "General Garcia Medal of Freedom", a gold medal depicting General Garcia flanked by two topless women.
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The In-Laws / int_6bf93fc7
 The In-Laws / int_8042e814
type
Actually Pretty Funny
 The In-Laws / int_8042e814
comment
Actually Pretty Funny: In Sheldon's first scene, he's trying to remove a dead tooth from his patient Mr. Hirshorn, but Mr. Hirshorn keeps stopping him. Sheldon gets interrupted by a call from his wife, and when he comes back, Mr. Hirshorn reveals he removed the tooth by himself, which Sheldon can't help but laugh at.
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The In-Laws / int_8042e814
 The In-Laws / int_80491c2f
type
"Open!" Says Me
 The In-Laws / int_80491c2f
comment
"Open!" Says Me: One of the guys chasing Sheldon can't open an emergency exit. After yelling in frustration, he catches his breath, says calmly, "This is an emergency," and busts through the door.
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The In-Laws / int_80491c2f
 The In-Laws / int_808cbaeb
type
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking
 The In-Laws / int_808cbaeb
comment
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Vince tells Sheldon if General Garcia manages to steal the engravings and print up money for his country and others, there'll be "gold riots, mass suicides, atonal music..."
 The In-Laws / int_808cbaeb
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The In-Laws / int_808cbaeb
 The In-Laws / int_823c6e3e
type
Large Ham
 The In-Laws / int_823c6e3e
comment
Large Ham: Alan Arkin (and later Richard Libertini), but since he's balanced against Deadpan Snarker Peter Falk, it works out fine.
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 The In-Laws / int_98f5de00
type
Let Me Get This Straight...
 The In-Laws / int_98f5de00
comment
Let Me Get This Straight...: After Sheldon's wife tells him he's being irrational for wanting to call off Barbara's wedding to Tommy because he doesn't like Vince:
 The In-Laws / int_98f5de00
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The In-Laws / int_98f5de00
 The In-Laws / int_9a1d239e
type
Been There, Shaped History
 The In-Laws / int_9a1d239e
comment
Been There, Shaped History: Vince claims to have been behind the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
 The In-Laws / int_9a1d239e
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The In-Laws / int_9a1d239e
 The In-Laws / int_a3f6dba3
type
Action Duo
 The In-Laws / int_a3f6dba3
comment
Action Duo: Sheldon reluctantly becomes this with Vince, though not too much.
 The In-Laws / int_a3f6dba3
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The In-Laws / int_a3f6dba3
 The In-Laws / int_a4c37cbe
type
Mood Whiplash
 The In-Laws / int_a4c37cbe
comment
Mood Whiplash: In-universe: one of the reasons why Sheldon doesn't like Vince at first is because Vince goes from telling tall tales to crying at Sheldon's toast (to Barbara and Tommy) to yelling at Tommy when Tommy makes a joke about Vince making another mysterious phone call.
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 The In-Laws / int_a60e3252
type
Rule of Funny
 The In-Laws / int_a60e3252
comment
Rule of Funny: The movie pretty much runs on it.
 The In-Laws / int_a60e3252
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 The In-Laws / int_a60e3252
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The In-Laws / int_a60e3252
 The In-Laws / int_abad35b4
type
Soundtrack Dissonance
 The In-Laws / int_abad35b4
comment
Soundtrack Dissonance: A bouncy soundtrack plays in the background while Vince and Sheldon are involved in a car chase. Subverted in that the scene is supposed to be funny. Played straight later: at the time, it may seem innocent a squad of soldiers is singing "Trees" and "Buffalo Gals", but it turns out the soldiers are a firing squad.
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The In-Laws / int_abad35b4
 The In-Laws / int_b707726f
type
Hypocritical Humor
 The In-Laws / int_b707726f
comment
Hypocritical Humor:
 The In-Laws / int_b707726f
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 The In-Laws / int_b707726f
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The In-Laws / int_b707726f
 The In-Laws / int_bc74ef27
type
Berserk Button
 The In-Laws / int_bc74ef27
comment
Berserk Button: Sheldon has a lot of these, but most of all is when he finds out Vince has hidden the stolen engravings inside Sheldon's basement. To avoid making Sheldon upset again, Vince thereafter refers to the engravings as "the thing". Also, Vince doesn't like it when Tommy makes a crack about his "mysterious phone calls".
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The In-Laws / int_bc74ef27
 The In-Laws / int_c2c15b23
type
Bait-and-Switch Comment
 The In-Laws / int_c2c15b23
comment
Bait-and-Switch Comment: When Barry shows up at the wedding at the end, and starts acting upset, Sheldon and Vince are worried he's found out about the money they took — turns out he's just upset he didn't get invited to the wedding. Averted, however, in the fact he was just kidding about the last part.
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The In-Laws / int_c2c15b23
 The In-Laws / int_c3245c20
type
I Lied
 The In-Laws / int_c3245c20
comment
I Lied: Played with: Barry says this to Sheldon at the end, but admits he only lied about Vince being crazy in case Sheldon was an enemy agent.
 The In-Laws / int_c3245c20
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The In-Laws / int_c3245c20
 The In-Laws / int_c75df49a
type
Shout-Out
 The In-Laws / int_c75df49a
comment
Shout-Out: Carol refers to Barbara as Julia Child as one point. When the cab driver pulls in front of Vince's office building, he says, "The Eagle Has Landed." While waiting for Sheldon to get the engravings from Vince's office, Vince and the cab driver are in a bar watching The Price Is Right. Later in that scene, as stated above, the cab driver thinks James Bond is what a spy really looks like. General Garcia does a ventriloquism act similar to the famed ventriloquist/comedian Señor Wences.
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The In-Laws / int_c75df49a
 The In-Laws / int_d129e13e
type
"Eureka!" Moment
 The In-Laws / int_d129e13e
comment
"Eureka!" Moment: When Carol figures out how the engravings got into her basement.
 The In-Laws / int_d129e13e
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The In-Laws / int_d129e13e
 The In-Laws / int_d46ddfa2
type
CloudCuckooLander
 The In-Laws / int_d46ddfa2
comment
Cloud Cuckoolander: Subverted; everyone seems to think Vince is this — and Barry Lutz even tells Sheldon Vince is this — but it's mostly an act. He's really a good agent, tough and intelligent, if a little flaky. Played straight with General Garcia.
 The In-Laws / int_d46ddfa2
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The In-Laws / int_d46ddfa2
 The In-Laws / int_d9e9ad7e
type
The Cavalry
 The In-Laws / int_d9e9ad7e
comment
The Cavalry: The CIA, although they were a little late ("Traffic was brutal").
 The In-Laws / int_d9e9ad7e
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The In-Laws / int_d9e9ad7e
 The In-Laws / int_df41acb
type
Casual Danger Dialogue
 The In-Laws / int_df41acb
comment
Casual Danger Dialogue: Vince is fond of this. Justified in that he's trying keep Sheldon calm. Also later, when Vince casually asks General Garcia for a blindfold for Sheldon and himself while Sheldon's panicking right before they're about to be executed.
 The In-Laws / int_df41acb
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The In-Laws / int_df41acb
 The In-Laws / int_e6382176
type
Ignore the Disability
 The In-Laws / int_e6382176
comment
Ignore the Disability: Before their meeting with General Garcia, Vince warns Sheldon "Don't say anything about the scar." Upon seeing the Z-shaped scar on Garcia's face, Sheldon immediately blurts out "A Z?"
 The In-Laws / int_e6382176
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The In-Laws / int_e6382176
 The In-Laws / int_e83f211c
type
O.O.C. Is Serious Business
 The In-Laws / int_e83f211c
comment
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: After telling Vince he doesn't want to get involved in any more crazy schemes because he's tired of getting shot, Sheldon sees the cab Vince is in is being followed by the men who tried to shoot at him earlier, and so Sheldon manages to run outside and leap on top of the cab. When Vince sees Sheldon on the cab, he figures out something's up. Subverted later, however; when Vince acts increasingly nervous at General Garcia's house because the CIA hasn't shown up yet, Sheldon doesn't pick up on it. Of course, it's because Sheldon isn't Genre Savvy like Vince.
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 The In-Laws / int_f15c2859
type
NO INDOOR VOICE
 The In-Laws / int_f15c2859
comment
No Indoor Voice: Sheldon when he gets upset.
 The In-Laws / int_f15c2859
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The In-Laws / int_f15c2859
 The In-Laws / int_f792bee7
type
Hot Paint Job
 The In-Laws / int_f792bee7
comment
Hot Paint Job: Sheldon hid his Mercedes in a detail shop to escape assassins after a Chase Scene, and they painted flames on the side.
 The In-Laws / int_f792bee7
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 The In-Laws / int_f792bee7
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The In-Laws / int_f792bee7
 The In-Laws / int_f96f188c
type
Drives Like Crazy
 The In-Laws / int_f96f188c
comment
Drives Like Crazy: Vince. Also, the cab driver.
 The In-Laws / int_f96f188c
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The In-Laws / int_f96f188c
 The In-Laws / int_fea27091
type
Buffy Speak
 The In-Laws / int_fea27091
comment
Buffy Speak: In addition to the example listed under Berserk Button above, there's also the scene near the end where Vince, in an effort to plead for Sheldon's life and to stall for time until the CIA gets there, mentions all of the Latin-American children Sheldon has treated in his work as a dentist. General Garcia isn't impressed, and orders the execution to go on, at which point Sheldon exclaims, "That's it?!? The dental thing?".
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The In-Laws

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

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The In-Laws
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