Parents is a Parents 1989Parents is a film I had known about for quite a while before I finally
decided to check it out. I was quite surprised by what I saw. Bob
Balaban's cold, minimalistic style was just the touch this film needed.
What could have been slapstick horror comedy (a la Dead-Alive or Evil
Dead 2, both of which are great; that style just wouldn't work as well
for this film) instead becomes a superbly filmed satire of 1950s family
culture.
I never thought I could actually be afraid of Randy
Quaid, but his performance is truly blood-curdling. (Strangely enough,
due to the facial expressions he makes throughout the movie, this is
the first time I've ever noticed a resemblance between him and his
brother Dennis.) He plays the character with a understatement I didn't
realize he was capable of.
I understand why some critics came
down on the climax and resolution of the film, feeling it much too
conventional in light of what had preceded it, but I feel that there
weren't too many more possibilities they could have utilized. The film
works fine the way it is, and I recommend it to fans of horror films
and sharp-witted satire alike.
Parents is a film