The In-Laws (1979)

          One of the most fondly remembered comedies of the late ’70s, The In-Laws is a study in controlled lunacy. Working from a solid script by Andrew Bergman, who previously came up with the idea for Blazing Saddles (1974), director Arthur Hiller orchestrates a slow burn as the movie’s central gag gets taken to absurd extremes. The premise of an unhinged character drawing a normal person into a mad scheme is hardly new, but Bergman sets up the particulars well by contriving a believable reason for the grounded character to tolerate crazed circumstances. Yet it’s the chemistry between the two leading actors that really puts The In-Laws over—Peter Falk’s deadpan derangement is a perfect complement for Alan Arkin’s epic exasperation. So even though the movie is too silly and slight to qualify as a classic, it's never less than watchable.

          Motor-mouthed nutter Vincent J. Ricardo (Falk) enters the life of New York dentist Sheldon Kornpett (Arkin) because Vincent’s son is about to marry Sheldon’s daughter. On their first meeting, a dinner at Sheldon’s house, Vincent bounces between jarring outbursts and preposterous lies; his story about watching gigantic tsetse flies pluck children off the ground is memorably bonkers. Soon Vincent draws Sheldon into a scheme involving stolen U.S. Mint engraving plates, a covert CIA operation (which may or may not be legitimate), and an illicit deal with an insane South American general.

          The main ingredient of The In-Laws is the clash between Sheldon’s blind terror during dangerous situations and Vincent’s nonchalant demeanor—throughout a reckless car chase, for instance, Vincent pauses to commend Sheldon for keeping his cool even though Sheldon is actually on the verge of an aneurysm. Arkin’s impeccable comic timing and offbeat line readings work wonders here, and the warmth of Bergman’s script helps Arkin thread welcome vulnerability into his sometimes-chilly screen persona. Meanwhile, Falk scores by underplaying. In a typical moment, he casually praises a benefit program available to covert agents before adding, “The trick is staying alive—that’s really the key to the benefit program.”

          Alas, the script’s setup is better than the payoff, so an inspired first half gives way to a wheezy second half following a droll airport shootout. Worse, an extended sequence featuring comedy pro Richard Libertini as the aforementioned South American general slips into tiresome cartoonishness, and the movie could have used a lot more of ace supporting players Ed Begley Jr., Nancy Dussault, and James Hong. Nonetheless, few movie comedies ever reach the manic peaks of the best moments in The In-Laws, so viewers are amply rewarded for wading through inferior bits on the way to the good stuff.

The In-Laws: GROOVY