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Meet the Parents, the inaugural movie in a billion-dollar comedy trilogy, redefined Robert De Niro's career by showcasing his comedic talent and cemented Ben Stiller's status as a Hollywood leading man. Celebrating its 15th anniversary, here are some fascinating details about the film that you can't simply milk for laughs.
1. IT'S BASED ON A 1992 INDIE FILM.
Back in 1992, Greg Glienna and Mary Ruth Clarke wrote, starred in, and produced Meet the Parents, a compact 75-minute indie film directed by Glienna on a shoestring budget of roughly $100,000. After struggling to secure a distributor, they eventually sold the rights to Universal Studios.
2. JIM CARREY SUGGESTED THE SURNAME "FOCKER."
During the film's early stages, Jim Carrey was slated to play Greg, with Steven Spielberg as the director. It was during these discussions that Carrey proposed the idea of giving the protagonist the last name "Focker." After Carrey and Spielberg exited the project, the studio approached Jay Roach, the director of Austin Powers, to take over.
3. JAY ROACH FELT "TERRIFIED" ABOUT DIRECTING THE MOVIE.
Roach was nervous about pitching the project to both Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller. Stiller believed Roach was feigning his anxiety, but Roach insists he was genuinely scared. "I don’t think it was a tactic," Roach shared with Entertainment Weekly. "I wanted them to see how terrified I was. I’m terrible at pretending."
4. NAOMI WATTS TRIED OUT MULTIPLE TIMES FOR THE ROLE OF PAM.
"I believe the director was fond of me, but the studio wasn’t convinced," Watts revealed to The Daily Beast regarding her numerous auditions for the film. "I received every kind of feedback imaginable, and in this instance, it was that I wasn’t 'sexy enough.'" Ultimately, Teri Polo was cast in the role.
5. STILLER POPPED THE QUESTION TO HIS GIRLFRIEND WHILE FILMING.
Stiller proposed to Christine Taylor while he was preparing for Meet the Parents. "I sought her father’s blessing beforehand," Stiller shared with Parade. "It felt like a real-life version of Meet the Parents, since Christine’s father, who runs a security company, is quite imposing. We’re close now, but back then, I was in his basement rec room saying, 'I’d really like to marry your daughter' ... He’s a man of few words, but he was very kind. Honestly, I was more nervous asking him than asking her."
6. THE INITIAL OPENING SCENE WAS DEEMED TOO COSTLY TO SHOOT.
The movie’s original opening featured Greg proposing to Pam during a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, which ended in disaster. To cut costs (the film had a $55 million budget), the failed proposal was relocated to a school setting.
7. THE LIE DETECTOR SCENE WAS DE NIRO'S IDEA.
While preparing for a role, De Niro studied polygraph examiners and shared his findings with Roach during a pre-production dinner. "The script didn’t originally include a lie detector scene," Roach explained to Entertainment Weekly. "But after hearing De Niro’s insights, I knew it had to be part of the film. It’s now the centerpiece of all the marketing, from trailers to posters." The detail about Jack Byrnes being ex-CIA was present in the script from the start.
8. GREG'S CHARACTER WAS INSPIRED BY DUSTIN HOFFMAN'S ROLE IN THE GRADUATE.
Jim Herzfeld, one of the two screenwriters for Meet the Parents, alongside John Hamburg, envisioned Greg as a misunderstood figure, similar to Benjamin Braddock from The Graduate. (Interestingly, Dustin Hoffman, who played Braddock, was later cast as Greg’s father, Bernie Focker, in the 2004 sequel, Meet the Fockers.)
9. THE PHARMACY IN THE FILM REMAINED OPEN DURING SHOOTING.
For a scene featuring Stiller and a pharmacy cashier (portrayed by Judah Friedlander), the production team used a functioning pharmacy. Between takes, the real cashiers would assist customers, stepping aside only when filming resumed to avoid being caught on camera. "It might have been a legal requirement to keep the pharmacy open," Friedlander remarked. "It added to the chaos, but the scene was a blast since it was largely improvised, which is my favorite way to work."
10. BLYTHE DANNER DREW INSPIRATION FROM GRACIE ALLEN.
Blythe Danner, who is Gwyneth Paltrow’s mother in real life, modeled her portrayal of Dina Byrnes after Gracie Allen, the comedic partner and wife of George Burns.
11. THE NAME "FOCKER" NEARLY GOT ALTERED.
The MPAA initially objected to the use of the surname "Focker" unless the filmmakers could prove it was a real last name. (They presumably succeeded in doing so.)
12. TWO CATS PORTRAYED MR. JINX.
The Byrnes’ cherished feline was played by two five-year-old Himalayans, Bailey and Misha. De Niro became particularly fond of the cats, carrying kibble in his pocket to keep them nearby during filming.
13. THE FILM INSPIRED A CAT TOILET-TRAINING INVENTION.
After watching Meet the Parents, Jo Lapidge and her husband, Terry, developed Litter Kwitter, a device designed to train cats to use the toilet. (The product includes plastic rings that fit over the toilet seat, with the hole gradually increasing in size until the rings are no longer necessary.) However, the cats on set weren’t actually toilet-trained.
14. GREG’S AIRPLANE RANT IS CENSORED ON FLIGHTS.
If you’re watching Meet the Parents during a flight, the airplane scene will be missing. It was removed from the in-flight version.
15. ROACH INTENTIONALLY MADE STILLER FEEL UNEASY.
Stiller disliked the outfits he wore in the film, and Roach used this to his advantage, ensuring the actor felt as awkward as his character.
