About My Father is a perfect 180 flip of another famous Robert De Niro movie. The new comedy stars De Niro as Salvo, the fictional father of comedian Sebastian Maniscalco. Maniscalo plays an exaggerated version of himself who is encouraged by his fiancée to invite his old-school Italian-American immigrant father to meet her wealthy family for a holiday weekend. The trip is faced with a number of cultural clashes and familial differences that create a variety of uncomfortably funny on-screen scenarios.
Released nationwide in theaters on May 26th, the De Niro-led comedy also stars David Rasche, Anders Holm, and Leslie Bibb. De Niro has starred in other funny roles in several comedy movies throughout his illustrious career including The Family, The Intern, Dirty Grandpa, and Analyze That. About My Father is strangely reminiscent of one distinct De Niro comedy.
About My Father Is Weirdly The Opposite Of Meet The Parents
De Niro's character in About My Father is the opposite of his role in the 2000 comedy Meet the Parents. In About My Father, Salvo is the one being welcomed into the home of the significant other's parents. He is subjected to their different lifestyle and customs but does not fit in easily with them despite his eager attempts. In Meet the Parents, De Niro plays Jack, a serious former CIA agent and war veteran who puts a great deal of pressure on his daughter's boyfriend (Ben Stiller) who is visiting for the first time and tries to make a good impression.
This flip of De Niro's characters in About My Father and Meet the Parents is hard to ignore. Although the two films aren't connected, De Niro's appearance in both creates an interesting link that suggests some type of loose association between them. Some scenes in About My Father feel inspired by Meet the Parents, such as the accidental moment on the tennis court. De Niro's role reversal in About My Father from the stern homeowner to the uncanny guest is an unexpected but enjoyable change.
How Robert De Niro's About My Father Character Is Like Meet The Parents' Jack
De Niro's character in About My Father is similar in some ways to Jack, his character in Meet the Parents. Both Salvo and Jack are set in their ways and unafraid to speak their mind freely, especially when it comes to their kids. Much like Jack, Salvo is quick to judge the people around him and can be just as intense and overprotective as De Niro's character in Meet the Parents. Salvo comes with more charm and kindness, but his parenting principles are closely aligned with Jack's.
Even though both Salvo's and Jack's kids are fully-grown adults, both fathers can't help but get overly involved in their children's decision-making. They both often employ a forceful type of love that is as sweet as it is toxic. Salvo and Jack are also both hilarious characters in their own ways despite having different comedic sensibilities. Although De Niro's character is on the opposite end of the plot in About My Father, his hovering parental approach is equivalent to that of Jack in Meet the Parents.