STORY STUDY - CRITERION WEEK “823. The In-Laws”

Ever think about how your future in-law is acting very peculiar?

Directed by Arthur Hiller, and written by Andrew Bergman, The In-Laws is about a dentist and businessman whose children are about to be married with each other. The dentist thinks something is off about the businessman.

When the businessman asks him for a favor, retrieving something from his office safe, the dentist finds himself getting shot at by hitmen. It’s revealed the businessman is actually a CIA agent who has implemented his own plan of stealing engraving plates from the U.S. Mint to crack an inflation plot. Because this plan is not sanctioned by the CIA, the two are on their own.

The premise itself is hilarious; reminiscent of Hitchcock. The only difference is the duo is made up of a professional and someone not used to it, though he is a fast learner. The dentist, Sheldon, is the straight character, behaving as if a regular person would when being shot at or being told he’ll be sent to jail if the mission fails. Everyone else, including the CIA agent, Vince, acts as if it’s just business as usual, which frustrates Sheldon. “Why do you think I’m excited!” he constantly yells at Vince.

One of the characters, a general where the duo are selling the plates to, simply goes “thank you. Here are you medals, now you will be taken to the firing squad to get shot at,” all while with a smile on his face. Not a sinister one, a bright and innocent kind. How the characters are written indicated the kind of tone the film has.

Something I do appreciate about the film is how Sheldon’s family is written. When they get involved with the police, his wife turning one of the missing plates that Vince hid the night before to the bank, you’d expect them to be hysterical and completely clueless. But no, they take it in stride, and know exactly that Vince is the one behind it. It doesn’t really go anywhere, but it at least show they are intelligent.

I became familiar with the film when the Criterion Collection updated their DVD acquisitions. I found the plot funny, and gave it a chance. I was surprised to find out that screenwriter Andrew Bergman was also the original writer of another film I covered: Blazing Saddles.