About My Father Parent Guide

Sebastian (Sebastian Maniscalco) is determined to propose to Ellie (Leslie Bibb), the free-spirited artist who has taught him to relax, try new things, and find joy in life. He plans to give Ellie his grandmother’s ring, but his father, Salvo (Robert De Niro), will only pass on the ring after he’s met Ellie’s parents and can see for himself that there’s no “rot” in the family tree.

Ellie is jubilant when her parents invite Sebastian to join the family at their country club summer home for the July 4^th weekend. She urges Sebastian to bring his father along and, despite his deep misgivings, Sebastian agrees. Salvo also has misgivings, but he’s not concerned about his ability to get along; he’s worried about what Sebastian will give up in order to fit in.

I’ll keep this short: if you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve basically seen the movie. It boasts a painfully cliched script, filled with an interminable series of stereotypes, cultural clashes, minor cruelties, and social missteps. None of the characters feel real – except for Ellie whose drive to prove herself as an independent artist seems genuine. The characters are so flat and so endlessly annoying that it’s hard to care about what happens to them. Frankly, I would have been just as happy if aliens had appeared and abducted everyone fifteen minutes into the runtime. Anything that brought this lazy, tedious movie to an end earlier would have been a big win.

The script might be annoying but it has kept negative content well within a PG-13 rating (not that I can imagine any teenager on this planet who would want to watch it). Violence is minimal and sexual content is limited to occasional innuendo and an extended shot of male buttock nudity in a sports context. There are just over two dozen profanities in the film and multiple scenes of social drinking and smoking. As PG-13 movies go, it could be worse. (It could also be a heckuva lot better but mediocrity seems to be the goal here.)

If none of these issues deter you, there are a few good moments in the movie. It provides some messages about bridging differences and learning to get along. The film’s primary theme is the strength that comes from family – even when those families are less than perfect. Sebastian repeats his father’s favorite saying, “Family isn’t the most important thing: it’s the only thing.” As dysfunctional as both families may be, they are a reminder that even when well intentioned parents make mistakes, they can still give their children a legacy of love and belonging.