Monster-in-Law (2005)

Director:

Robert Luketic

Writer (WGA):

Anya Kochoff (written by)

Release Date:

13 May 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

She met the perfect man. Then she met his mother.

Plot:

The love life of Charlotte is reduced to an endless string of disastrous blind dates, until she meets the perfect man, Kevin. Unfortunately, his merciless mother will do anything to destroy their relationship.

Plot Keywords:

Mother In Law | Scheme | Breakdown | Doctor | Dog Walker

Awards:

1 win & 9 nominations

Cast

Jennifer Lopez	...	Charlotte 'Charlie' Cantilini
Jane Fonda	...	Viola Fields
Michael Vartan	...	Dr. Kevin Fields
Wanda Sykes	...	Ruby
Adam Scott	...	Remy
Monet Mazur	...	Fiona
Annie Parisse	...	Morgan
Will Arnett	...	Kit
Elaine Stritch	...	Gertrude
Stephen Dunham	...	Dr. Paul Chamberlain
Randee Heller	...	Beverly Hills Dog Owner
Mark Moses	...	Coffee Shop Customer
Tomiko Fraser	...	Coffee Shop Clerk
Rochelle Flexer	...	Dr. Patel's Nurse
Wayne Nickel	...	George

Also Known As:

Das Schwiegermonster (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sex references and language.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Sweden:Btl | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Hungary:14 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Germany:6 | South Korea:12 | Finland:K-3 | Australia:M | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Ireland:12A | Norway:7 | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | New Zealand:M | Philippines:PG-13 | Mexico:B | Netherlands:MG6 | Argentina:Atp | Peru:PT | Brazil:12

Filming Locations:

Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

The mansion where Charlie picks up the dogs she walks was used as the exterior of the Governor's mansion in the sitcom "Benson" (1979).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Charlie's dress rips, the rip is visible and her hair is messed up but in the next shot the rip disappears and her hair is perfectly fine again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[Charlie sitting at her desk at home. Phone rings. Charlie lets the answering machine pick up and listens to the recording]
Charlotte 'Charlie' Cantilini: [Answering machine message] Hi, it's Charlie. Leave a message.
[Answering machine beeps to signal beginning of message]
Carol, from LA Temp Agency: [Leaving message on answering machine] Hi Charlie, it's Carol from the L.A. Temp Agency. Listen, Dr. Patel's office needs you for tomorrow. Is that ok? Let me know. Bye.
[Answering machine beeps signaling end of message]
Remy: [Charlie sketching]
[Remy walks in with cup of coffee and toast]
Remy: Morning neighbor.
[Chews toast]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Peter Sarsgaard/The Strokes (#31.11)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Parakeets of Paraguay

The title deserved a better film

The title of this film is the best thing in this movie. I would actually say that such a title deserved a better movie.

'Monster in Law' is a combination between 'Maid in Manhattan' and 'Meet the Parents'. Jennifer Lopez is practically re-doing her role in 'Maid ..' and this is probably what she knows to play best, or the only thing she knows to play, I do not know. The problem is that this movie is made three years later, and the character is supposed to be ten years younger than in the New York located film. I also suspect that she cannot count on her looks for long, and even here a couple of jokes about her waist had to be inserted. What will she do with her career in the next years? Well, we'll see.

Robert Luketic directed the original 'Legally Blonde' and had much better material to work from there. The main problem of this film is that the script is so predictable, the jokes so thin, and we must have seen the end in zillions of other movies. We do have Jane Fonda back on screen, but sincerely, I would expect her to do something else after 15 years of creativity break, and not this routine feel good comedy.

I am afraid that this film - after making its in-flight entertainment career - will rest soon on the shelves of the studios full of not-so-funny comedies, and a well deserved amount of dust will cover it. Twenty years from now somebody will maybe take the idea and the title and make a better film of it.