By Rob LeDonne

Though extremely low-budget and not a critical or financial success by any means, The Thing About My Folks is a surefire crowd pleaser from beginning to end.

Written by and starring Paul Reiser of “Mad About You” and co-starring Peter Falk (TV’s Columbo), it’s a charming movie about family, tradition and the relationship between father and son.

The story starts out on a borderline serious note when Sam Kleinman (Falk) discovers his wife has left him after more than 40 years of marriage. Falk’s character is unable to fathom why his wife would unexpectedly walk out on him. For solace, he turns to his son Ben (Reiser).

To get his mind off the circumstances, Sam and Ben go on a road trip, which is where the beautiful scenery of Upstate New York kicks into gear. The rest of the film takes place on the road (which gets a little rocky, at times), with father and son discovering new things about life, their relationship with each other, and the past.

Falk holds up much of the film with his old time charm and demeanor. Reiser’s script, though humorous and sweet, is a bit “draggy” at times. As soon as it starts to get boring it snaps out of it.. Reiser, who has said in interviews that Sam is based on his own father (who adored Falk), wrote the film as a love letter to his father. Although this sounds heartwarming at first, it can get a little too syrupy sweet.

As for the DVD, the only special feature is a measly theatrical trailer for the film, disappointing since an amusing commentary track with the two stars could have added to the film’s appeal. Also, with the film’s low budget, the technical quality is weak. There are even some shots that seem like they were filmed on a consumer grade digital camera. The sound though is problem free and the jazzy score is toe tapping and catchy.

All in all, The Thing About My Folks is a sweet movie, one best when viewed with a father figure.