Flirting With Disaster (1996) - Turner Classic Movies

Brief Synopsis

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Mel Coplin is on a mission. Though he loves his beautiful wife, Nancy, and their new baby son, he feels his life is incomplete. What's missing is knowing the two people who brought him into this world--his biological parents. Enter Tina Kalb, a psychologist from the agency where Mel was adopted. Tina is a former dancer with the legs to prove it. Her intent: to reunite Mel with his parents while videotaping the experience for her own research. The problem is, Tina seems interested in more than just the research. Meanwhile, Mel's adoptive parents are worried. Why isn't their son satisfied with the mother and father who raised him? What, exactly is he looking for, and will he make it home in time for Dad's 60th birthday? To answer these questions, Mel, Nancy, Tina and the baby set out on a cross-country trek that brings them more surprises than they bargained for.

Cast & Crew

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David O. Russell

Ben Stiller

Patricia Arquette

Téa Leoni

Alan Alda

George Segal

Film Details

MPAA Rating

Genre

Comedy

Drama

Romantic Comedy

Release Date

1996

Distribution Company

MIRAMAX

Location

New York City, New York, USA; Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 27m

Synopsis

Mel Coplin is on a mission. Though he loves his beautiful wife, Nancy, and their new baby son, he feels his life is incomplete. What's missing is knowing the two people who brought him into this world--his biological parents. Enter Tina Kalb, a psychologist from the agency where Mel was adopted. Tina is a former dancer with the legs to prove it. Her intent: to reunite Mel with his parents while videotaping the experience for her own research. The problem is, Tina seems interested in more than just the research. Meanwhile, Mel's adoptive parents are worried. Why isn't their son satisfied with the mother and father who raised him? What, exactly is he looking for, and will he make it home in time for Dad's 60th birthday? To answer these questions, Mel, Nancy, Tina and the baby set out on a cross-country trek that brings them more surprises than they bargained for.

Director

David O. Russell

Cast

Ben Stiller

Patricia Arquette

Téa Leoni

Alan Alda

George Segal

John Ford Noonan

Kerry A Weeks

Charlet Oberly

David Patrick Kelly

Sandra Lamontagne

Celia Weston

Josh Brolin

Mary Tyler Moore

Richard Jenkins

Beth Ostrosky

Susan Block

Lily Tomlin

Keith Mosca

Glenn Fitzgerald

Crew

Joe Abramson

Office Assistant

Jane Pia Abromowitz

Assistant Editor

Ryan Allen

Office Assistant

Scott Ambrory

Set Production Assistant

Scott Ambrozy

Set Production Assistant

Tina Ameduri

Alexis Arnold

Production Consultant

Lynn Ashby

Sherry Azzarella

Joel Barkow

Assistant Property Master

June Barney

Julia Barraclough

Gail Barringer

Production Auditor

Michael Barrow

Camera Operator

Michael Barry

Kathleen Bartlett

Wardrobe Assistant

Art Bauer

Todd Beeton

Office Assistant

Jenny Beresford

Set Production Assistant

Amy Berkenbile

Set Production Assistant

Lawrence Bernstein

Martin Bernstein

Construction Coordinator

Clyde Betts

Production Assistant

Tracey Nicole Bing

Product Placement

Wes Bloom

Transportation Captain

Charmaine Boos

Lisa Bowman

Set Production Assistant

Risa Bramon Garcia

Sarah Brandston

Set Production Assistant

Mathew Braun

Jeanne Brennan

Production Coordinator

Tod Scott Brody

Post-Production Supervisor

Keith Bunting

Terrence C Burke

Set Production Assistant

John Burkhart

Karen Burmudez

Post-Production Assistant

Scott Busby

Special Thanks To

Jeb Buyers

Assistant Camera Operator

Mark Byrne

Extras Casting Assistant

Charles Casey

Wardrobe Assistant

Kevin Center

Production Assistant

Evelyn Charbonneau-wildman

Rodney Clark

Scott Coder

Assistant Director

Laura Colella

Lisa Collins

Eddy Collyns

Location Manager

Wenco Corporation

Post-Production Sound

Keith Cox

Construction Coordinator

Mark Coyne

Assistant Camera Operator

John Cragmile

Production Auditor

Cindy Craig

Set Production Assistant

Lamont Crawford

Greg Criscuolo

Greg Criscuolo

Mary D'angelo

Tommy Dangcil

Jim Davees

Howard Davidson

Kim Davis-wagner

Extras Agent/Coordinator

Shanti Delsarte

Mark Dennet

Stuart Deutsch

Joseph Devane

David B Diamond

Lena Drobot

Jennifer Dunnington

Doug Duval

Julie Duvic

Unit Production Manager

Arthur Dworin

Jim Edminson

Eric Alan Edwards

Director Of Photography

Anita Ellis

Wardrobe Assistant

Stuart Emanuel

Dialogue Editor

Stephen Endelman

Tom Enright

Kevin Erb

John Farina

Lauren Fisher

Set Production Assistant

Gerald Fitzgerald

Paul Franklin

David Freed

Office Assistant

Susan Fried

Extras Agent/Coordinator

Hellen Gallagher

Ellen Gannon

Mark Gantt

Lili Gart

Richard Gavril

Joe Getzwiller

Amanda Gill

Location Manager

Mark Ginzberg

Christopher Goode

Associate Producer

Judy Gorjanc

Assistant Director

Geritt Graham

William Grant

Shari D. Gray

Bonnie Greenberg

Music Supervisor

Janet Grillo

Christine Guararra

Jim Hammer

Assistant Costume Designer

Jolyon Handler

Assistant Director

Marlus C Harding

Set Production Assistant

Marlen Hecht

Special Thanks To

Wendy Hedin

Tom Helig

Pedro Hernandez

Wayne Herndon

Brian Hess

Scott Hess

Lori Hicks

Harold Horn

Cheryl Miller Houser

Special Thanks To

Trea Hoving

Co-Executive Producer

Mike Hutzger

Daniel Irvine

Lowell Jacobs

Jocelyn Jansons

Location Assistant

Katrina Jeffries

Wardrobe Supervisor

Kate Jesse

Kent Phillip Johnson

Assistant Director

Laurie Johnson

Costume Designer

Laurie Johnson

Jon Judge

Set Production Assistant

Debra Kantor

Ray Karpicki

Dialogue Editor

Todd Kasow

Takahide Kawakami

Set Production Assistant

Tyler Kim

Michael J Kinney

Production Assistant

Pat Knapp

Julien Kneel

Set Production Assistant

David Knoblock

Lisa Knudson

Accounting Assistant

David Kolkhorst

Special Thanks To

Ted Kredo

May Kuckro

James R Kwiatkowski

Kevin Ladson

Michael Landman

Set Production Assistant

George Lara

George W Larkin

Post-Production Coordinator

Andrew Lassman

John Leavy

Shari Lee

Production Coordinator

Dan Leiberstein

Eric Leibowitz

Renata Leufeher

Sara Lindborg

Claudia Lorka

Jana Ludwigova

Assistant Director

Ellen Lutter

Costume Designer

Rob Lynch

Patrick Mahoney

Gary Mahr

K Lorrell Manning

Post-Production Assistant

Tony Mariani

Set Production Assistant

Patrick Marsh

Set Production Assistant

Gary Martone

Kenny Mason

Transportation Coordinator

Linda Mazzoni

Tony Mazzucchi

Jann Mcclary

Props Assistant

Denny Mccoy

Ivan Mcdonald

Set Production Assistant

Victoria Mcgarry

Unit Production Manager

Jeff Mcgrath

Mike Mcnally

Charles Mcnamara

Eric M Metzger

Roseann Milano

Wardrobe Supervisor

Todd Milner

Ron Mitchell

Shala Mitchell

Marinka Modderman

Set Production Assistant

Miguel Mojica

Set Production Assistant

William Moran

Jeanne Munson

Wardrobe Assistant

Margo Myers

Production Auditor

Yvette Nabel

Jim Nau

Tom Nead

Heather Norton

Assistant Camera Operator

David Nute

Edward O'donnell

Transportation Captain

Julie Oppenheimer

Script Supervisor

Kerry Orent

Angela Organ

Assistant Sound Editor

Neil Orlawski

Set Production Assistant

Violet Ortiz

Rocco Palmieri

Rolf Pardula

Ellen Parks

Chris Patak

Camera Assistant

Noelle Penraat

Negative Cutting

Michael Perman

Assistant Production Coordinator

Ralph Perri

Daniel Pershing

Todd R Pfeiffer

Assistant Director

Linda Phillips

Daniel Pimemtel

Post-Production Assistant

Film Details

MPAA Rating

Genre

Comedy

Drama

Romantic Comedy

Release Date

1996

Distribution Company

MIRAMAX

Location

New York City, New York, USA; Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 27m

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Expanded Release in United States April 5, 1996

Expanded Release in United States March 29, 1996

Released in United States 1996

Released in United States August 1996

Released in United States on Video March 25, 1997

Released in United States Spring March 22, 1996

Wide Release in United States April 12, 1996

Shown at American Film Market (AFM) in Los Angeles February 29 - March 8, 1996.

Shown at Drambuie Edinburgh Film Festival August 11-25, 1996.

Second full-length film for David O. Russell who marked his feature directorial debut with "Spanking the Monkey" (USA/1994).

Began shooting February 27, 1995.

Completed shooting April 19, 1995.

Released in United States 1996 (Shown at American Film Market (AFM) in Los Angeles February 29 - March 8, 1996.)

Released in United States Spring March 22, 1996

Released in United States on Video March 25, 1997

Expanded Release in United States March 29, 1996

Expanded Release in United States April 5, 1996

Wide Release in United States April 12, 1996

Released in United States August 1996 (Shown at Drambuie Edinburgh Film Festival August 11-25, 1996.)

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