Wikipedia:WikiProject Film/Peer review/Meet the Parents

Meet the Parents
I started working on this article when it looked like this. Over the last five months and practically singlehandedly, I've expanded it to what it is today. I've yet to write a GA or an FA and I've decided to make this my first one of those but I would appreciate some help from editors more qualified than myself to tell me what looks good and what needs improvement. In its current state, I believe the article qualifies as a class B but, again, input would be appreciated.

Thank you! SWik78 (talk • contribs) 16:17, 10 October 2008 (UTC)


 * Review by Erik

Looks like you are off to a great start! Comparing the revisions, I appreciate the removal of the taglines, the expansion of the Plot section, and the addition of three substantial sections. With that said, here are some recommendations to continue improving the article:
 * The lead section, per WP:LEAD, serves as a concise overview of the article. With this said, I think that the Production section could detail the independent film that served as the basis of this 2000 film.  I don't think it needs a lot of focus in the lead section; just move the details down.  Also, the details about the awards could also find a place in the article body, since the lead section summarizes what's already there.  You do not need to have citations in the lead section if the content is already cited in the article body (exceptions would be controversial statements, but this film shouldn't have an issue).
 * You may want to establish a specific fair use rationale for Image:Meettheparentsinter.jpg. Per WP:NFC, screenshots need to be paired with critical commentary and discussion of the film.  The article does not show how the screenshot is significant at this point.  May I suggest looking at my personal example, Fight Club, for how screenshots are tied into critical commentary?
 * For "Cast and characters", I think that you could cut back on some in-universe character details, like for Kevin Rawley, Debbie Byrnes, and Denny Byrnes. We try to minimize plot information, and anything important that takes place in the film can be covered in the Plot section.
 * I think that you could start "Critical reception" with the Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic verdicts. You say that critics lauded it for its deadpan humor and subtlety but only cite two reviewers for this generalization.  It might be considered weasel wording.  That's why I suggest RT and MC for an "overall" verdict of the film.  Another idea is to look for sources talking about Meet the Parents retrospectively (after the release year) and see how they perceived critics receiving the film.  For example, for Fight Club, I cited a 2001 article that talked about how the film polarized critics when it first premiered.
 * In "Legacy", I think that you do not need to detail Meet the Fockers in this film's article. The detail can be moved to the sequel, and the information about Little Fockers could also go there since it follows that film.
 * I was wondering, do you feel that you have exhausted all possible resources to add information about this film? I noticed that all the citations used were online.  There may be print sources such as newspapers, books, or academic journals that cover the film.  Take a look at Google Books and Google Scholar.  It can be a good idea to visit the library, either public or university, and explore newspaper databases or film periodicals from around this film's release date.

If you would like help with finding resources, just let me know. I'd be happy to do so. I have a few places I can look. :) — Erik (talk • contrib) - 22:08, 12 October 2008 (UTC)


 * Here is a possible academic journal to use, though it may be a little more appropriate for Meet the Fockers. — Erik (talk • contrib) - 22:25, 12 October 2008 (UTC)


 * Thanks for the input, this is exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for. Let me recap what I have and what I haven't done as per your suggestions:
 * I've removed information about the 1992 film from the lead and placed it in the Production section although I have not yet elaborated on the issue (stay tuned :)). There is now an Awards section with most awards being removed from the lead except for the People's Choice award that I though might serve as a good overview of the film's reception with the viewers. What do you think about leaving it in the lead? If it's inapropriate, it can go.
 * Cast and characters has seen most of the in-universe character descriptions removed as well as the Critical reception being rid of weasel words and leading off with RT and MC scores.
 * I have not yet given a new rationale for that image so that it conforms to WP:NFC but I will shortly. I have also not yet removed any info on Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers because I don't want the film to lack any information that might be considered significant but I want to ask you if you think that writing too much on the two sequels might be considered borderline trivial? If that is the case, I will definitely cut down the amount of information on those two and transfer the rest to appropriate articles.
 * And, to answer your question, no, I definitely have not yet exhausted all of my available resources. I will have to make a trip to the library in the near future but I might also take you up on your offer for help on this issue.
 * Anyways, before I screw things up too much, let me know your opinion on whether my work today was somewhat along the lines of what you had in mind when you left those comments or if I've misinterpreted something and made things even worse.
 * Thanks again!
 * Peace! SWik78 (talk • contribs) 20:57, 14 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Glad to see the changes made! To respond to your comments, I think that you could be a little more general with mentioning awards in the lead section.  Perhaps a sentence like, "Meet the Parents was nominated several comedy awards for the film and its actors' performances, winning awards like the People's Choice Award."  A little rough, but you know what I mean.  For the image, it may be tricky to find a good image.  It may not wind up to be that one, perhaps.  An idea is to find a comedic scene that two or three reviewers enjoyed and get a screenshot that would capture that moment for the "Critical reception" section.  As for sequel information, I don't think that it is trivial, but Meet the Fockers looks like it could house that detail, being pretty sparse.  You don't have to move everything completely, maybe have one or two sentences mentioning the follow-up and its continued box office performance despite weaker critical reception.  Let me know what resources you find at the library -- I am pretty good at finding news articles from around the time Meet the Parents was released, so if you want a certain area explored, I can look into it. — Erik  (talk • contrib) - 14:37, 21 October 2008 (UTC)