Parents . Weekly Alibi . 03-12-97

Parents

DIRECTED BY: Bob Balaban

REVIEWED: 03-12-97

I avoided this flick forever because the box art reeks of "how clever we are, it's 'Leave it to Beaver' with cannibalism!" Finally, Emily convinced me to watch it (although she fell asleep halfway through--but she's seen it three times already). Bryan Madorsky is terrific as Michael, the '50s kid who moves into the suburbs with his mom and dad (brilliantly underplayed by Randy Quaid and Mary Beth Hurt). Pop works for Toxico, creating new and better defoliants (in some truly unnerving scenes), while mom toils in the kitchen, coming up with new ways to use those mysterious leftovers ("We've had leftovers every day--what were they before they were leftovers?" Michael asks. "Leftovers to be," sez pop). Michael, already perceived as strange by classmates and teachers, ends up in the school psychologist's office after using a little too much red crayon in the drawing he does of his family, and before long, he slowly uncovers the truth about his folks. Director Bob Balaban (the French-translating ex-cartographer in Close Encounters of the Third Kind) does an amazing job with this movie--imagine David Lynch if he weren't heavy-handed, and you might get the picture. While it's funny as hell, Parents also plays on any number of childhood fears, and Balaban's deft handling combined with Angelo Badalamenti's moody score make this one of the creepiest movies I've ever seen. Don't be stupid like me--rent the damn thing. (Vestron Video)

--Scott Phillips

Film Vault Suggested Links
Mother's Day
Santo vs. the Zombies
From Dusk Till Dawn

Rate this Film
If you don't want to vote on a film yet, and would like to know how others voted, leave the rating selection as "Vote Here" and then click the Cast Vote button.