Parents

“Parents,” 1989, is a film from director Bob Balaban is about ten-year-old Michael Laemle, who lives in suburban Massachusetts in the 1954. His mother is loving and sweet and his father has a high-paying job at “Toxico.” As the film progresses, Michael begins to suspect his parents of cannibalism, and the more he pushes to find out, the more tension he creates with his short-tempered parents. Michael fears his parents more and more until the climax when his parent end up killing each other.

The style employed in “Parents” is unique, comedic, and haunting at the same time. The brand of humor is blunt and dark. For instance, the fact that the chemical plant Michael’s father works at is called “Toxico” is absurd. Also the way Michael’s parents act in the home is so stereotypically 50’s that it borders on being ridiculous. The characters are emotionally unstable with the exception of Michael, who stays impossibly neutral throughout the film. Because of their instability, the characters are unpredictable which interrupts whatever linear plot line might be running throughout “Parents.”

What I found so interesting about “Parents” is that we are given all the facts almost immediately. From the beginning of the film we know that Michael’s parents are cannibals and we know where the meat comes from. Because of this, the film is completely about the characters. However, even though the focus is almost completely on the characters, they are completely and purposely unrelatable, which has great affect in the film.