Movies
The trailer for the upcoming sequel even features some Yiddish!
Yiddish makes a delightful appearance in the first trailer for “Focker-In-Law,” the fourth installment of the Focker movie series.
In a scene between Ben Stiller’s Gayheart “Greg” Focker and Owen Wilson’s Kevin Rawly — his bashert Pam’s (Teri Pollo) wealthy ex-fiancee — Kevin commends the Jewish nurse:
“I love the lengths you go to for your mishpocha!” he tells Greg.
“Mishpocha?!” a bewildered Greg responds.
“That means family in Yiddish,” Kevin helpfully explains.
“I know!” an exasperated Greg replies.
Of course Greg knows the word mishpocha — his Jewish parents are played by none other than Barbra Streisand and Dustin Hoffman in “Meet the Fockers,” though the pair sadly won’t be making an appearance in this latest film.
For those who’ve never watched any of the always enjoyable Focker film movies — “Meet the Parents,” “Meet the Fockers” and “Lilttle Fockers” — they’re all about Greg’s tense relationship with Pam’s overprotective dad, ex-CIA agent and Vietnam vet Jack Byrnes, played by Robert DeNiro, who doesn’t seem to like, well, anything about Greg.
The aforementioned scene reminds me of Greg’s “Meet the Parents” encounter with Kevin, when his future FIL somewhat disdainfully tells him that Greg is Jewish. “Well, so was JC,” Kevin replies, referring to Jesus Christ, of course. “Wow, you’re in good company.”
This latest installment focuses less on the tension between Greg and Jack, because there’s a new potential in-law in town: Olivia Jones, played by pop diva Ariana Grande herself, a former FBI hostage negotiator and, perhaps, Greg’s soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Jack and Pam are fans, and so is Jack’s aggressive German shepherd, but Greg does not seem to be very happy with this new development. He’s worried that Olivia is trying to control and manipulate his son. In some ways, it feels like he’s enacting exactly what happened to him with Jack, which is fodder for a lot of delightful-looking gag comedy.
Grande isn’t the only new exciting cast member in “Focker-In-Law” — two incredible Jewish actors have been cast as Greg and Pam’s (Jewish!) children. Skyler Gisondo, who previously co-starred with Stiller in “Night at the Museum” (and who Stiller once called “a nice Jewish boy”) plays Henry Focker, caught in Olivia’s thrall. Beanie Feldstein plays Greg and Pam’s daughter Samantha, and she’s reunited with her “Booksmart” co-star Eduardo Franco, who appears to play her boyfriend or partner.
“Focker-In-Law” is out November 25, just in time for Thanksgiving weekend — a great Jewish family outing for all.
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Lior Zaltzman is a senior writer at Kveller.
