‘Flirting With Disaster’ delights downtown

By Parker Otto

“Flirting With Disaster,” which screened 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St., provided an energizing change of tone from the two most recent films screened as a part of the Richard Jenkins Film Series.

The film features protagonists Mel and his wife Nancy, played by Ben Stiller and Patricia Arquette. When Mel, who was adopted, discovers his mother’s name, he decides to visit her with his family by his side.

Alan Alda, Lily Tomlin and Glenn Fitzgerald give memorable performances as Mel’s family. They seem like eccentric folks from the start, but when they are revealed to be manufacturers of LSD, it proves to be one of the funniest parts of the film.

The real scene stealers are Josh Brolin and Richard Jenkins, who play two government agents in a relationship with one another. They seem to be having the time of their lives portraying these characters, and some of the best humor in the film comes from their “old married couple” chemistry.

The humor is quick and well-written, and the theater was filled with laughter for the duration of the film.

Tuesday was the first showing of a film using The Egyptian Theatre’s new projector, according to Alex Nerad in an introduction before the screening. The visual quality has improved immensely, and next week’s “Bone Tomahawk” can’t arrive soon enough.