Film Review: ABOUT MY FATHER (2023): Robert De Niro is on Familiar Turf in a Well-Meaning and Sincere Comedy

About My Father Review

About My Father (2023) Film Review, a movie directed by Laura Terruso, written by Austen Earl and Sebastian Maniscalco and starring Robert De Niro, Sebastian Maniscalco, Leslie Bibb, Kim Cattrall, David Rasche, Anders Holm, Brett Dier, Adan James Carrillo, Henry Pao, Laura Alt, Jessie Camacho, Andrea Garnett, Carla Christina Contreras and Michael Stuart.

Director Laura Terruso’s Robert De Niro vehicle, About My Father, is actually a Sebastian Maniscalco affair more than a De Niro one. Maniscalco was recently a supporting player in Somewhere in Queens and did a good job hiding in the background of that recent Ray Romano movie. Now, he’s in the limelight and gets his moment to really shine playing opposite De Niro in a by-the-numbers story in the vein of De Niro’s own Meet the Parents trilogy. The story of Terruso’s film is old hat despite being co-written by Maniscalco and supposedly somewhat loosely based on the actor’s life. However, the new picture has plenty of charm to spare as the story goes through its predictable paces.

Maniscalco portrays Sebastian, a middle aged guy with a terrific girlfriend, Ellie (Leslie Bibb). Sebastian and Ellie have a certain fondness of each other and are happy with their respective careers in Chicago. He works in the hotel business and she’s an artist who seems to be selling her work so quickly that she doesn’t even seem to realize there’s more going on than meets the eye regarding the buyer(s) of her pictures. We also get some flashbacks during the film’s opening scenes to Sebastian’s relationship with his dad, Salvo (De Niro) some years back. Salvo is a hairdresser who worked most of his life and was very frugal with money. Ellie’s family is wealthier and more elite. Ellie thinks it would be a good idea for Sebastian to bring his dad to meet her parents for July 4th weekend which sets off a chain of comedic events that work only in spurts.

Sebastian is actually truly in love with Ellie and his affections for her are non-negotiable so Sebastian only hopes that Ellie’s family will accept Salvo into their lives. When the families get together at a country club restaurant, Salvo starts asking the waitress the price of a BLT so he can pay his own way but Ellie’s dad, Bill (David Rasche) says he’s got it covered. Ellie has two strange brothers. One is named Doug (Brett Dier) who has a girl in Africa he’s sending money to who he claims is his “girlfriend.” And, the other brother is the snobby Lucky (Anders Holm) who doesn’t work for his dad’s hotel business probably just because they do routine drug testing. De Niro’s Salvo is like a fish out of water. Sebastian has brought Salvo along for the weekend with this hopes that Salvo will pass down Sebastian’s grandmother’s wedding ring to him for Ellie.

One major asset of About My Father is the inspired casting choice of the always energetic Kim Cattrall as Ellie’s politician mom, Tigger. The funniest scene in Terruso’s movie comes when Salvo gets the opportunity to cut Tigger’s hair just as Tigger is about to go on television. Salvo makes a choice to style her hair in a unique way with no prior warning and the results will have audiences laughing out loud.

Not every comic choice is as perfect as the way Tigger’s haircut situation comes out. One part of the movie has Sebastian losing his bottoms, so to say, and his bare bottom body is exhibited in a wacky scene that could have worked if it weren’t so awkward to watch.

De Niro is decent as Salvo. He loves his son and wants him to be happy. Sebastian is played quite well by Maniscalco who adds depth to an otherwise ordinary character through his mannerisms and line delivery. The absolute highlight of the movie is Leslie Bibb, though, who makes Ellie easy to like and understand why Sebastian is head over heels in love with her. Bibb has charm to spare and has a really good time playing her role even if the writing of her character is more conventional than not with Ellie accepting some revelations regarding the buyer(s) of her art work a bit too easily.

Another plus of About My Father is a scene where the characters play tennis and Sebastian and Tigger join forces as teammates with funny results. The fact that Sebastian lies to his dad about the cost of tennis lessons feels rather true to life. This film is ultimately undermined, though, by a sense of familiarity in the premise. This is Meet the Parents-lite which means it lacks the comedic edge of De Niro’s most popular cinematic comedy series.

Still, About My Father could find fans. Maniscalco is a sincere actor whose rapport with De Niro feels genuine for the most part despite the movie’s overall flaws. In the end, About My Father has just enough comedy and heart to appeal to the every day moviegoer. Just don’t expect Meet the Parents-type big laughs. The funniest scene in the new picture is when De Niro talks about a chair found in his hotel room. Salvo talks about how furniture is perceived in the world today. It’s hilarious but it’s just one observation. With more funny observations about life, Laura Terruso’s movie could have been something a bit more. As it is, it’s just adequate.

Rating: 6.5/10

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