Marital bliss: Arquette and Stiller

Flirting with Disaster (1996) is a fast-paced U.S. comedy film written and directed by David O. Russell about a young father's search for his biological parents. After the birth of his son, Mel Coplin, who was adopted as a newborn by a Jewish couple, sets out to find his natural parents, whom he has never met before. Mel and his wife's son is still unnamed because the man has not yet met his parents.

Together with Tina, a sexy but highly inefficient adoption agency employee, he and his family embark on what turns out to be a tour of the United States: Repeatedly, Mel gets hold of the wrong people. When he is finally face to face with his biological parents it is only to find out that they are ex-cons who, ever since the 1960s, have been hippies producing drugs in their own basement and who had to put him up for adoption because they had to go to jail.

Incorporating, and making fun of, various elements of road movies, Flirting with Disaster also takes a light-hearted look at the serious issues of same-sex partnerships, adoption, and drug abuse.

Cast

• Ben Stiller - Mel Coplin
• Patricia Arquette - Nancy Coplin
• George Segal - Mr. Coplin
• Mary Tyler Moore - Mrs. Coplin
• Alan Alda - Richard Schlichting
• Lily Tomlin - Mary Schlichting
• Téa Leoni - Tina

External link