Meet the Fockers (2004)

Director:

Jay Roach

Writers (WGA):

Greg Glienna (characters) &
Mary Ruth Clarke (characters) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 December 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

And you thought your parents were embarrassing.

Plot:

All hell breaks loose when the Byrnes family meets the Focker family for the first time.

Plot Keywords:

Nurse | Miami | Teacher | Eavesdropping | Puppet

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	Jack Byrnes
Ben Stiller	...	Greg Focker
Dustin Hoffman	...	Bernie Focker
Barbra Streisand	...	Rozalin Focker
Blythe Danner	...	Dina Byrnes
Teri Polo	...	Pam Byrnes
Owen Wilson	...	Kevin Rawley
Spencer Pickren	...	Little Jack 'L.J.' Byrnes
Bradley Pickren	...	Little Jack 'L.J.' Byrnes
Alanna Ubach	...	Isabel Villalobos
Ray Santiago	...	Jorge Villalobos
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Officer LeFlore
Shelley Berman	...	Judge Ira
Kali Rocha	...	Flight Attendant
Dorie Barton	...	Airline Clerk
Jack Plotnick	...	Rent-a-Car Agent
Wayne Thomas Yorke	...	Airport Security Guard
B.J. Hansen	...	B.J.
J.P. Manoux	...	Local Cop
Myra Turley	...	Admitting Nurse
Vahe Bejan	...	Gunther - Immigrant Man
Kathleen Gati	...	Venka - Immigrant Woman
Angelo Tiffe	...	Businessman
Kyle T. McNamee	...	Undercover Waiter
Cedric Yarbrough	...	Prison Guard
Max Hoffman	...	Woody Focker
Benjamin Trueblood	...	Newborn Baby
Roberto Garcia	...	Waiter
Bruno Coon	...	Strolling Minister / Band Member
Rock Deadrick	...	Wedding Band
David Sutton	...	Wedding Band
Bernadette Perez	...	Girl Bus Driver
Linda O'Neil	...	Girl on Bus
Tiffany Turner	...	Girl on Bus
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Christine D. Coleman
John Carey	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Victoria Chalaya	...	Pam's Cousin (uncredited)
Karen Gordon	...	Anita Focker (uncredited)
Fabrizio Imas	...	Chicken Man (uncredited)
Angie Jaree	...	Bunny Focker (uncredited)
R. Martin Klein	...	Mo Focker (uncredited)
Allan Kolman	...	Harry Focker (uncredited)
Sean LoGrasso	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Chris Mala	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Rana McAnear	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Connie Richmond	...	Frida Focker (uncredited)
Antonio Rufino	...	Waiter (uncredited)
David Zimmerman	...	Dom Focker (uncredited)

Directed by
Jay Roach

Writing credits (WGA)
Greg Glienna		(characters) &
Mary Ruth Clarke		(characters)
Jim Herzfeld		(story) and
Marc Hyman		(story)
Jim Herzfeld		(screenplay) and
John Hamburg		(screenplay)

Produced by
Robert De Niro	....	producer
Jon Poll	....	co-producer
Jay Roach	....	producer
Jane Rosenthal	....	producer
Amy Sayres	....	executive producer
Larry Stuckey	....	associate producer
Nancy Tenenbaum	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Randy Newman

Cinematography by
John Schwartzman

Film Editing by
Alan Baumgarten
Lee Haxall
Jon Poll

Casting by
Francine Maisler

Production Design by
Rusty Smith

Art Direction by
Andrew Neskoromny

Set Decoration by
Sara Andrews		(as Sara Ingrassia)

Costume Design by
Carol Ramsey

Makeup Department
Terry Baliel	....	hair department head
Kate Biscoe	....	makeup department head
Judith A. Cory	....	hairdresser: Ms. Streisand
David DeLeon	....	makeup artist: Barbra Streisand
Maggie Fung	....	key makeup artist
Teressa Hill	....	key hair stylist
Grady Holder	....	makeup effects technician: K.N.B. EFX Group
Colleen LaBaff	....	assistant hair stylist
Maryann Marchetti	....	assistant makeup artist
Matthew W. Mungle	....	special makeup effects artist
Cheryl Ann Nick	....	makeup artist (as Cheryl Nick)
Valli O'Reilly	....	makeup artist: Dustin Hoffman
Tijen Osman	....	additional hair stylist
Carol Pershing	....	hair stylist
Victoria Wood	....	wig maker: Barbra Streisand
Joy Zapata	....	hair stylist: Ben Stiller, pick up shots

Production Management
Lisa Rodgers	....	post-production supervisor
Lenny Vullo	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marcei A. Brown	....	second assistant director (as Marcei A. Brubaker)
Doug Coleman	....	second unit director
Marisa Ferrey	....	second second assistant director
Jill Frank	....	first assistant director: second unit
Josh King	....	first assistant director
Marc Newland	....	dga trainee
Jon Poll	....	second unit director
Dominick Scarola	....	additional second second assistant director
Marco Schnabel	....	additional second unit director

Art Department
Doreen Austria	....	graphic designer
Adam L. Barker	....	lead plaster foreman
Melissa Bartley	....	art department assistant
Jennifer R. Blair	....	art department coordinator
Adam Braid	....	set dresser
Amanda Bromberg	....	set decorating assistant
Andrew Campbell	....	graphic designer
George Capetanos	....	prop assistant
Jill S. Coverdale	....	set dresser buyer
Kevin Cross	....	set designer
Paul Cunningham	....	gang boss
Sam Dean	....	welder
Doug DuRose	....	assistant property master
William J. Durrell Jr.	....	set designer
Donald Goodman	....	drapery foreman
Valerie Green	....	art department assistant
Gabriel Hardman	....	storyboard artist
Brock Helfer	....	set dresser
Guy Hietala	....	set painter
Bart C. Hubenthal	....	set dresser
Kim Larsen-Santini	....	assistant property master (as Kim Larsen)
Steve Lauritzen	....	set dresser
Kim Lincoln	....	prop graphics
Joe Lozano	....	greens foreman
Bobby Mara	....	propmaker foreman
Jonah Markowitz	....	assistant art director
Richard F. Mays	....	set designer
Bryan McBrien	....	greens
Eugene McCarthy	....	property master
John McElroy	....	on-set dresser
John Naehrlich	....	leadman
Scott Nifong	....	assistant property master
Fred O'Connor	....	propmaker
John S. Ogden	....	propmaker
William V. Ryder	....	set designer
Steve Salazar	....	welder
Josh Sheppard	....	additional storyboards
Nithya Shrinivasan	....	assistant art director
Charisse St. Amant	....	painter
Adam Tankell	....	graphic designer
Leslie A. Tokunaga	....	construction buyer
Jeffry C. Voorhees	....	set dresser
Randall D. Wilkins	....	set designer
Douglas Womack	....	construction coordinator
Christopher Woodworth	....	scenic supervisor
Alan Day	....	set dresser: reshoots (uncredited)

Sound Department
George H. Anderson	....	supervising sound editor (as George Anderson)
Chris Carpenter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Derek Casari	....	adr engineer
Chris Diamond	....	cable utility
Ryan Ferro	....	boom operator
Louis Hone	....	foley recording mixer
Scott Jacobs	....	boom operator
Jason W. Jennings	....	sound effects editor
Andy Koyama	....	sound re-recording mixer
Goro Koyama	....	foley artist
Julie Lindner	....	assistant adr editor
Andy Malcolm	....	foley artist
Anna Malkin	....	foley recording assistant
James Matheny	....	dialogue editor
Ken McLaughlin	....	production sound mixer
Bill Meadows	....	sound recordist
Frank D. Menges	....	sound mixer: second unit
Stephen Muir	....	foley recording assistant
Charleen Richards	....	adr mixer (as Charleen Richards-Steeves)
Philip Rogers	....	adr recordist
Roy Seeger	....	supervising foley editor
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer
Cherie Tamai	....	first assistant sound editor
Renee Tondelli	....	supervising adr editor
Don White	....	foley recording mixer

Special Effects by
John S. Baker	....	first unit supervisor
Tony Centonze	....	special effects foreman
Andy Clement	....	animatronic effects
Donald Krause	....	special effects technician
Josh Neugass	....	special effects technician
Clay Pinney	....	special effects supervisor
Joshua Pinney	....	special effects foreman
Arnold J. Verbiesen	....	special effects foreman

Visual Effects by
David D. Johnson	....	visual effects supervisor
Sean Kennedy	....	visual effects: Pacific Vision Productions
Steve Koch	....	digital artist
Kurt E. Soderling	....	visual effects cameraman

Stunts
Cass Asher	....	stunt double: Owen Wilson
Rick Avery	....	stunt double
Doug Coleman	....	stunt coordinator
Greg Fitzpatrick	....	stunt double: Ben Stiller
Ross Gallo	....	stunts
Charles Page	....	stunt double
Kerry Rossall	....	stunts
Bill Willens	....	precision driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Ambrose	....	gaffer: second unit
Dean Andolsek	....	gaffer: second unit
Dana Baker	....	grip
Melanie Banders	....	film loader
Renzo Bartolotta	....	rigging electrician
Tracy Bennett	....	still photographer
Clyde E. Bryan	....	first assistant camera: second camera
David R. Christensen	....	gaffer
Will Dearborn	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Tom Derose	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Frank Dorowsky	....	rigging gaffer
Ian Fox	....	camera operator
Samuel R. Harrison III	....	video assist operator
Rick Harris	....	key rigging grip
Matthew Haskins	....	additional second assistant camera
Michael J. Hogan	....	video assist operator
John Johnson	....	additional still photographer
Scott C. Keys	....	rigging electric best boy
Thom Lairson	....	key second assistant camera
Charles 'Woody' Lang	....	rigging foreman
Lonnie Leslie	....	grip
James M. McClure	....	dimmer board operator
Daisuke Dice Miyake	....	grip
Laurence Monier	....	rigging electrician
Richard Mosier	....	Steadicam assistant
Richard Mosier	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Travis Panarisi	....	electrician
Michael Pinkey	....	director of photography: second unit
Daniel R. Purinton	....	rigger
Andrew Rowlands	....	camera operator
Kurt E. Soderling	....	aerial director of photography (as Kurt Soderling)
Donald A. Spadoni	....	best boy rigging grip
James M. Sterba	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Joseph T. Terranova	....	lighting technician: additional photography
Les T. Tomita	....	key grip
Michael T. Travers	....	grip
Suzanne Trucks	....	second assistant camera
Bob Waers	....	rigging electrician
Chris Wagganer	....	video assist operator: second unit
Jerry Woodside	....	electrician

Casting Department
Vanessa Rodriguez	....	casting assistant
Pamela Lynn Thomas	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marisa Aboitiz	....	costume supervisor
Fran Allgood	....	set costumer
Jeanie Baker	....	set costumer
Lois DeArmond	....	assistant costume designer
Kendall Errair	....	costumer: Ms. Streisand
Jill Korengold	....	costumer: Dustin Hoffman
Marcie Olivi	....	costumer: Mr. DeNiro
Christine Wada	....	key costumer

Editorial Department
Craig Alpert	....	additional editor
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Ahmadu Garba	....	post-production assistant
Kelly Matsumoto	....	additional editor
Ray Neapolitan	....	assistant editor
Kurt Smith	....	color timer

Music Department
Mark Bensi	....	assistant music editor
Bryan Clements	....	scoring crew
Bruno Coon	....	composer: additional music
Bruno Coon	....	supervising music editor
Sandy DeCrescent	....	musician contractor
Mark Eshelman	....	scoring crew
Luana Jackman	....	vocal contractor
Greg Loskorn	....	scoring technician
Adam Michalak	....	score recordist
Jonathan Sacks	....	orchestrator
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Patrick Spain	....	score assistant engineer
Frank Wolf	....	score mixer
Frank Wolf	....	score recordist

Transportation Department
John A. Brubaker	....	transportation coordinator
Jack Carpenter	....	driver: camera car
David W. Dale	....	driver: Robert De Niro
Robert E. Dingle	....	driver
Glen Evans	....	driver: Ben Stiller
Troy Flynn	....	transportation
Adam Fox	....	driver: Dustin Hoffman
Joey Freitas	....	driver
J. Armin Garza II	....	driver: camera car
Rita Lundin	....	transportation
Marco Lupi	....	driver
Dennis McCarthy	....	picture car coordinator
A.J. Mink Jr.	....	driver
Jack Jay Reece	....	driver (as Jay Reece)
Fred Teague	....	driver
Steve D. Weinmuller	....	transportation captain
Richard Denson	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Natalie Alexander	....	adr voice
Netta Bank	....	representative: American Humane Association
Dawn Barkan	....	head animal trainer
Julie Benson	....	personal assistant: Dustin Hoffman
Jeff Berger	....	assistant: Jane Rosenthal
Laura Berman	....	consultant: sex therapy
Brian Bird	....	key assistant location manager
Oren Bonen	....	assistant: Robert De Niro
Calvin Callaway	....	production assistant
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot
Tony Cicola	....	photo double: Ben Stiller
Brett Coady	....	assistant: Mr. DeNiro
Derek Cole	....	production assistant
Rebecca Feldman	....	second assistant accountant
Jaroslava Fernandez	....	special effects contact lens technician
Wilma Garscadden-Gahret	....	script supervisor
Eric Glasser	....	production assistant
Rick Granville	....	production secretary
Barrett Gregory	....	production assistant
Michael A. Heath	....	asset manager
Kevin Lane Hummel	....	assistant location manager
Nicki Johnson	....	assistant production coordinator
Perry M. Kimura	....	digital scanning and recording
Hannah Kozak	....	assistant location manager
Marisa Lederman	....	assistant baby wrangler
Marisa Lederman	....	baby production assistant
Brigette Lester	....	production coordinator
Andrew Lipschultz	....	unit publicist
Scott Allen Logan	....	key location manager
Michael B. Louis	....	assistant location manager
Cody Lutz	....	script assistant
Marlene Marks	....	payroll accountant
Ryan McCormick	....	assistant: Mr. Roach
Michael Morgenthal	....	production accountant
Tim Nagasawa	....	office production assistant
Kyle Oliver	....	assistant location manager (as Kyle 'Snappy' Oliver)
Denis O'Sullivan	....	production assistant
John Polce	....	stand-in: Robert DeNiro
Denise Anderson Poore	....	key set production assistant
Keith Potter	....	personal assistant: Dustin Hoffman
Stephen Richards	....	additional production assistant
Gail Rose	....	first assistant accountant
Marissa Schwierjohn	....	alligator wrangler
Rhonda Sherman	....	baby wrangler
Rhonda Sherman	....	studio teacher
Billy Slaughter	....	stand-in: Dustin Hoffman
Douglas J. Stewart	....	textile artist
Anthea Strangis	....	assistant accountant
Summer Valdes	....	production assistant
Richard Lilly	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Seth Marshall	....	assistant: Robert De Niro (uncredited)
Melissa Milo	....	assistant: Mr. De Niro (uncredited)
Peter F. Tegan	....	photo double: Robert DeNiro (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures
• DreamWorks SKG
• Tribeca Productions
• Everyman Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (2004) (USA) (all media)
• DreamWorks Distribution (2004) (non-USA) (all media)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2005) (Italy) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (2007) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2005) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2005) (Germany) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Creative Character Engineering (CCE) (animatronic effects)
• Pacific Vision Productions (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Birds & Animals Unlimited  animals provided by (as Birds & Animals Unlimited)
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Deluxe Digital Studios  transfer
• Footsteps Post-Production Sound  foley recording
• Jo Anne Kane Music Services  music preparation (as JoAnn Kane Music Services)
• Movie Movers  trailers (uncredited)
• Movie Movers  transportation (uncredited)
• Pacific Vision Productions  titles
• Playback Technologies  24-frame video playback (as Playback Technologies Inc.)
• Runway  post-production
• Sessions Payroll Management  extras payroll services
• Signet Sound Studio  rhythm sessions recorded at (as Signet Sound)
• Sony Scoring Stage  orchestra recorded at (as Sony Pictures Scoring Stage)
• Technicolor  color timing
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack released by

Also Known As:

Meet the Fokkers (USA) (working title)
Meet the Parents 2 (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language and a brief drug reference.

Runtime:

115 min | Turkey:106 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

UK:12 (video rating) (2005) | UK:12A (original rating) | Taiwan:R-12 | Indonesia:Dewasa | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Germany:6 | Iceland:L | Malaysia:18SX | Malaysia:U (cut) | Venezuela:PG-13 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:Btl | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-11 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:12A | Netherlands:12 | Norway:7 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The MPAA would not allow the movie to use the title unless they found a family with the name "Focker".

Goofs:

Continuity: During Jack's massage, his head is alternately on/off the headrest between shots.

Quotes:

Greg Focker: Hey, Dad, you shouldn't take Moses into the RV. Jack and Dina have a cat.
Bernie Focker: Oh, Moses is fine. He's perfectly trained.
Greg Focker: Dad, he humps everything that moves.
Roz Focker: [Laughing] He's like your father!
Bernie Focker: I never cheated on you!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Extras: Ben Stiller (#1.1)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Going Up the Country

An extension of the original film done bigger but to lesser effect

Firmly part of the circle of trust, Greg Focker is planning his marriage to Dina and has put off a big family get together for as long as he can. With no further excuses, Greg and Dina join Pam and Jack as they take their RV down to Florida to meet the Focker family. With an eye very much on his bloodline, Jack is keen to judge his future son-in-law by his parents, which spells problems when he finds himself living with two very liberal and touchy-feely Fockers.

I'm in my thirties now and it probably is not very impressive that I can put words together in a basic sentence. Whereas for a two year old it might be a real surprise if they were to discuss their opinions on political matters as such with you. What is the difference? Well it is simply one of expectation. Coming to the subject of films, expectation can often make or break a film, with perhaps a poor Pauly Shore movie being better received by viewers than a poor Spielberg film partly because you expect that standard from the former but more from the latter. So it does help this film that with the very title you are informed that you are not about to witness the sharpest of comedies.

With this in mind I went in with a forgiving eye, just hoping for laughs but I was not really prepared for how most of the film is unimaginative and base. In the first film we had Greg contrast with stern father Jack and hilarity ensues; here we have the same setup again but this time Greg is replaced as a device by his parents. What this means is that the film essentially aims at the same low targets as the first film and mostly hits them. To avoiding being too boorish on this subject I will admit that moments are funny and that the casting was a nice try but mostly I just found it obvious and dull. Toilet humour, a retread of the CIA stuff and so on supposedly provide the comedy while the drama is the same superficial relationship stuff as before.

The cast mostly do their best to try and lift it. Stiller mugs along well enough but the real fun (such as it is) comes from De Niro and Hoffman. The former more or less just does his stuff again but is enjoyable enough, while the latter is at least having fun with a silly character. Streisand and Polo have lesser roles but still have a bit of fun, while poor Danner is just a plot device to try and the give the film some sort of centre. Cameos from Wilson and Nelson don't add much to proceedings and don't even get me starting on the annoying Pickren twins who are not only irritating but made more irritating by the way the film overuses them, apparently in the belief that "Little Jack" is funny and/or cute when really he is neither. Roach's direction is nothing short of pedestrian – even the choice of theme music is obvious and easy.

Overall then this is a film that people who really liked the first film will enjoy. Those that just "liked" it may find that they didn't like it enough to watch it twice, which is what is happening here. The cast play it up as much as they can but really this is just an extension of the original idea done bigger but to lesser effect.