The Thing About My Folks is the kind of film that was born to premiere on HBO. Why it got a theatrical release, and only to be shown in so few theaters, is beyond me. It's the kind of film where the cast is stellar, but the performances aren't as much (With the exception of Peter Falk). It's the kind of film where the story is interesting, yet in a theater it would have a hard time keeping people awake and interested. It's the kind of movie that should be seen, but probably won't. That's a shame. It's nowhere near being a perfect film, but it's good in it's own way.

The premise of the film is that Peter Falk plays Paul Rieser's dad. One night Falk comes over Reiser's house saying that his wife (Rieser's mother) has left him and has no clue where she has gone. With Falk having no place else to go, and Rieser's four sisters and wife controlling the search for his mother, the two go up in the New York country where Reiser was supposed to go to look at a house for his family.

Due to a car accident, and the purchasing of a 1940 Ford, the two set out on a road trip doing things together we assume they have never done before, such as going fly fishing, watching a baseball game and getting drunk.

The two mostly end up discussion the realtionship between Falk and his wife (Olympia Dukakis), and ways that things could've been different.

That's the simplest way of describing the story without giving too much away. For instance, the last third of the film is devoted to why Reiser's mother disappears, and what ends up happening in the relationship between Falk and Dukakis. That I won't give away.

The one thing that affected me after watching the film, is the emotional impact it had on me. It wasn't a big impact, but you could tell that this is most likely autobiographical for Reiser and is a form of carthasis dealing with the entire situation (He did afterall write the film). Therefor, there is a certain underlined power within the writing. Cheesy at some points? Yes, but overall effective. Is that the sole reason to rent or watch the film on cable though? No, the reason to see the film begins and ends with Peter Falk.

Peter Falk is the heart and soul of the movie. Without a performance like the one he gives, this is just one 95 minute, boring melodrama. Don't get me wrong, the film's major fault is that it is too melodramatic at times with the music, and the "old" footage from the 50s, but that doesn't make or break the film. Falk's performance single handeldly gives the film a heart and a purpose. The relationship between Dukakis and Falk, although brief is very effective and at times heartbreaking.

So, do I think you should go out and by the film immediately? No, I think you would be wasting your money, just like if you saw this film in theaters. But if you see it on Pay-Per-View or HBO, it's worth a look for Falk's performance and Reiser's screenplay. That saying though, there are some "sappy" moments. THAT! saying though, the film is worth the effort. To use Yahoo's words, it's flawed, but worthy.

C+