Flirting with Disaster (1996): Cast, Ratings & Box Office
Flirting with Disaster is a 1996 comedy directed by David O. Russell, starring Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette and Téa Leoni. It runs 1 hour 32 minutes and earned $14.7 million worldwide. It earned 4 award nominations, including Best Director at the Spirit Awards 1997. Critics gave it 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and 82 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.7/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 32m (92 min)
- Director
- David O. Russell
- Genre
- Comedy
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Miramax Films
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Flirting with Disaster About?
The premise of Flirting with Disaster without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Newlyweds Mel and Nancy Colpin are thrown into a chaotic journey when Mel decides to find the biological parents of their adopted son. He's joined by a well-meaning but clumsy adoption agent, Tina, and their cross-country search quickly spirals into a series of hilarious misunderstandings. Wrong turns, mistaken identities, and encounters with eccentric characters lead them on a farcical adventure, revealing unexpected truths about family and themselves.
Flirting with Disaster Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- husband wife relationship
- biological parents
- acid trip
- gay couple
- neurosis
- misunderstanding
- road trip
- adoption
- mistaken identity
- dysfunctional family
- jealousy
- baby
+38 more Show fewer
- adopted son
- road movie
- title based on song
- meeting birth parents for first time
- drug dealer
- atf agent
- mispronouncing someone's name
- marital argument
- neurotic man
- old acquaintance
- semi truck
- overreaction
- lust
- airplane
- argument
- attraction
- paranoia
- artist
- insecurity
- nervousness
- new mexico
- truck driver
- restaurant
- rental car
- homosexual
- entomologist
- drug humor
- desert
- car accident
- san diego california
- social worker
- shower cap
- search for birth parents
- bisexual man
- woman wears a bra and panties
- revolver
- marital infidelity
- police station
Flirting with Disaster Cast
Ben Stiller leads the cast, with Patricia Arquette and Téa Leoni. Directed by David O. Russell.
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Director David O. Russell
More from David O. Russell
More films directed by David O. Russell, best-rated first: American Hustle, The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook and Three Kings.
Flirting with Disaster Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Flirting with Disaster 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and 82 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.7/10.
-
IMDb 6.7 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 88% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 69%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 82 Metascore
User score 6.8
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 62% User score
See on TMDB
Flirting with Disaster Plot Summary
What happens in Flirting with Disaster from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Mel Coplin, portrayed by Ben Stiller, and his wife Nancy, played by Patricia Arquette, are a New York couple striving to adapt to life with their newborn son. They live close to Mel’s neurotic adoptive parents, Ed and Pearl Coplin, who are portrayed by George Segal and Mary Tyler Moore, respectively. The couple is faced with a unique dilemma: they refuse to name their son until Mel can uncover the identity of his biological parents. Mel promises Nancy that knowing his roots will lead them to the perfect name, but in the meantime, their romantic life has significantly deteriorated since becoming parents.
Full summary
The whole story of Flirting with Disaster, scene by scene
Flirting with Disaster Box Office
Flirting with Disaster grossed $14.7 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$14.7M
- US & Canada
- $14.7M
Flirting with Disaster Awards & Nominations
Flirting with Disaster earned 4 award nominations, including Best Director at the Spirit Awards 1997.
4 nominations1 ceremony
-
Spirit Awards 1997 4 nominations- Nominated Best Director – David O. Russell
- Nominated Best Screenplay – David O. Russell
- Nominated Best Supporting Female – Lily Tomlin
- Nominated Best Supporting Male – Richard Jenkins
Flirting with Disaster Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Flirting with Disaster.
How Well Do You Know Flirting with Disaster?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the name of Mel's adoptive mother?
Cars in Flirting with Disaster
19 cars on screen, including the 1994 Ford Taurus and the Peterbilt 362.
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1994 Ford Taurus Main role -
Peterbilt 362 Important role -
1985 Chevrolet Chevy Van Minor role -
1992 Ford Crown Victoria Minor role
Flirting with Disaster Also Known As
26 alternative titles, including “Liebe und andere Katastrophen” and “Flirteando con el desastre”.
- Also known as
-
- Liebe und andere Katastrophen
- Flirteando con el desastre
- Amori e disastri
- アメリカの災難
- 디제스터
- Flirter avec les embrouilles
- Amour, flirt et calamités
- Не будите спящую собаку
- Procurando Encrenca
- Tentados por el desastre
- Büyük Aşk
- Büyük Bela
+14 more Show fewer
- Flirting with Disaster - Ein Unheil kommt selten allein
- Gyagyás család
- אני אשתי ואמי החורגת
- Біда біду тягне
- Купон с дявола
- Igraszki z losem
- Tatlı Bela ile Flört
- Flirtovanie s katastrofou
- Flirtování s katastrofou
- 与灾难调情
- Amour
- Flirt et Calamités
- Sikasiistit sukujuuret
- Flirtejant amb el desastre
Seen Flirting with Disaster?
Movies Like Flirting with Disaster
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Flirt, Road Trip and Fling.
Flirting with Disaster FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Flirting with Disaster, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Flirting with Disaster?
Flirting with Disaster runs 1 hour 32 minutes (92 minutes).
When was Flirting with Disaster released?
Flirting with Disaster was released on March 22, 1996.
Who directed Flirting with Disaster?
Flirting with Disaster was directed by David O. Russell.
More films by David O. Russell Who is in the cast of Flirting with Disaster?
Flirting with Disaster stars Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette and Téa Leoni.
How much did Flirting with Disaster make at the box office?
Flirting with Disaster grossed $14.7 million worldwide.
How is Flirting with Disaster rated?
Flirting with Disaster has 6.7/10 on IMDb, 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, 82 on Metacritic and 62% on TMDB.
Was Flirting with Disaster nominated for any awards?
Flirting with Disaster received 4 nominations across 1 ceremony.
Does Flirting with Disaster have a post-credit scene?
No. Flirting with Disaster has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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