Up All Night Review: Meet the Parents
Chris O'Hara
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Reagan tried to avoid them. But carpe diem Chris was having none of that on Up All Night's "Parents," leading viewers toward a revealing look at Reagan's upbringing.
Blythe Danner and Richard Schif were brilliantly cast. The one-two critical nature of their parenting punches was enough to make anyone hope Sports Illustrated had predicted an early death for the duo. Right from the start they clicked together as a couple, as Angie awkwardly kissed Reagan on the lips and Dean questioned Chris' feelings about mother/daughter affection.
The writers also wasted no time effectively establishing the tension between mother and daughter. From Angie's compulsive fixing of Reagan's hair, to the more absurd yet hilarious discussion of naming one's genitals, the whole lot of it was quite entertaining. It was especially fun to see Danner be an overbearing parent for a change, after playing the more cool-headed partner opposite Robert De Niro in the Meet the Parents franchise.
Angie remarked at one point how someone had approached her on the street to let her know her book had been life changing. I thought it funny and no accident that Reagan now works for, and is essentially in charge of, Ava whose self-absorbed nature closely resembles that of her friend's mother. Not surprisingly, Ava loved Angie's book and her story about her own mom - who lives on a house boat - followed by her suggestions as to what to name Amy's "lady garden." All hilarious.
I was so upset when she cut off singing her tribute to Dale just as she was reaching the crescendo, but Missy's U-4-ic video was the real star.
After two weeks away from our happy couple, I was missing Reagan and Chris. As we get little glimpses of their past, I found myself being more endeared to them as characters. I totally related to Chris as he tried to cut the tension at the dinner table by blurting out that his parents only talk about football and Regis.
Up All Night is dialing in nicely just how much absurdity it can squeeze into an episode without losing the sentimentality that comes with all the real-life parenting scenarios. The chemistry among all the characters is there and it is real. Loving it!
