History Film / TheInLaws

-->'''Cab Driver:''' I don't know. I mean, you know, I thought, like, JamesBond.

** Later in that scene, as stated above, the cab driver thinks JamesBond is what a spy really looks like.

Sheldon Kornpett (Arkin) is a successful 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 Vince off with his tales of [[BlatantLies seeing tsetse flies carrying children off in Africa]], and by the way he treats Tommy when Tommy makes a joke about the long-distance phone calls 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 Sheldon to be nicer to Vince. So the next 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 engraving bonds, which he plans to sell to a corrupt Latin America 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 HilarityEnsues.

* BaitAndSwitchComment: When Barry shows up at the wedding at the end, and starts acting upset, Sheldon and Vince are worried he's found out about [[spoiler: 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.

* CloudCuckoolander: [[SubvertedTrope 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, [[BunnyEarsLawyer if a little flaky.]]

* HeyItsThatGuy: Veteran character actor James Hong plays the man who gives Sheldon safety instructions before they fly off - [[RuleOfFunny in Chinese]].

** General Garcia does a ventriloquism act similar to the famed ventriloquist/comedian Senor Wences.

->''This man's wonderful daughter is marrying my son the day after tomorrow!''

This film was not well-received by critics when it first came out, but it did well at the box office and has since been rightly regarded 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 AlbertBrooks in the Arkin role and Michael Douglas in the Falk role, but it wasn't well-received by critics or the box office.

!!This film contains examples of the following tropes:

''The In Laws'' is a 1979 comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller, written by Andrew Bergman, and starring AlanArkin and PeterFalk.

* BananaRepublic: The General lives on "United Fruit Way."

* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler: The CIA, although they were a little late ("Traffic was brutal")]].

* {{CIA}}: As stated above, where Vince really works:

-->''This man's wonderful daughter is marrying my son the day after tomorrow!''

This film contains examples of the following tropes:

** 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 [[spoiler: firing squad]].

* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler: The CIA]].
* CasualDangerDialogue:

* CloudCuckoolander: [[SubvertedTrope 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.

-->'''Vince:''' (''as he's driving Sheldon during a high-speed car chase) Next time we're in Tijada, Shel, you have to try the chicken sandwich. They make it on a hard roll, with an orange juice, or a pineapple, you know the big one, El Grande and coffee, do you take coffee, Shel?

'''Cab Driver:''' I can't believe you work for the CIA.
'''Vince:''' Why not?
'''Cab Driver:''' I don't know. I mean, you know, I thought, like, JamesBond.
'''Vince:''' No, no. They all look like me. I'm the classic agency type; muscular, low to the ground, compact. Are you interested in joining? I'll tell you, the benefits are fantastic. [[CrowningMomentOfFunny The trick is not to get killed; that's really the key to the benefit program.]]

Sheldon Kornpett (Arkin) is a successful 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 Vince off with his tales of [[BlatantLies seeing tsetse flies carrying children off in Africa]], and by the way he treats Tommy when Tommy makes a joke about the long-distance phone calls 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 Sheldon to be nicer to Vince. So the next 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 engraving bonds, which he plans to sell to a corrupt Latin America 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 HilarityEnsues.

** [[StateAndMain Marty Rossen]] is a cab driver.

-->'''GeneralGarcia:''' I am a pacifist by nature, with a deep Quaker belief in the sanctity of human life. I wish I had a choice but to kill you.

This film was not well-received by critics when it first came out, but it did well at the box office and has since been rightly regarded 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.