'The Parenting' Movie Review

0:00 Well, guess what, the dog dies and of intro. Hi. Welcome to a bite of today we're talking about the parenting. I'm Derek that's Noah and things are about to get gay Ampy Romkami scary Adzi think that's about it and Parker Posey EE. Yeah, that is true. I mean, this is the cast. I'm very interested to talk about this because we did not really talk to each other about this movie after seeing it. So before we get into the movie, do all the the normal things, subscribe, leave a like comment, follow whatever. It's all down below it.

0:43 There's going to be a thing. Follow us at blah blah, blah, you know, But spoilers ahead for the gay agenda, for the parenting, for, I don't know, ROM coms in general. But yeah, if you haven't seen it, go watch it. It's a crisp I worn 30 minutes. So let us officially take a bite of the parenting. Written by Kent Sublett and directed by Craig Johnson. Rohan and Josh plan the perfect weekend in the perfect Airbnb to finally have their parents meet for the perfect proposal. Unfortunately for them, the place is haunted and the demon that resides there needs a perfect host to escape. So what did you think, my dear husband? OK, so instead of just saying what I think I'm going to do like a grading thing, right?

1:27 OK, so as you said, the the setup, right, we did the amouge bouche. This is what the movie is about a A for setup, right? Then we have this cast. OK, we have Brian Cox, Eddie Falco, Lisa Kudrow, Dean Norris, Parker Ozzy A A+ for the cast. Now, horror and comedy, this is where I am usually a little hesitant for these types of movies because sometimes it goes one or the other. It's very rare we get like, Shaun of the Dead, Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, Scary Movie. So did this really balance those two? I don't think so.

2:11 But I will say I had a good time. Yeah. Like, I didn't hate it. Like I wouldn't mind putting this on while I'm like, folding laundry. Yeah, I think as far as horomety is is concerned, I think that they had both of those elements in here. I do think that sometimes the transition from 1:00 to the other felt a little clunky, like they're just was like, oh, we're serious again. Oh, we're being heartfelt right now. So I agree in that sense. But I also agree that I think it was just a really good time, made me laugh, had a couple of good jump scares. So I don't think we can deny it that. Yeah, I there is a question of like the queerness of it, right? Like because the difference with this, it's like meet parents also like haunted house, but like make it gay, right. I very interested in that premise because it's very rare that we get good queer movies that represent like that family meeting the family aspect within also horror. It does feel like a streaming movie. Like it's like straight to streaming. Like you get that feeling?

3:16 I mean, I think for what it was, it was fine, right? I didn't go into it thinking that it was going to be like the Last of Us level practical makeup or anything like that. But I think that you're right. It it felt like a streaming, I feel like back in the day there used to be made for TV movies, right? But now there's just like streaming movies. And so maybe the budget isn't as big, maybe the storyline isn't as intense, but I think that there's the entertainment factor there. And I think that's where we come into things like, you know, Ghosted, one of our favorite movies that has ever existed, and some of the other like lighter ROM coms that we have. I just want to put that out there, Ghosted is not one of our favorite movies. You can also listen slash watch a review on that. Yeah, for our true feelings about ghosted and how we would have ghosted it, Please watch.

4:03 So I think that for what it was meant to be, it delivered. Yeah, I mean, yes, fair. I, I, I have OK. So I wouldn't say this cast was wasted. I think if this cast wasn't here, the movie wouldn't have been good because if we have our two, our two leading men here, right? I think they were fine. There wasn't anything really that they brought to these roles that was different. I feel like everybody almost was like safe in their roles. These two leads, the parents and Parker Posey, were the best part of this movie. Yeah. I think when you think of kind of the trajectory that queer movies, queer ROM coms have gone on, right back in the day, they always felt very much like straight to video, straight to DVD.

4:50 Parker Posey was always there kind of holding the mask for us, leading us there. So I think it's nice to see that we have a queer film. At least our leads here are queer, but the rest of the past is stacked. And I think that's what kind of feels most important to me is that they were willing to bring these heavy hitters, these comedy legends on here. Parker Posey still there. But now we're kind of giving it to. Yeah. They could have played the parents in, you know, what was that like Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon thing that came out where it was like on an Amazon Prime or something. So it's like. But that was a straight couple. So it's nice to see we're getting those powerhouse actors in what could have been a sweep under the rug. We are ROM com, you know, so I appreciate that. Yeah, I think that the queer side of it, again, it's not bringing anything.

5:38 You know who I actually kind of was like this is like odd choice was the friend Sarah. She felt very like 2000s like hag friend, you know, which it it only irritated me in the way of like, OK, like, of course there's this friend, right. And like she ruined the proposal. She she was there for laughs and stuff like that. But like, I almost feel like we didn't need it. And not to say the actor isn't good just from a story perspective. And so I think the writer in here, what was the writer? Kent Sublett, he was a writer for SNL for like 17 years. And you can kind of feel some of that in there. But it was interesting to like, get some of these, like, really like, laugh out loud moments and then like a weird fart joke in there.

6:22 I'm like, this is very SNL, Yeah, level of like jokes and structuring, you know? I agree about the friend Sarah. I think that she actually wasn't written well. I think like you're saying, she was very much a stock character, just kind of like that crazy drunk straight girl that shows up at the gay thing. And so we could have had some better representation there. I just said it was the writing, but was it also the actor? But did the actor not have a lot to work with? I just think that that character out of this entire ensemble was like the person that didn't necessarily need to be there. Yeah, I that's, I think that's what I was trying to get with, with the characters almost being safe in the roles. It's like you were going to be the straight best friend of these gay couple, play that character. You're going to be this guy that lost his job, but as a songwriter isn't good at it.

7:12 Typical straight white guy, you know what I mean? So it's like, yeah, and or a gay white guy. Yeah, and even the parents themselves, right. It was kind of like the archetype of the rich Snooty parents and then like the down to earth zany parents. And so, yeah, I think that. That's the Meet the Parents formula, which I think can work and it's not bad. I just feel like we've seen it, you know, it's safe. But it was gay. But it was gay. So what do you think of that twist on the Meet the Parents storyline? I thought it was fine. I did think it was interesting that our Rohan's parents were white. Not that we have to get into that, but it was almost like, OK, like, was it just so they could get Eddie Falco in there and Brian Cox?

7:58 You know what I mean? And then it was like he was adopted. Not that we need to go into that, but it was like, OK, that's that was a weird choice to do to like just have like a person of color but have their parents white. So it's like all the parents are white. I mean, I I always am excited to see Eddie Falco on my screen, and the same with Lisa Kudrow. So I don't know, like it. It was wonderful to see them. But yeah, I think, you know, maybe it was a thing of the cast was just right and that's what they went with. I wonder if that was originally written in the script that he was adopted. You know, I mean, the seeing Edie Falco, like on the toilet, being embarrassed, hilarious. Seeing Brian Cox say all these like, homophobic slurs were completely naked, amazing. Lisa Kudrow and her crazy noodles, also amazing. So it's like those beats were so good that like the flaws, like the little flaws that you see is like, OK, I can get past this, you know?

8:54 Yeah. Did the horror work for you and it did you think it was like 80% kind of ROM com and like little bit of horror or like what was the level for you? I think the horror work for me, I thought it was AI mean this is the first kind of film like this starring queer characters that I've ever seen. So I would be interested in more if anybody else has any recommendations. So I was willing to give myself over to all that and I thought that some of the horror stuff it because it wasn't like our horror to me, right? It was like campy 80s haunted house horror, right? It's like we didn't get one projectile vomiting scene. We got 2 projectile vomiting scenes. Quite.

9:35 Large. Yes, crazy noodles, whatever else. That was one of the moments that I laughed out loud when the dad was vomiting on Josh. It was just so funny because it was ridiculous. I almost wanted it to go more. Like it felt like. Well, no. Yeah, but more camp, you know, Or more like outrageous. I felt like it just needed a little more teeth in one or the other. And like, what do you think could have done that? I don't know, like, I, I think either like, OK, so the, the moment with Rohan's father, Brian Cox, when he's fully possessed by the demon, I thought some of that work was really interesting. I felt like that almost was the best writing in in the movie with him talking to himself, talking to the demon and just the camera work with that.

10:20 But when they're all sitting down for breakfast and he like starts cutting Josh, like those moments, I was actually like like, oh, that's almost what I wanted. Like to balance the like absurd comedy with like actual visceral horror. I get the camp of it, but it almost was like safe camp. I keep using that word, but that's what I feel like it was like, OK, because we have Parker Posey's character that like was the one that like did they Airbnb and wanted people to send the demon and get them out? We got that. But like then she did that annoying thing of literally telling them what she was doing. It was like, OK, it was funny to see her with braces, but like kind of annoying. The villain has the monologue.

11:02 Sarah found the box. She was almost there, you know, It was just like, safe. Yes, safe. I also love a box clearly marked with all the answers in it, the witchcraft books still in there for them to find you. Might as well just say in case of demon please open this box. Need this for plot point. Take all, you know, things that are in here and read them. Yeah, I I see that. And I think that you're right. The parts where Brian Cox is literally slashing Josh was really kind of scary and. Floating. Yeah, I, I, I do think though that like from a just for the greater sort of ROM com side of the plot, there is too much packed in here.

11:46 As homosexuals, we are not going to have our parents meet at the same time of one of us proposing to the other and also not even have met our partner yet. Like Rohan's parents really hadn't met Josh? No, and Rohan was going to propose to Josh and then Rohan's parents also needed to meet Josh's parents. Well, and I think that's where like it almost feels overstuffed in a way, the balancing it does seem like. I feel like we're doing a lot of these genre blending films lately. So it's like, did it blend it well? I think it to a point. But when you set things up like that, they could have easily have met before. Like there was no reason for them to meet them for the first time. While I do find that their first interaction and like meeting each other was really awkward and that's the meet the parents side of like that's why meet the parents was successful. Like this was awkward.

12:39 Everybody can relate to it, but then it forgot about some of that. It kind of glazed over it and it was like pushed to the side to then do the demon stuff. Like there, there could have easily been a line of Edie Falco going, oh great, Tatty's here with her crazy fucking noodles. Oh, your noodles. Like they know it. They've been there before. They've had this experience. Yeah. And again, like, I don't think like, we're asking for like Oscar worthy, like writing and performances. And not every movies going to be like, perfect. Every movie has its flaws. But like, I do think there are some interesting choices of like, was it like patchworked? Was the story going to be different initially? It's almost our job to be like, that line kind of just fell. Yeah.

13:21 Like it doesn't connect. I think that there's also a piece of me though, that it's just like, but it's queer. I think, like I said, the gay agenda, we're always pushing it, right? And I think that is something that we always hope is good because for so long we did get really bad queer movies. It is nice to see more of them and to have some type of budget to have actors of this caliber in them. You know, we got stuff like red, white and warm blue. We got Heart Stopper now. It's great, but I think now we can be a little more like, hey guys, like we can do good. Stories There's another movie that came out quite a few years ago.

14:02 It's called Adam and Steve Parker Posey's in that she plays kind of the straight friends to the one of the main characters and it's hilarious and I remember seeing it. I watched it with my mom. We were like, we wish more people knew about this movie because it's so funny. It was so well done, but it probably had a very limited release and I think when we saw it, it was just like on demand on HBO or something like that. Well, look at like just the history of like shows and stuff that had the first queer kiss and like how much funding and advertising and stuff gets pulled. And it's like, I still think people are a little scared to do something like that. But you know, Parker Posey is always going to be there cheering him on and being in these roles. Like I'd love that. This recently we're getting like a Josie and the Pussycats like resurgence because we have Alan Cumming with the traitors and we have Parker Posey and White Lotus and the parenting. She was also in what was it, Mr.

14:55 and Missus Smith? Oh, yeah, yeah, that's right. And then but Rosario Dawson was in oh, she and just in Daredevil few years ago. And so we need, we need where, what's her name? Tara. I don't remember those people. I just remember Alan Cumming and Parker. Posey, where's Rachel Lee Cook? But I'm talking about ones that had movement stuff this year. We should just have a full put Josie and the Pussycats resurgence. I would want them to just do a sequel. Tara Reid I just remembered it from American Pie fame. So as far as the campy stuff in this, do you think that it was too campy or do you think it kind of met the level of camp that was acceptable?

15:37 I think both oddly. Like, if I can say that, like, again, it's fun. It's a movie that like, well, there's like people hanging out, but we're going to be chatting, maybe put this on or something like that. This is a fun movie. I think a safe movie to show your parents that, like, are like, OK with being with you being queer or queer people, But like, it's fine. Like, it's digestible for straight people as well. Yeah. I think it could have been more campy or less. Here's an interesting pop point that I don't know if it necessarily goes into camp, but something I just thought of so. What is Camp? What? Is camp. What's never explained is the fact that Parker Posey's character has a magic snow globe that can create a Blizzard around the house. It also is never explained why she has like 2 wigs on. She's just cuckoo.

16:26 She was, I hate to say not, I hate to say this, but like she was the funniest part of this movie. Every time she was on screen I was like, thank God no, it's just fun. Absolutely. But not Brian Cox's haunted boner that, apparently. Brian Cox's cock. I thought that was fine, like it was funny, but. You know, I always think like, what's the new? Like whenever a movie comes out that's campy and has like some sort of outrageous sexual comedy in it, it's like, what's the next thing we could possibly do, right? And so like, you know, American Pie is obviously having sex with an apple pie and whatever, you know, there's something about Mary is the gel in the hair. So for this, it was like, not only did we get reference to a haunted boner or a demonic boner actually, but also there's the part where there's a demon dog and they have to stick their finger up its butt to save Lisa Kudra.

17:19 And see, I think like when you put them out there like that, it's like you can tell somebody from SNL wrote this, you know what I mean? Like, I'm not saying that's bad. It's just like, no, I probably wouldn't have thought. How do I stop this demon dog from biting Lisa Kudrow? Oh, stick my finger up at the butt. Yeah. But I think that like it needs things like that. Yes, right. We need new interesting gross out beats. We need more fingers and butts. And that's the podcast, everyone so. I think, but I think that kind of what's the the pin in it of what I was saying, like almost both like I think that it wasn't enough camping or too much camp because like moments like that great, but then like there's like fart jokes, you know what I mean?

18:00 It was almost like they couldn't pick a lane for like camp and humor and they just wanted to do like all of it. You know, I also was like just kind of like either go like real outrageous or more, I don't know, you know, I just wanted it to be better, but I liked it. I do think the one gross out thing for me was that fart. I don't think I needed the fart. The vomit, Yes. You know the boner. Yes. Yeah. You know the the funny scene of them all laying in bed thinking they're all having sex, moving. Meanwhile, it's just the ghost bashing its head against the wall. Fantastic. Perfect, you know. I felt like they could have gone far, gone further with it, but it was fine. Boners.

18:42 Yeah, I mean, poor, also poor Pomeranians, you know, just getting the literal shit end of the stick in this movie. But you know the two of them. Survived. Yes. As mentioned at the beginning of this episode, there are four dogs in this movie. Kate, 88, is delightful. One of them does die. One of the Pomeranians dies. Can I say something that also really bugged me about this movie? Speaking of the dogs, where the fuck was Kate during the whole movie? A. 100 Very good point. She just came in sometimes. And like Kate, you're not going to protect them from these little poofs. Slur, slur like slur. I meant like these dogs that are poofy. Oh, my God.

19:25 Oh my God. Yeah, I agree. Well, Kate, Kate kind of was just there to be like the angry step kid, you know, of the couple. But yeah, I agree. Where was Kate? I mean, I'm glad Kate wasn't around because I don't think I could have handled Kate getting flattened by a giant Bureau. She wouldn't have. Yeah, yeah. And also that's another plot point that we didn't really like get much explanation that just Lisa Kudrow happened to be dog sitting three dogs of her friend. Yeah, why not? Yeah, I guess. Well, again, that's I think that's what I'm saying with this, is that they just wrote things in it to have a joke, you know, where it just didn't naturally make sense. Like why couldn't it have just been her dogs?

20:05 Right. Maybe Lisa Kudrow's character wouldn't have been able to really get past one of her own dogs being murdered. I don't know, maybe she she just could hate them, but she still has them. That's true. I feel like she could have done that. Also, one of the running gags in this that I liked was Lisa Kudrow cussing and then being like, oh that's not me, that's not me. But she would keep doing it so good. Between our parent leads, who do you think was the strongest? The women, yeah, I I think again, Brian Cox, phenomenal actor, very funny. Dennis also very funny, but yeah, I mean, Lisa Kudrow and Edie Falco, come on. Yeah, No, no competition. Who's Dennis?

20:49 Did I say Dennis? Yeah. Cliff Dean. Dean Norris. Dean Norris. What did you think of Rohan and Josh as characters and romantic leads in this? I, I mean, I think I kind of said it of like, they're fine. They didn't they were stereotypical gays. You know, I, I felt like, you know, he had the, the, the tight shirt. They were playing Dua Lipa when we first meet them, you know, like they were, they were fine. I don't know there's. Some of us wear sweatshirts, right? Hollywood. He did change. That's true. Yeah, I mean, they're fine, I think. What's Josh? Brandon Flynn.

21:29 What's his name? It was from 13 Reasons Why, So I hadn't seen him in a while. I don't really know what he's doing outside of that. The actor that plays Rohan, I don't think I've really seen him in anything before. I thought they were fine, but you know, if it wasn't for these parents, I don't think the movie would be as good. There was one funny, 1 funny moment I think between them when the ghost is in the corner of the room and Rohan sees it and Josh gets up and he's like, Oh no, doesn't even see it and he just runs away. I was like, that's really funny because I would do that. I I'd like to believe I would jump into action. I would. Would you remember when Dallas fell in the pool? That is true. Jumped in the pool to save her. I didn't, but I tried. You did try.

22:12 Yeah, I hurt my thumb, Yeah. OK, so final thoughts. I didn't say watch it, it's a good time. I would say skip it, definitely check it out. If we don't watch these types of movies, we won't get these types of movies anymore. An hour and 30 minutes fun time. You know, that's my, I would give it like three stars. Yeah, I would give it three stars as well. I think that this is like the perfect movie for just like a week. Night viewing, just hanging out, nothing serious going on. Being real gay. Yeah, changed homosexual watching a homosexual movie with my homosexual husband. Real gay old time. Yeah, but again, I, like I said before, I, and I think kind of to the essence of what you're saying is like, I'm here for a queer representation with a star-studded cast with two male leads at the center of a ROM com, you know?

23:00 And so was it the best thing I've ever seen? No. But it was a lot of fun and I think it delivered what it wanted to. There's one that's coming out soon called Good Indian Boy. I believe that is another queer ROM com. Very excited for that. It looks a little more serious but comedy as well. So it's going to be fun to compare compare the two. And I think they're getting a theatrical release, right? Yeah. I don't. Not sure if it's limited or not, but yeah, yeah, I would definitely look up the trailer for that if you see it. Of course. What's his face? Wait, is it Matt Bomer or Jonathan Groff? Jonathan Groff. They look the same. You're honest. And all the gays they but one. Together than the other.

23:42 One's a king. Oh yeah. One spitty. Same same one. All right, well, thanks for hanging out. Be gay. Watch more gay stuff. Yeah, while we're still allowed to have these movies in our country, let's support them. OK, till next. Time bye.