The Son-In-Law (DVD, 1999)

Son in Law is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Shore plays a Shore-like resident assistant named Crawl at the California university chosen for matriculation by Rebecca of some farm (probably not Sunnybrook) in South Dakota. Her jock boyfriend Travis, who apparently spends all of his free time trying to look more and more like Tom Cruise, doesn't want her to go, afraid she will change out there on her own. Becca, as Crawl calls her, has a hard time adjusting to college life and is ready to quit and come home when Crawl convinces her to stay and try a little harder to fit in with the crowd. Soon, shy little Rebecca has been shorn of her long hair, clothed in "weasel ware," and tattooed, allowing her to mingle easily on the beach and at mud wrestling bars. When she learns that Crawl is going to be alone during Thanksgiving, she invites him home with her. Her parents and Travis are shocked when they see Becca's new undeniably hot look, but they are even more shocked when a lunatic in the form of Crawl shows up with her. He takes to country life in his uniquely Shore-ian way, horrifying just about everyone in the state of South Dakota. This is before Crawl announces that he and Becca are getting married, a lie engineered on the spot to forestall Travis' own marriage proposal to the new and improved Becca. Dad decides to show Crawl what farming is like, trying to drive him away with the nastiest farm chores known to man, at which point much hilarity ensues. In time, Crawl begins to win over Becca's family and even becomes a star attraction on the local square dance circuit, inspired by such songs as the theme to Green Acres and John Denver's Thank God I'm a Country Boy. Travis has his own plans for getting Becca back, though; feathers fly, and not just those from the turkey that gets loose in the house.
Pauly Shore is in full Pauly Shore mode in this movie, but it works tremendously well here. The acting is great all the way around, Carla Gugino is adorable, Shore is hilarious, and there's not a dull moment to be found from beginning to end. I've watched this movie several times, with no noticeable decrease in the enjoyment factor from one viewing to the next. My parents, who haven't been to a movie since I was a kid dragging them along with me, actually borrowed this movie from me; some of their friends had been trying to find this hilarious movie they had seen but could not remember the name of for some time, and I recognized the plot as soon as they got around to asking me about it. It's a pretty unforgettable movie that appeals to a wide audience. If you have avoided Son in Law like the plague just because Pauly Shore stars in it, I urge you to reconsider and give this movie a chance. This is a very funny film the whole family can enjoy.

On MTV, Pauly Shore has always struck me as a loathsome creature: a comic whose lack of innocence seems poisonously calculated. Dropping dudespeak in his lazy reptilian drone (this is a man who can't even be bothered to finish his words), flashing the horny imp's leer that, beneath his hippie-surfer frizz, makes him look like the demented offspring of Dick Cavett and Paul Simon, he acts as if he were a star by sheer entitlement. He's the rude essence of Southern California narcissism -- a man-child who never outgrew his pacifier.

Having said all that, I got a dozen good giggles out of Son-in-Law, Shore's first starring vehicle, in which he plays a collegiate burnout who spends Thanksgiving break on a farm along with the family of his new freshman babe (actually, they're just good friends). This may be the first time in his career that Shore doesn't seem to be lording it over his audience. The plot is the usual fish-out-of-water nonsense -- it's Pauly Goes to Green Acres, complete with a scene of him riding a pig -- but this cut-rate no-brainer does succeed in making his stoned baby-talk put-downs seem cuddly-funny instead of merely smarmy. Sidling up to his girlfriend's mother, he says, ''I don't mean to be rude, Mrs. Warner, but you're giving me a semi,'' and the hilarious thing is that he means it: It's his honest attempt at a respectable compliment. In ''Son-In-Law,'' Pauly Shore is like MTV's missing Marx Brother; call him Sleazo. For once, he makes being utterly shameless seem halfway likable.

It is a great movie--so funny! I love it--I've probably seen it now at least a half a dozen times. Pauly Shoreis outstanding. I think I'm probably going to go out and buy a few more of his films. The movie is very original--country girl is changed by the ways of a city college life and takes a city boy back home for Thanksgiving to show him what farm life is like and life in general back home in South Dakota.

Pauly Shore's best film -- it's about a simple farm girl who goes off to collage in California and hates it -- That is until Pauly shore comes along and shakes her life up and makes it fun... Then she brings him home to meat the perants and all hell breaks loose!!!

Pauly shore is so hilarious in this movie. A must see for all. Its about this girl from a midwestern state who goes to california for college and her neighbor across the hall helps her transform herself into a fun person