The In-Laws (1979) Plot Summary & Timeline

Perhaps the best word to describe the intricate storyline unfolding in this film is serpentine. Let’s delve deeper into the narrative, starting with a suspenseful scene. An armored truck, marked as belonging to the U.S. Treasury Department, is hijacked in a rather clever manner. Intriguingly, the thieves are not after the money that resides within; rather, they seek something far more intriguing, the nature of which remains elusive for now. Following their escape, one of the culprits confronts a man named Vince, portrayed by the talented Peter Falk. He hands over the ill-gotten gains and insists that Vince must settle the associated fee the very next day. Taken aback by the urgency of the timeline, Vince commits to finding a solution.

Next, we are introduced to a mild-mannered Manhattan dentist named Sheldon Kornpett, played brilliantly by Alan Arkin. Sheldon is preoccupied with the upcoming nuptials of his daughter, Barbara (played by Penny Peyser), who is just two days away from marrying Tommy Ricardo (Michael Lembeck). As Sheldon and his wife Carol prepare to meet Tommy’s parents, they are met with a cloud of uncertainty. They know little about Tommy’s father, only that he has some connection to international business dealings. Their dinner plans take a turn when they realize that Tommy’s father is none other than Vince. Suspicion quickly fills the air as Sheldon finds himself doubting Vince due to the absurd tales he shares about giant tsetse flies and a rather dubious Guacamole Act of 1917 during the introductory dinner.

During this somewhat awkward gathering, Vince excuses himself to make a phone call, during which he covertly conceals something in the basement. After an uncomfortable evening, Sheldon pleads with Barbara not to wed into the Ricardo family, but she manages to convince him to give the marriage a chance.

The next day, Vince makes an unexpected visit to Sheldon’s office under the pretext of just wanting to say hello. Seemingly harmless, he asks Sheldon for a simple favor that spirals into chaos: breaking into Vince’s office safe. Reluctantly, Sheldon agrees and retrieves a mysterious black bag from Vince’s cramped office located in an old Herald Square building. However, ambush ensues as two armed hitmen confront him, leading to a chaotic chase down a fire escape culminating in a shootout. In a diner filled with patrons, Vince dramatically reveals his background: he has been a CIA operative since the Eisenhower administration and has masterminded a caper to steal engraving plates from the United States Mint in order to thwart a global inflation scheme that was set in motion by Central American adversaries. Vince’s brazen confession leaves Sheldon feeling trapped, especially as Vince discloses that he unwittingly left one of the stolen plates in Sheldon’s home the night before.

The plot thickens, however, when Mrs. Kornpett uncovers the engraving while receiving supplies for the wedding and takes it to the local bank. This startling discovery soon draws the attention of the U.S. Treasury Department, as a fleet of government vehicles is parked outside the Kornpett residence when Sheldon returns home. Panic sets in, prompting Sheldon to flee, resulting in a high-speed chase through suburban New Jersey. Once the dust settles, he contacts Vince to relay the latest developments. Vince proposes an escape plan involving a trip to Scranton, Pennsylvania, assuring Sheldon that everything will be resolved upon their return.

However, the situation pivots when, on a private jet headed to Scranton, Sheldon notices they are diverting over the ocean instead. Vince insists on a brief stop in Tijata, an island south of Honduras, to meet General Jesus Braunschweiger, a dubious legislator of the region. But, chaos ensues as the general is shot dead upon their arrival, forcing Vince and Sheldon to evade sniper fire and escape in the general’s vehicle. As they flee to safety and check into a hotel, Sheldon finds himself overwhelmed and weary of the chaos, opting to distance himself from the escalating drama. Yet, upon contacting the U.S. Embassy, he learns from Barry Lutz, the CIA agent in charge, that Vince is, in fact, a madman who was discharged from the agency a year earlier.

Despite Sheldon’s warnings to Vince about the embassy’s claims, Vince staunchly insists that the information is aimed at steering Sheldon away from the truth. As they leave the hotel in a tense standoff, they hail a cab unwittingly driven by one of the snipers, a twist that leads Sheldon to leap onto the roof in an attempt to regain control. This chase culminates in a crash into a fruit market, with Sheldon becoming an unwitting participant in Vince’s chaotic world.

They eventually reach the general’s estate, where General Garcia (played by Richard Libertini) rewards them with $20 million for the plates, only to promptly face execution by a firing squad. In a thrilling turn of events, Vince stalls for time until a legion of CIA agents, spearheaded by Barry Lutz, swoops in and takes control of the situation, leading to the arrest of General Garcia. Yet, in a surprising twist, Vince announces his retirement, ready to bid farewell to his adventures in favor of pursuing a quiet life surrounded by grandchildren.

Finally, we arrive at the wedding scene, where preparations are underway without the presence of the fathers. Just as the wedding is about to commence, a helicopter descends to deliver Vince and Sheldon, both adorned in top hats and tails. With a flair for the dramatic, they announce that the ceremony can begin in five minutes, pending the orchestra’s tuning. As the fathers present their million-dollar wedding gifts to their children, a government vehicle arrives with an irate Lutz onboard. Before Sheldon can confess the truth, it is revealed that Lutz is merely upset about not being included in the wedding festivities.

As the orchestra strikes up, the wedding ceremony proceeds in spectacular fashion, closing this remarkable tale of misadventures, unexpected alliances, and the comedic chaos that ensues when characters from vastly different worlds collide.