User reviews

Maybe it's somehow unfair that this movie was not distributed in the US (yet?). I have seen much worse movies and comedies that had less fun in them well distributed and promoted. However, I can understand the hesitations of the distributors. 'Relative Strangers' plays in a genre that has already squeezed all the juice, and makes no attempt to be something different.

Yet, the premises are good. What if you are a successful writer of self-control books and you found two weeks before your marriage with gorgeous Neve Campbell that your true parents are not the high-class couple that raised you but Danny DeVitto and Kathy Bates, a popular circus pair of failed clowns, throwing bad jokes and inheriting you nothing but a bunch of hereditary diseases?

Unfortunately, this is more or less where the fun of the movie stops. The rest is so predictable that you could have written the script yourself. Ron Linvingston is as funny as a evening news broadcaster, DeVitto and Campbell do their expected game, and only Kathy Bates is funny and looks comfortable and gorgeous (yes!) in her role, but this is not enough. Casting the stars is not enough for good comedy, you need something more in ideas and craziness which is definitely missing here.

Imagine the cruelty of adoptive parents to tell an unsuspecting son that he is adopted? To make matters worse, the Claytons, a rich couple, have waited a long time to spring the news to Richard, who is about to get married! This is the premise for this comedy created by Greg Glienna, who also contributed to its screen play. The film, which went directly to video, never had a chance to make it commercially, in spite of the prominent figures in the cast. In fact, the film seems to this viewer as a variation of the more successful "Meet the Parents", which employed Mr. Glienna as a writer. Not that this film is horrible, by any means, but it appears the powers that be must have had doubts about its impact and sent it to the DVD limbo.

Ron Livingston, who is seen as Richard, the man who is told he has been living a lie, is quite good and shows a flair for comedy. Neve Campbell is also effective in playing the object of Richard's love. The combination of the vulgar Meneres as played broadly by Danny Devito and Kathy Bates have some good moments. Christine Baranski and Edward Herrmann play the Claytons, the uptight adoptive parents. The one that is hardly recognizable is Beverly D'Angelo, who must have gone through a procedure to change the way we remembered her.

Why are the others who have reviewed this movie critically blaming the actors? It's a top notch cast. Honestly, whoever produced and edited this movie is to blame if it's not more popular. Obviously the actors must have seen something good in the script for all of them to accept their parts they played. To me, this movie was not a disappointment as others have commented. It's silly, yes. Goofy, yeah. To me, if it was produced a bit better, and the editing done a bit better I would have definitely given it at least a 7 out of 10. I watched this movie mostly because I just adore Ron Livingston. Even playing a straight-man character he's very funny. I hope this gets released in the U.S. at least on DVD because with it's cast it is well worth the watch.

Well, you know what you are in for with a movie such as "Relative Strangers". And with that being said, this movie follows the how-to-make-a-comedy script-book page by page. As such, the movie is very generic and predictable.

That being said, I will say that the movie is still enjoyable for what it is. There are some fun situations here and there, and there are some nice enough laughs throughout the movie. And there is just enough awkward situations to make it enjoyable enough to sit through to the end of the movie.

What really saves the movie is the cast. Danny DeVito can be somewhat of an acquired taste, but he did pull this off well enough. Kathy Bates was very well-cast for this movie. I had some reservations about Ron Livingston and Neve Campbell, but they both genuinely surprised me in a good way.

"Relative Strangers" is the type of movie that you watch once, then bag and tag it, most likely never to watch it again. Director Greg Glienna managed to muster but a mediocre comedy here.

Here's the thing... you know where this movie is going to go. All the plot points are pretty obvious; it's never going to get ahead of you, even when the "twists" start in the back half.

But it's pretty fun to watch. DeVito and Bates are completely cartoonish and over-the-top -- and that's what makes them great together. Edward Hermann and Christine Baranski are perfectly cast, though I wish we'd seen more of them. Everybody else is fine (Bob Odenkirk is a bit wasted -- given that "anger management" is a major theme of the movie, casting a man known for his comedic anger in a role where he doesn't get angry is strange), except for Livingston.

Ron Livingston is the center of the movie, and there's a problem. He commits to playing the role a certain way, and you don't understand why, and you don't really like him. More than an hour into the movie, they reveal why he is acting the way he did, and it kind of makes sense, but he's already lost your sympathy by that point.

But if Devito and Bates as total white trash screaming at each other, lines like "If brains was chocolate, you wouldn't even have a M&M" is something you want to see in a comedy, then you should see this movie, because there will probably never be another movie where that happens. If you go with them, they keep the movie entertaining.

Stick around for the end credits, their duet is almost certainly the highlight of the film. It's in the film, but most of the lyrics are obscured by the dialogue; the song plays in all of its glory over the end credits.

Ron Livingston, star of the cult-hit "Office Space", bottoms out with this slapstick comedy which takes satiric aim at trailer-park yahoos but, alas, fails to be ironic or nostalgic--and appears to have been made by just the kind of low-class people it pokes fun at. Livingston is a hole in the screen playing a mild-mannered psychologist--the author of a new self-help book about anger-management--who finds out from his upper-crust, boorish family that he was adopted after his biological folks left him on their doorstep; worse, his birth parents turn out to be brawling, obnoxious hicks Danny DeVito and Kathy Bates. An utterly predictable and dispiriting comedy. One waits in anticipation for the first crotch jab (19mns in), the first reference to either Jerry Springer or "Hee-Haw" (both clock in around the 60mn mark), and the proverbial cameo by a well-known talk-show host (this time it's Star Jones!). A few mindlessly funny one-liners; otherwise, flop makes "Meet the Fockers" look like "Wuthering Heights". *1/2 from ****

I was looking for a Christa Campbell fix until I could watch her next movie. I wore out last month's Playboy and Scars hasn't arrived. I noticed her in this little comedy and said, what the heck! Unfortunately, I waited about 75 minutes before she appeared for about 60 seconds, not saying a word. Oh, well, the wait was worth it and there was a pretty funny comedy in the meantime.

I have to say that Neve Campbell really surprised me in this film. She was really good. She made me forget all about those Scream and Wild Things.

Ron Livingston was great as the psychologist who finds out that his real parents are carny folk as opposed to the snobs that raised him. Danny DeVito and Kathy bates were hilarious as the parents. I always like Christine Baranski, and she didn't disappoint with her nose high in the air.

Lots of laughs, and you can guess the ending.

Unfortunately, the 'Meet the parents/Fockers' recipe doesn't seem to work here: even two such comedy stars as Bates and De Vito can't save this one from failing to even entertain. The editing is somewhat hurried, and yet it can't make up for the tedious 100 minutes - with all the effort, I doubt if it even serves the purpose of killing that time, as was in my case. Still, Katie Bates is a pleasure to watch, but although she provides a very convincing performance as 'trailer trash' (as us the non-American viewers are supposed to imagine it from all the previous films on the subject), one can't help but wonder, are all those speech patterns that the screenplay limits her character to, real?

Better than one star, but not much more than that.

This was by no means a great movie, but it was enjoyable.

The production values were low and the performances at times suffered from overacting -- especially by Danny DeVito. But, the film had a little bit of heart, and I couldn't help but smile at times.

Neve Campbell is so beautiful here; I can't understand why she's not more famous. She just radiates and lights up the screen every time she is on here.

Kathy Bates was great, as always, but I found Ron Livingston's performance to be a little stale.

If you're looking for a lighthearted movie to help you waste away a Sunday afternoon, this is it. Just don't expect too much and you won't be that disappointed.

Upon watching this film, you will begin to realize why Ron Livingston's career has gone south to hibernate, and may never return from this awkward film. Also starring Kathy Bates and Danny DeVito in co-starring roles. However, they really do not make the film any more watch-able. The films premise is about a 35 year old man finding out he is adopted, pretty bland for a comedy film, and might I add, Ben Stiller had already done this concept in almost the same exact way several years before in the more successful 'Flirting with Disaster'. I believe that if not the characters portrayed by Bates and DeVito had been "so down to Earth" country bumpkins and looking nothing like Livingston's character, it may have faired better! Even so, this film has a cult following because of Ron Livingston. 3/10!

Ron Livingston who was wonderful in "Office Space", once again hits a home run with "Relative Strangers". What is essentially a one joke movie, comes across extremely well. Perfect casting, starting with Danny DeVito and a truly funny script. There is also a fine message that you should not be disappointed if people do not live up to your expectations. Kathy Bates and Danny DeVito as the "trailer trash" parents are so great, and Christine Baranski is the perfect foil for Beverly DeAngelo and her sequin dresses. Off the wall hilarious situations abound, and there are even some very sweet moments. Highly recommended. - MERK

When this many great actors struggle to get through their lines all signs of what went wrong points to the director. The script doesn't start out especially strong, about the humor and over exaggeration of a SNL skit, but more of it could have been salvaged if the director had known how to direct the talents here. Instead, the cast obviously doesn't care about the film and are ignoring their comedic sensibilities (or told they are wrong) and do nothing to correct the constant problem of inauthenticity and tonal roller coaster here. This is basically a train wreck.

How can this movie be so bad?! It has some of my favorite actors in it and still is was horrible! I kept waiting for it to get better or have a great twist that made sitting through all the lame attempts at humor worth it - No such luck! Even my husband gave up and went to bed three quarters through. Kathy Bates acted the same part as in The Waterboy - but not funny. I kept waiting to hear "Bobby Boucher, come give your mama a kiss". Ron Livingston played an extremely boring part that was unconvincing. Danny DeVito was more irritating than funny and Neve? Her part was just plain forgettable. You know the anger and bewilderment that comes after watching a bad movie? I have it - Don't waste your time.

Dr. Richard Clayton (Ron Livingston) seems to be living the perfect life. He is a successful psychologist-turned-writer and his latest book on anger management is doing well. In addition, he is engaged to a beautiful, kind lady, Ellen (Neve Campbell) and they share a lovely home. But one day his disgruntled, slacker brother drops the A-bomb, that is, he informs his bro that he, Richard, is the adopted sibling of the family. Richie's snobby parents (Edward Hermann and Christine Baranski) concede that it is true but that it made no difference in their love for him or his brother. Yet, Richard is stunned and suddenly curious. At Ellen's urging, he begins a search for his birth parents. Soon after, Frank (Danny DeVito) and Agnes Menure (Kathy Bates) arrive on the doc's doorstep and announce that they are his true father and mother. It is a shock, as the Menures are ex-carnies, live in a trailer park, and sell pest control products to support themselves. And, while they are lively, interesting folks, Frank and Agnes are definitely a bit uncouth as it were. Richard is forelorn and his unhappiness grows each day the Menures extend their visit to Richie's home. Can they all really belong to the same gene pool? This is a funny film, distinctively enhanced by the terrific cast. Livingston is just right as the confused, disgruntled doctor while Campbell is lovely and sweet as the supportive fiancé. As for DeVito and Bates, they chew up the screen with their humorous, outrageous turns as the far-from-refined folks who, nevertheless, may have bigger hearts than most. All of the niceties of film-making, from costumes to sets to camera work, are first rate, too. If you are looking for mirth on an upcoming film night, give this one a whirl. It is definitely no stranger to comedy, as a viewing will result in big smiles for everyone.

Well, the originality wasn't there but it had some pretty funny moments. They're not laugh gut busting moments but the chuckles are constant. Bates and DeVito were good together and the rest of the cast were well casted. But why does this movie get old after about 40 minutes? It than turned into another typical comedy and the ending is pretty much predicted.

All in all this is a decent direct to video comedy that still has better written jokes than most of the comedies out there right now. But than again, only two or three comedies stand out every year. For me it was Little Miss Sunshine and Crank.

Give it a try.

Danny Devito and Kathy Bates spoke by themselves at their fabulous careers, although it was not enough to make this hackneyed comedy reaches somewhere, a sort of stillbirth endeavor whereof the writers were drunk when they aims such outrageous offer, treating the viewers as morons and taunting us strange felling concerning this obnoxious odd couple as relative parents.

The successful writer Dr. Richard Clayton (Ron Livingston) has just released a book about anger management from whom suffers of terrible sense that hurts too much, he was raised in a wealthy aristocratic family in Chicago and is about to marry a beautiful girl Ellen (Neve Campbell) suddenly his jackass bother Mitch (Bob Odenkirk) open his big mouth urging their parents telling the truth over Richard be adopted when was a baby and it scarred on so abrupt disclosure, aftermaths of the shock he hires a private detective aiming for to find out their biological parents.

Actually Richard previously settle all arrangements for wedding with Ellen, when he receives good news from the cunning detective that found this parents on the outskirts of Chicago area, then he in advance already invites them for a meeting with their step parents a kind of good surprise, wait at home wondering how would great couple he is about to know, when the bell rings Robert is baffled in such vision, a weirdo couple, a shorty bald man called Frank Menure (Danny Devito) from French ancestry wearing a wig and a fat blonde woman Agnes Menure (Kathy Bates) where both working at carnival with bad behavior and talking louder also arguing all the time.

Well it we already watched somewhere, not original quite sure, worst so predicable comedy of customs where two opposite worlds collide, as I said before even Danny DeVito and Kathy Bates neither could save its awful comic offering doomed to failure, what a mess!!

Thanks for reading.

Resume: First Watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 5.5.

I see this all the time sadly. Movies that get little to no recognition by hardly anyone that, even though they are not masterpieces, could be a lot of fun to many people. Here again is another movie I decided to watch primarily based on the cast. I mean, with Neve Campbell, Kathy Bates and Danny Devito, I hoped I was going to get some satisfaction at least, and I was certainly right. I thankfully came across this movie because it was at a video store near me that I went to all the time that carried a lot of obscure movies, among popular ones of course. I most definitely did not find it because it had any publicity or anything, which is why it is so unknown. Relative Strangers is all around very fun and entertaining, and well worth the time.

While it is not a masterpiece, like I said, I enjoyed it a lot and thought it was a well made film, regardless of minor mediocrities due to budget and indistinguishable crew members (I mean, the director was only known for the Meet the Parents series basically, if anyone knew him for that), and also I do realize it is not the greatest film ever. I got the movie for the cast as I have mentioned, that's it, and that is another reason why I enjoyed it as much as I did. Though the film is not necessarily fantastic on it's own, the cast is wonderful and works with the material amazingly. Neve Campbell and Kathy Bates are a delight for me at least in any film anyway.

The story is not amazing and the other main actor, whose name escapes me if I ever knew it in the first place, is not as enjoyable as the other three really well known stars, but it's genuine enjoyability, if you loosen up, is what makes this film come through in the end. So should you give Relative Strangers a chance if you happen to come across this comment? If you know you will be able to like it for what it is, a fun and endearing little speculation, then most definitely, because it is just a very fun movie with some heartwarming qualities. I was very pleased with the outcome, and am glad I had the chance to view it. Do not even pay attention to it's ridiculous rating.

Richard (ron livingston...office space) finally gets to meet his adopted parents. They just aren't what he expected. Danny devito, kathy bates, two of my favorites. They are frank and agnes, his bio parents. They're a bit rough around the edges, but they are completely charming and polite. And they need a place to stay for a while. Things go okay at first, but we know there's going to be a big messy confrontation at some point. Some hilarious co-stars. Christine baranski (doctor dick!) martin mull, the king of dry humor. Michael mckean (lenny!), bev d'angelo (vacation, easy money). Ed hermann (overboard, cat's meow). All huge in comedy. It's pretty funny. My one complaint is that a couple times, things get wacky, and richard wakes up from a bad dream. I don't like when directors do that.... it leaves us feeling that we've been cheated. That's a minor point. With all these kings and queens of great comedy, there's just something missing... it's a little too serious. Needed to be a little more fun and upbeat. Or something. Kind of a strange chemistry between the actors. Directed by greg glienna. He also directed "meet the parents".

to this day, when my kids see a cheese ball at the store or on a cooking show, wherever, they say " I made it with my own 2 feet" and They do some Danny Devito bits too. It is a simply hilarious movie. With a refreshing "humble thyself" message that can hit home when you have a challenging family, which everyone does in some form or fashion. Kathy Bates and Danny D are perfect. Scoot! Blackfoot! Rugs:) ..cut ya a deal. Watch it with your kids. Believe me they will appreciate your sanity compared with having parents like these, both sets. Cringing awkwardness in places. The scene at Livingston's snobby parents house is classic. Yentl! Mother Juggs and Speed! The rating on this must be because some uptight a-holes rated it or not enough people have seen it. See It!

The trip the wayward son is me, but I left home at 17, 3 months after High School graduation into the US Army because they moved away from me. My older brother beat me up as a child, threatened me with a hammer and my other brother was dyslexic and never graduated for Jr. high. My parents hung out in the den with the doors closed every night and dad golfed every Saturday and Sunday. Mother learned and was absent golfing while I grew up in a brutal cold nobody cares what any one else does, counting the minutes until they could sell the house and move east to their private golf club in Ontario California. They were glad to see me go because it was an excuse to totally abandon their parental responsibility's and cash in on selling the house, which they did. My dad was only 46, but he believed he could live off his Mineral royalties' and pension and 'no body cares' environment. I thought the acting, directing, story, photography everything about this picture took me back to my childhood and the rest of my life not wanted or appreciated. What a great movie!!!!!!! Randy Walburger 74 years old and still a Relative Stranger until I die!

I had the pleasure of seeing this film at a sneak preview in Los Angeles earlier this year and have been waiting to see it's release here in the US. Apparently, it's being released overseas which is a shame as it would seem to go over better in America being so..American. This film was just a lot of fun. Danny DeVito and Kathy Bates play the white-trash birth parents of Ron Livingston, an uptight self help author. His fiancée is played by the incredibly sexy Neve Campbell who I could watch in anything. DeVito and Bates characters are very broad, almost cartoons but by the end of the film you really feel they are real people and the film packs an emotional punch that was really unexpected. Along the way are some hilarious scenes..Bates and DeVito are a great team! I loved the talk show appearance where his parents unexpectedly (of course) show up and he loses it. It seems like so many films have to be about something deep and have a cynical edge nowadays but this film was just fun to watch and left me smiling at the end. The audience I saw it with exploded with laughs frequently through out. I can imagine this film is not for every taste but if you can relax and just enjoy a feel good, fun comedy, I recommend this film highly

Danny Davito , Kathy Bates are terrific in this movie. Not sure why others didnt like it. It was a naughty cute movie