Directed by: Laura Terruso
Starring: Sebastian Maniscalco, Robert De Niro, Leslie Bibb, David Rasche, Kim Cattrall, Anders Holm, Brett Dier
About My Father is a mashup of Meet the Parents meets Wedding Crashers. Based on the comedy of co-writer and star Sebastian Maniscalco, About My Father stars Maniscalco as, well, Sebastian Maniscalco, a hotel manager (not a stand-up comedian) who wants to marry Ellie (Bibb), an artist from a wealthy family. Her parents, hotelier Bill (Rasche) and United States Senator Tigger (not the tiger from Winnie the Pooh) want to meet Sebastian, who thinks that would be the perfect time to propose once he wins her parents over. Problem is, Sebastian's old-school Sicilian hairdresser father Salvo (De Niro) wants to tag along because he doesn't want to be alone for the July 4th holiday, which mortifies Sebastian because his father is a gruff, no-nonsense, stubborn man stuck in his ways who likely won't mesh with Ellie's conservative parents.
We have Sebastian in the Ben Stiller role and De Niro not in the "dad he wants to impress" role. As far as rich parents go, Bill and Tigger aren't very stuffy or unwelcoming. They're pretty nice and after a while, Salvo and the parents are getting along splendidly with Sebastian gnashing his teeth because he feels Salvo is embarrassing him especially when he cooks an Italian dish of pasta and peacock (which of course the family thinks is chicken and delicious). It soon becomes apparent the only issues here are the ones Maniscalco is creating in his head.
There isn't much in About My Father which isn't predictable, but it has some sweetness to it and DeNiro delivers with gusto in a role he could perform in his sleep. Maniscalco and Bibb make a convincing, loving couple while Rasche and Cattrall aren't the kind of people Maniscalco should be worried about pleasing. Robert DeNiro from Meet the Parents, they ain't.
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