Son in Law (1993)

Starring: Pauly Shore, Carla Gugino, Lane Smith, Patrick Renna, and Tiffani Thiessen, with cameos from Brendan Fraser, Flea, and Adam Goldberg
Grade: A

“You gotta admit, man. It’s kinda wild that I’m weezing on the farmer’s daughter.”

You know what? I’m a huge Pauly Shore fan. Sue me. The dude is a legend.

Summary

In a small farm town in South Dakota, a high school graduation ceremony takes place, with valedictorian Rebecca Warner (Gugino) being called up to do her speech. She makes her speech about change, and it’s a joyous occasion. Afterwards, her father Walter (Smith), her mother Connie (Cindy Pickett), her brother Zack (Renna), and her grandfather Walter Sr. (Mason Adams) all gather for a group picture, though the picture is snapped while they’re all still moving around and talking. At night, Walter wants Rebecca to reconsider going to California for college and suggests a state school again, but Rebecca wants to do this. He knows, so he changes the subject to warn her about the fast lifestyle of California and how the boys are a lot different out there. He has trouble saying it outright, so Rebecca breaks the ice by asking if he’s trying to tell her to not have sex out there. He’s not sure what to say, but she assures him that she will be fine. After Walter goes to bed, Rebecca sees her boyfriend Travis (Dan Gauthier) waiting outside. She slips back into regular clothes and goes outside to make out with him in the barn. Travis tries to take things further because he’s not going to see her for three months, but she doesn’t think it’s the right moment. Travis wonders if everything will change, but Rebecca is confident it won’t. She promises they will see each other every vacation and will be together once she’s done. Sometime after, the family heads out for a two-day drive to Los Angeles to take Rebecca to school. They bicker constantly on the way there and to the dorm once they arrive, as they all help move in Rebecca’s things. After they get through the chaotic hallway of her dorm where one guy’s towel is taken away from someone after he left the shower, the family finds Rebecca’s dorm room and it’s right across from the RA (Resident Advisor). This makes Walter feel a little bit better because at least she will be across from someone in charge.

Zack won’t stop being annoying and begins messing with Rebecca’s roommate’s underwear. He also doesn’t have the key Walter told him to bring for the trunk. Just then, Carol (Ria Pavia) shows up to introduce herself as Rebecca’s new roommate. She notes how embarrassing her family is, but Carol says it’s the same way with her before excusing herself to answer a phone call in the hall.

Rebecca wants to rush her family out because she’s excited to get started, but they can’t yet because Walter needs a screwdriver to get the trunk open. He goes over to the RA’s room to find Crawl (Shore) hanging upside down from the ceiling. He asks for a screwdriver, but Crawl replies that he’s all out of vodka. Walter tries to explain what he means and brings up Rebecca, so Crawl asks if she’s hot and how he will keep a special eye on her. Once he says he’s the RA, a shocked Walter runs out of the room (“Don’t leave me hanging!”). Walter gets back into Rebecca’s dorm and talks about how he doesn’t like this co-ed dorm. Right after, Carol introduces everyone to her girlfriend Lisa (Lisa Lawrence). They think everything is cool until Lisa says goodbye to Carol and they start making out in front of the family, as they have clearly never seen such a thing before. Zack is enthralled and asks Walter if he has his camera handy. Following this, the family is outside and speaking to Rebecca before they go. Walter says she can go to a state school if she changes her mind, and Zack tells Rebecca to give her roommate a big kiss from him. After this, Crawl is using a megaphone in the crowded hallway shouting things until he becomes distracted by Rebecca walking in (“I’m a carnivore, and I smell fresh meat, UH!”). He follows her with a camcorder and walks directly into her room before stopping. He uses pliers to get her trunk open and introduces himself as the RA. Once he gets her name and finds out where she’s from, Crawl messes with her by assuming she’s inbred. She’s not feeling the joke or his advances and mentions how she has to go to orientation. Finally, Crawl leaves after being distracted from another girl who walks by in the hallway. Sometime later, Rebecca calls Travis because she misses him. She’s tearing up a bit because everything is overwhelming and weird, but she downplays it to him. Following this, a lonely Rebecca studies outside on campus.

From a distance, Crawl flirts with some blonde who has no interest. He then sees Rebecca by herself and shakes his head. Then, he gets scared off by a spikey-haired redhead who approaches him. Around Halloween time, there’s a huge Halloween party in the dorm and everyone’s dressed up for it. Crawl is even dressed like Carmen Miranda. Rebecca isn’t there to party however and is doing laundry in the middle of all this. She goes to her room for privacy, but they are partying in her room and she’s about to lose it. It also doesn’t help that some fat guy crushed her beloved horse figurine that reminds her of home. To Rebecca, this is the last straw, and she goes to the hallway phone. She has every intention of going home for good and explains this to Crawl when he asks what she’s doing. He hangs up the phone for her, as he considers this a huge mistake. Rebecca wants Crawl to leave him alone, so he gives her a proposition. Give him five minutes. If she doesn’t like what he has to say, she can make her call to go home. He takes Rebecca to his room and rushes the people out of it to talk to her in private. He assumes correctly that she misses her family and boyfriend back at home, and she questions how he would know that. Crawl pulls out his picture from freshman year to show her, as he looked like an entirely different person. She laughs and comments how he looked like a such a nerd, prompting him to tell Rebecca a story. He dropped the glasses and “grew the ‘do, guzzled some brew”, and he talks about college and how it’s supposed to be the best years of their lives. Crawl has been there for 6 years and jokes how he’s majored in almost everything. He admits he doesn’t know what he wants to be yet, but he’s having fun. Rebecca appreciates what he’s doing, but she just doesn’t think she fits in there. Crawl notes how she came her to try something new, but she hasn’t even left campus yet. She realizes Crawl is right.

The next day, Crawl takes Rebecca into the city and gives her an updated look with her wardrobe. As soon as they exit the store, she dumps her old clothes in the trash. Then, she sees some girl’s haircut and decides she wants it, so she has it cut short and dyes it strawberry blonde. They roller skate on Venice Beach and she even gets a tattoo of a butterfly on her leg. Later, they chill on the beach together and Rebecca asks about Crawl’s family. He talks about how his mother Sadie is a pit boss in Las Vegas and is on her 4th marriage. His father Frank sells plastic catheters, bedpans, and other stuff to hospitals. Crawl jokes that she will see some of his work wash ashore from time to time. He stops after seeing some girl through his binoculars and starts talking about how he’s going to marry her. Rebecca takes them from Crawl to look and says he can do better before spotting a giant muscle-bound guy. Crawl reminds her about Travis, but she assures Crawl she’s just looking. That night, they go to a strip club where they are holding mud wrestling matches. Rebecca pays the MC to announce a challenge match to get Crawl in the ring to his surprise. Crawl gets up happily to join in until he’s forced to wrestle some fat chick, and she kicks his ass. Even so, Crawl laughs it off seeing Rebecca have fun. By the time Thanksgiving break hits, Rebecca is fully entrenched in the college lifestyle of LA. In the middle of her packing to go home for a visit, she takes a call from Travis and doesn’t even recognize his voice at first. He will be at the airport tomorrow with her family to greet her. Rebecca is barely listening and gets distracted by Crawl jumping into the hallway to show her his leopard print pajamas that he calls “Steven Tyler PJs”. At this point, Travis is kind of annoyed but tells Rebecca that he loves her. Rebecca replies “Me too” and hangs up. Rebecca goes over to Crawl’s room and asks if he’s still going to Las Vegas. Unfortunately, plans fell through, so Crawl is going to stay there for Thanksgiving break. He says it’s fine because Hungry Man came out with a new “Pilgrim Platter”.

She goes to leave but instead comes up with a suggestion. She takes Crawl back to South Dakota to hang out with her family. This should go well…

Rebecca’s family and Travis wait for her at the airport with a sign and everything, though they are in shock seeing the new and improved Rebecca donning her “Weasel wear”, as Crawl puts it. Still, she is excited to show off her new look and greets her parents by referring to them by their first names just like Crawl did when talking about his own parents. Zack is in shock too and sees her tattoo, though he doesn’t say anything. Crawl comes out of the plane next to greet them and introduces himself to everyone. He reminds Walter how they already met and adds that “I popped your daughter’s trunk” after he left. They drive back to the farm, and Crawl stands in the bed of the pickup truck singing the theme from Green Acres. Upon getting back to the house, the excited Crawl uses his camcorder to record everything and is really excited to be there. Referring to him as “Crotch”, Walter tells Crawl that he will be staying in Zack’s room, which Zack is not happy about. Walter Sr. greets Rebecca more enthusiastically, though he gets distracted by Crawl who runs around imitating a chicken once he finds out they have chickens on the farm. Next, Travis takes Rebecca in private to talk. At the same time, Crawl chases the chicken around and almost runs into the bullpen until Walter’s farmhand Theo (Dennis Burkley) stops him from going in. Crawl thanks him with a hug, and Theo is weirded out. After Crawl says he’s never been on a farm before and introduces himself, Theo gives him a hardened handshake that makes Crawl fall to the ground in pain. As Travis takes Rebecca into the barn and accidentally steps in cow shit, Crawl introduces himself to Walter Sr. In the house, Zack requests for Crawl to sleep in the barn instead of his room, but Walter refuses this. Zack is down to sleep in the barn, but both his parents refuse this too and tell him to set up the cot for Crawl. On the porch, Walter Sr. doesn’t say a word to Crawl while Crawl tries to talk to him. He just spits his dip at Crawl, so Crawl goes in the house (“Sti-cky”). He apologizes to the family for being so much, but he explains that he’s just never been in a place so pure. He says to let him know if he’s been an inconvenience, so Zack tries to chime in.

However, Connie covers Zack’s mouth and assures Crawl everything is fine and to make himself at home.

Immediately, Crawl asks where the kitchen is so he can find some snacks. Afterwards, he goes upstairs with two sandwiches he made, with one of them being for Zack. Zack doesn’t want it, so Crawl leaves it on the table for him. Crawl sees his computer and wants to take a look at it, but Zack flips out on him. He has one rule for Crawl and that is to not touch anything. He gets in his face about it, so Crawl takes his sandwich back. He then asks if Zack has ever met the Tooth Fairy. Once Zack says he hasn’t, Crawl warns him to not fall asleep to scare him. Zack starts yelling for Connie, but Crawl covers his mouth and explains he’s joking and tells him to chill. In the barn, Rebecca asks how Travis’s mom is doing while she puts the cow in her pen. Travis ignores this and asks who Crawl is. Rebecca explains how he’s just a friend that was going to be alone on Thanksgiving. They kiss, but Rebecca stops to go back inside. However, Travis stops her from doing so and gets down to a knee, seemingly about to propose. Rebecca interrupts him and becomes anxious, so Travis decides to drop it for now. They have the whole week together anyway and agree to see each other at the country club that night. While Rebecca exits the barn, Travis tells her to not worry because her hair will grow back. In Zack’s room, he deals with a virus on his computer and Crawl interjects because he knows how to fix it. Relenting, Zack has Crawl come over to help. Surprisingly, Crawl manages to override some system and fixes the issue explaining, “Your PC got harshed, right? ‘Cause your system heaps at the wrong parameter. So, I toasted the data directory, tweaked the p-Ram, and reglazed your subroutine”. Zack questions how someone like Crawl got into computers, and he chalks it up to growing up in Caesars Palace. He didn’t have any friends, so he spent years on his computer. Zack realizes Crawl is a hacker like him but “disguised as an idiot”. Crawl laughs and agrees with him.

Rebecca enters the room and tells Zack to leave, but Zack says they’re busy because he’s actually enjoying his time with Crawl now.

She’s insistent but he refuses since it’s his room, though Crawl adds “our room” since he’s staying there and Zack agrees. Rebecca threatens to tell Connie where Zack’s Playboy magazines are, but Zack threatens to tell Walter that she got a tattoo. Rebecca tells him to go ahead while Crawl wants to know what month Zack has in his stash. Zack tells Crawl he’s a subscriber, grabs his sandwich, and exits the room. As soon as Zack closes the door behind him, Rebecca tells Crawl that Travis wants to marry her and she is freaking out. She thought Travis is what she wanted, but she can’t see herself settling down now. Crawl calms Rebecca down and says she doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t want to, but she doesn’t think it’s that easy. They have been together for a long time, and she doesn’t want to hurt Travis. Crawl gives her sound advice, commenting how it’s going to be more painful the longer she waits. She knows and decides she will tell Travis that night. Moving on, Crawl decides he wants to assimilate just like Rebecca did with LA, so he wants her to take him out to change up his look while he’s staying there. With this, the two head out to help Crawl get used to the country lifestyle. In the clothing store, Crawl picks out a bunch of stuff to try on while Rebecca runs into Tracy (Thiessen) from their high school class. Tracy practically holds back from laughing at Rebecca’s new look. Tracy still plans on going to New York but is saving money first. She’s still working at the bar though and invites Rebecca to come visit. Just then, Crawl steps out and is introduced to Tracy while showing off his assless chaps. Rebecca laughs and says they are terrible, so Crawl turns to go back to the dressing room. He is wearing nothing on behind the chaps and reveals his bare ass to Tracy and a laughing Rebecca, with Tracy saying, “Not bad”. At the country club, everyone is there and Crawl walks in with his new gear, which is a healthy mix of his own style and country. Everyone is weirded out by Crawl, but he greets them happily.

After he sits down with Rebecca’s family and talks about how his new threads are helping him fit in, Walter Sr. laughs. Referring to him as “Cramp” before he’s corrected, Walter asks where Crawl got his nickname. Crawl explains that it came from freshman year because it’s how he always got home. Zack interrupts to jokingly try to sword fight Rebecca with a breadstick, prompting her to tell Zack to grow up. Zack replies that he can’t wait to do so because then he can get a tattoo just like her. The family is in shock, but they are interrupted by Travis getting the attention of the room. He brings up how he’s been dating Rebecca for almost five years, so Crawl and Rebecca both realize that he’s about to propose. Once he does and pulls out the ring, Rebecca steps on Crawl’s foot because she wants him to do something. Crawl stands up and tells Travis that he’s too late because he already asked Rebecca to marry him and she said yes. The family and everyone there is up in arms. Crawl takes one of his rings off and puts it on Rebecca’s finger, and Rebecca is freaking out. As Travis storms out, Crawl tells Travis to not worry because she never cheated on him. While Rebecca chases Travis outside, Crawl tells Connie and Walter to start thinking about a bachelor party. Rebecca catches up to Travis and apologizes, but Travis can’t believe how she was talking about Crawl being “just a friend” who was alone at Thanksgiving. He wants to know why she didn’t just tell hm the truth, but Rebecca replies that there wasn’t time. Crawl shows up and attempts to talk about what happened, but Travis drops him with a punch. Crawl cries on the ground, and Travis leaves. Afterwards, the family drives home while Rebecca sits with Crawl on the bed of the truck, yelling at him for what he did. Crawl argues how it’s the first thing that came to him after she stomped on his foot. She’s worried about Travis, but Crawl points out his bloody nose. In the car, Zack asks Connie and Walter what Crawl and Rebecca’s kids are going to look like and they are not in the mood to hear it.

Crawl asks Rebecca if she just wants to tell Travis the truth, but she thinks it will make things worse. All they have to do is ride this out until the end of the week. Until then, they are to act like they are engaged. Crawl is fine with this and jokingly asks if he can get some tongue, and she jokingly slaps him in his injured nose, prompting him to yell.

This is going to be one hell of a week.

My Thoughts:

It has become somewhat of a crusade for us at Cinema Loco to defend Pauly Shore, but here we are again praising his work and trying to convince everyone to give him a chance.

Of all the Pauly Shore-centered movies, Son in Law is arguably his best, as it’s probably the most digestible for audiences who either aren’t familiar with Shore’s work or didn’t care for the MTV legend. Though his other movies are a lot of fun for different reasons, Son in Law works because it’s the best use of Shore’s persona and comedic talents, which is why he shines as well as he does here. It’s a screenplay perfectly tailored to his “Weasel” character that made him a star, as the juxtaposition of his 1990s, West Coast, dude-speaking, outgoing, and eccentric personality in contrast to a traditional farm community makes Son in Law one of the best examples of the fish-out-of-water comedy.

Audiences today don’t understand how big the “Weasel” was in the 90s. With MTV being a staple of American homes across the country and the unique comedian being one of the main hosts on the channel, Pauly Shore became a household name. Utilizing his Hollywood inspired persona in front of the cameras, he shot up the ranks as one of the more popular comedy stars in the country for a time and was able to parlay this into a successful film career. Though each succeeding film starring Shore made less money as time moved on, most could only dream of having the prime he did. It’s true that his style isn’t for everyone, but we can’t help but like the goodhearted goofball and he’s never been more likable than in Son in Law. As Crawl, Shore does a good job at balancing his regular persona while showing more of his all-around acting ability, with Crawl having many moments of vulnerability and seriousness in-between the wackiness to add levity to certain beats in the narrative. Most critics have written the film off because the actor is up to his usual tricks in the first act, but this isn’t the case if you have seen the movie all the way through. It’s what makes Son in Law different compared to his other movies. Yes, he is the “extra” LA-loving RA running the dorm who was born and raised in Las Vegas and who blossomed in college into the confident, fun-loving, open book that he is. However, not only does his backstory serve as a great way to explain Crawl, but it also does the same for “Weasel” character that Shore created in general. The reason we bring this up is because people who don’t like the comedian conflate Shore with the character, as if they are one and the same much like people did with fellow comedian Andrew Dice Clay and his “Diceman” gimmick. Non-fans can’t or refuse to comprehend the difference between an onstage persona and who the person actually is. With Crawl, the way he explains his backstory almost serves as a way for Shore to explain this persona on the big screen, and it works very well for the purposes of this movie.

With his zest for life, his positivity, his attire, his kind heart that can’t help but see a lonely Rebecca and try to open her mind to the new possibilities that are around her in the big city of Los Angeles, and his own personal loneliness because of the broken household that he grew up in that he downplays, all click as a way to explain the eccentric leading man and why he is who he is. In addition, this main character helps in presenting the theme of all the wonders college can do for people. It’s a place where people find out who they are or at least put them on the path to finding who they are. In terms of figuring out who he is and where his place is in life, someone like Crawl was directionless going into college. Considering the fact that he refers to his parents by their first names, how they are divorced, his mom is on her 4th marriage, and he lived in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas since his mother is a pit boss, Crawl didn’t have anyone. By his own admittance, he was friendless and just played on his computer nonstop. Then, he went to university in Los Angeles and he found himself, exploding into a beacon of kindness, fun, and being the life of the party. It’s a real-life tale as old as time, as so many students find their true selves when going away for school. Shore’s Crawl embodies this person. Though some may consider the character an extreme example of the real-life archetype due to Crawl being as “Pauly Shore” as can be, it’s not nearly as crazy as some people may think. This type of eccentric exists in the West Coast and is more prevalent than people in the rest of the country probably realize, especially in the 90s. Nevertheless, in this first act, we learn ALL of this with some carefully constructed dialogue from Shore, and it’s paralleled with what Carla Gugino’s Rebecca is now facing in her first semester. Being Shore’s co-star and feeling just as important to the movie overall is no easy task, but Gugino is one of the most underrated actresses in Hollywood and has been for close to 30 years. She is also always a treat in a starring role.

With Son in Law, this is one of her first major roles in film and she shines with the opportunity as Rebecca, the small-town high school valedictorian entering the mother of all culture shocks. Rebecca is going through what Crawl did six years prior, but she nears her breaking point in this first semester. She thought she wanted a change in life, which is why she made the decision to leave her South Dakota farm for LA. Being a valedictorian and foreshadowing the rest of the movie with her speech about change on graduation day, Rebecca was excited and even invited the challenge of Los Angeles. However, just as many former students have faced when going away for school, it’s not as easy as it looks and very few have a safety net, which only increases the pressure. Instead of showcasing how hard school itself can be, Son in Law focuses on the difficult pressures of the other aspect of university, the personal changes one faces when on their own. Even though they think they are, a lot of people aren’t ready for such a drastically new environment compared to the comfortability of their old neighborhood or town that they have known their whole lives. For a lot of people like Rebecca, this is the first taste of adulthood and seeing the other side of the United States that exists. For someone coming from a small farm town in South Dakota, seeing this part of the country would in fact make their jaw drop. The fast pace of Los Angeles, the chaotic but free environment and culture, and the lack of boundaries that invites and welcomes all kinds is not something country folk vibe with. They are very much of the mindset that everyone else is weird. Then again, every city and state thinks that about everyone else, but that’s a different story entirely. Still, this is the journey the sheltered Rebecca takes head on and she struggles with it. Not everyone is made for such a change unless they have a mentor or friend that can ease them along the way who can show them the world of possibilities. This is probably what led to the pitch of Son in Law that got it green lit.

Can you imagine a peak Pauly Shore being your Willy Wonka-like tour guide into this new world, as the RA of your freshman dorm in the 1990s no less? Yup, I’m sold too.

It would be endless fun, and this sense of freedom is felt in the montage of Rebecca and Crawl messing around town and enjoying the many things Los Angeles has to offer. It’s a great example of Rebecca’s transformation from caterpillar to butterfly. It’s freeing like a stress-free vacation, and that’s why the first act of Son in Law is as strong as it is.

Even though Crawl has had his metamorphosis and influences Rebecca to have hers, Crawl has to go through yet another one in the brief window of Thanksgiving break, giving both main characters a chance to be the fish-out-of-water. This is where the fun begins, with Crawl settling in nicely in the second act, despite all of Rebecca’s family counting him out due to the difficulty of farm work. Watching how frustrated they get when Crawl invites the challenge and works hard just to play up the fact that he might be their future son-in-law is entertaining. Though there is nothing earth-shattering in terms of the humor involved in these montages of Crawl doing farmwork, it’s a breeze to watch and Shore does win the viewer over in short order. It’s actually the reason why the comic has a huge fanbase in the Midwest and southern United States. For the people that relate to the farm humor or the “inbreeders” as Crawl calls them, some of the farm activities that would appeal to this crowd do garner some laughs like Crawl being waken up at the crack of dawn, shoveling manure, putting grain in the trough, getting the slop ready for the pigs that leads to Crawl getting trampled, his trouble figuring out the tractor, and milking the cow (“I know a killer doctor in Beverly Hills that’ll know how to nip and tuck you”). Again, if you find novice people attempting farm work and struggling in doing so, these montages can be amusing, and Shore does make the best of it. At the same time, Crawl being given a meat cleaver and being locked in a cage with a turkey to kill it for Thanksgiving, the turkey dying of a heart attack instead and being brought inside, only for it come back alive in the kitchen was admittedly a funny sequence (“It’s a miracle!”). Nevertheless, the treat is Crawl shocking everyone with his positive attitude. Though he admits it’s a tough job, he doesn’t break and just comments how he has to get into his groove. It does spark an argument about how much damage he caused, and the whole family starts hurling hurtful words at each other, but Crawl again proves his worth by talking about how Rebecca told him how great her family was and he agrees with her. With this, he blames himself for wrecking their harmonious vibe and gets up to leave.

What’s funny but also telling is that Crawl stops himself, as he anticipates someone from the table calling him back. It’s a slight character trait to again showcase Crawl isn’t as dumb as he looks, as his experiences in life have led to him being able to form these communication strategies when faced with issues like this. After Rebecca can’t believe no one is saying anything, she gets up to leave too, forcing the issue enough for Connie to relent and calm everyone down. What follows is Walter giving Crawl that second chance, and he flourishes in channeling his infectious energy and fun-loving style into farm work and succeeding mightily with his creative solutions like filling the troughs while riding on roller skates or shoveling manure while a clothespin on his nose. They are annoyed by it at first, but they can’t help but respect his attitude and ability to learn as quickly as he does. Even Walter smirks after Crawl drives the plow out while playing some John Denver (“Hmmm….mischief!”). The best part however is Crawl winning over the family due to the elements of his personality and his unabashed honesty like encouraging Rebecca’s mother Connie to own her youthful look and to dress in a flashier way in one of the more amusing scenes of the movie. After there is a mix-up where he sees Connie bending over in a towel after her shower and Crawl hugs her thinking it’s Rebecca, Crawl apologizes but hilariously comments “Oh, I don’t want to be rude or anything, but Mrs. Warner, you’re given me a semi”. Leveling out the tension by talking about how beautiful she is and how she can enhance it with some makeup, he impressively does so without being insulting. It’s actually endearing the way Shore delivers it in his style adding “You act like your 60 or something. Where I come from, nugs stay active ’til their senile, man. You are ripe mom! Look at you! You’re like a peach on a windowsill. Look at that! Look at the pack-aage! You are nasty!”. Not knowing the slang, she’s confused by his use of the word “nasty”, but he throws in “Girlfriend, girlfriend” like he’s a fun hairdresser hyping up his client.

As any traditional farm wife would be, Connie tries to be modest, but Crawl smiles while he calls her out because he can see how excited she’s getting over his comments. You find yourself smiling ear to ear when Connie shuts the door in Crawl’s face, but when he asks for 5 minutes to work with her and she can go back to the same old Connie if she doesn’t like it, Crawl’s excited response gets her to smile once she reopens the door. It’s a big part of Son in Law‘s appeal. Crawl systematically endears himself to this family that initially can’t stand him one by one and does so by just being himself. It’s almost a recreation of the relationship Shore has with his fanbase and detractors. Rebecca’s family represents the people that don’t like the “Weasel”, but if audiences give him the chance that these characters do and he entertains and shows his worth like he does in Son in Law, I genuinely think people would come to appreciate the comedian and this film. He’s a gem as the main character and placing him in these situations make him that much more likable. While we’re on the subject, what exactly is so hateable about Pauly Shore? I seriously don’t get it. The way he carries himself and his energy is infectious and his delivery can make the simplest thing funny (“Prime USDA choice teri-YA-ki”). How can you not want to hang out with this guy? Just like how he tells all the girls in the dorm as he follows them with his camcorder, Shore has charisma! The milking gestures or the wagging of his fingers to Travis when he sees her with Tracy, prompting Travis to smile and do it back is something only Shore can make work. How about when he goes full “Weasel” when taking the microphone at the barn dance and sings his own lyrics like “Weaz her gig and make her crusty!” or getting the old crowd jumping while he chants “Buff the wood!”. His argument with Horace when he gets back on stage and Crawl threatens to go off before he’s given the mic back was gold. The stage dive gag with it only working for Crawl and not Horace was seen from a mile away, but it still works.

He just has such a great handle on his persona, allowing him to ramble about staying in school for a couple more years and how he’s thinking about “You know going into European studies, buddy. I mean cruising around Europe backpacking, right? Munching that ch-ch-ch-cheese, a little vino”, and it’s consistently amusing in context when played off of everyone else who plays it straight and looks at him like the lovable weirdo that he is. On the other hand, it gets incredibly cringy when the straight characters try to relate to him by using his verbiage, like the cringeworthy ending that has Walter using Crawl’s catchphrase of “munch on some grindage”. That should have been a hard stop, as it’s one of those key moments that gives critics of Shore fuel. Continuing on that note, I do like how Crawl influences the family with the way he talks and still think him and Rebecca should have had that kiss after the barn dance, but I could have done without Rebecca bringing up to Connie how she was “getting busy” the night before. Talking to your parents like that is crazy. Then again, Zack asks Crawl if he grabbed his sister’s “cones” too and smiles as he says it, so this whole family is kind of weird. When Crawl has to tell Zack to not talk about his own sister like that because it’s too invasive, that should tell you how weird these people are. Maybe Crawl is right. Maybe he should go back to California “where it’s normal”.

Lane Smith is great as the uptight farmer that has to deal with this wild city boy, as their dynamic as polar opposites does not disappointment. It also makes it that much sweeter when Crawl manages to win him over to when discussing Walter’s relationship with Zack. After a morning where everyone is chipper due to Crawl’s work, Walter wants to go fishing but Zack declines. On Connie’s insistence, Walter relents and lets Crawl come with instead. Crawl has trouble with grasping the basics of fishing while out with Walter and Walter Sr., so Walter just has him take the job of putting the fish in the bucket as they catch them. Following this, Crawl witnesses the father and son argue on how to fish the correct way. It leads to Walter Sr. walking away in anger because Walter won’t listen to him since Walter likes to do things his way. Presenting the soul of Crawl through action and carefully placed responses without being too invasive, Crawl quietly puts the caught fish back into the water after looking at its face and comments how he feels sorry for Walter due to how his dad treats him. Walter laughs it off and replies that he’s been that way for as long as he can remember. Crawl relates this to how Walter gets on Zack for the way he does things, though he apologizes after Walter looks at him. Walter doesn’t get too mad though, as he just thinks Crawl is referring to Zack’s “stupid computer games”. Trying to open Walter’s close mindedness ever so carefully, Crawl’s skills as a communicator and an emotionally mature adult despite being “disguised as an idiot” are put on display yet again, with him explaining how they aren’t just games to Zack. It’s just what he’s into, and he’s not asking Walter to play them. He just wants room too. Walter gives him the classically defensive response of “Yeah, well who asked you?”, but there’s not a lot of heat in it because these words of advice did resonate with Walter, even if he’s too tough to admit it.

Even though Walter Sr.’s fall was a false alarm, and the father and son make fun of Crawl for trying to do CPR (he did major in it for a half-semester after all), his actions and heart are noted by Walter after this scene, and he thanks Crawl for trying to help. It’s a cool, understated moment in the midst of the relatively goofy comedy, and it leads to a serious follow-up where Crawl has enough of the lying and takes Rebecca over privately to talk. Winning over her family is one thing, but bonding and sharing serious quality time is entirely another, and it was cool to see the authentic side to the actor’s shtick to show how Crawl doesn’t feel right lying to her family anymore. He genuinely likes these good people too much to take the lie further than they have, showcasing how good of a person he is for coming to this realization too. It’s an underrated aspect of the movie. Going along with this, Shore holds his own in the blow-up scene between him and Rebecca following the aftermath of the bachelor party as well while still holding true to how his character would respond. The movie is better thought out than people give it credit for.

Admittedly, Rebecca’s character arc isn’t anything you can’t predict given the premise, but it doesn’t make the film any less enjoyable. Even though a lot of what she goes though is expected, it cannot be stressed enough how accurate of a character this is in its representation of a shy girl going away to college and breaking out. The new haircut, clothes, the tattoo, and the piercings, all of it aligns with someone we crossed paths with at some point in university. Sometimes, this switch-flipping was due to something dramatic, but a majority of it was because of a girl wanting to do something crazy to shake things up due to her newfound freedom. Rebecca is exactly that. Everyone has met a girl like her. Besides this, Gugino also does well in conveying the mixed emotions Rebecca feels by being stuck in the middle of this problem she created for herself and her trying to suppress her feelings for Crawl while their friendship builds. Even so, the root of everything can all be traced back to Travis’s audacity. Without spoiling it, his plan is diabolical in hindsight, especially with the mind games he plays on Tracy, as it didn’t feel entirely necessarily to accomplish his goal. Talk about too far (“I thought I knew you. You are so low”)! Theo being genuinely surprised that he got fired over it like he didn’t do anything is insane, though Crawl’s crack about him needing a lot of food stamps was hilarious.

With that being said, Dan Gauthier’s performance as Rebecca’s boyfriend was so indicative of a small farm town that it felt like it was straight out of a 1950s sitcom in a bad way. Even so, it was nice seeing Tiffani Thiessen get a significant role in a film. How she wasn’t able to transition to film coming out of Saved by the Bell still boggles the mind. She had everything.

It’s story that we’ve seen time and time again, but Pauly Shore breathes new life to the fish-out-of-water concept with his incredibly 90s style. For the record, this is a good thing. That cannot be stressed enough. He makes what could’ve been a forgettable movie into a hilariously underrated goofball comedy that is heartfelt, fun, nostalgic, vibrant, and an endearing and accurate depiction of college life and the stark contrast between the people who live in the Western United States and the Midwest. Today, Son in Law is a throwback comedy due to its irreverent style, but it’s a great microcosm of the MTV culture that helped define the decade and the generation who grew up during this beloved time in history. People can say whatever they want, but Pauly Shore was a big part of this era and is also a major factor as to why Son in Law is pretty damn funny.