Flirting with Disaster
1996 · 93 min · Director: David O. Russell
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
Mel Coplin departs on a mission of discovery dragging his wife and 4 month old son behind. He and wife, Nancy, won't agree on a name for their son until adopted Mel gets in touch with his roots. He assures her that once he knows who he really is, the right name for their boy will be a snap. Enlisting the aid of student-psychologist and part-time adoption agent, Tina Kalb, they embark on a journey across the United States to find Mel's "birth" mother. "The best part," Mel tells Nancy, "is it's all free." Tina is finishing her dissertation and will film the happy reunion of mother and child as part of her research. For this privilege, she's footing the bill. His adoptive parents are left behind feeling abandoned by an ungrateful son. Clerical errors, mistaken identities, Nancy's misplaced high school friend and his gay lover, and a super-charged libido here and there are thrown into the mix along the way until -- at last -- Mel's real parents, the Schlictings (mispronounced as "Shit-kings" by Mrs. Coplin), are discovered in remote New Mexico. There, Mel begins to wonder if he would have been better off not knowing these people, after all.
Emotional fingerprint
Flirting with Disaster (1996) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Humor 38%, Confusion 22%, Joy 18%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Humor38%
- Confusion22%
- Joy18%
- Excitement12%
- Love10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Humor, Confusion, Joy. Genres: Comedy. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Humor, Confusion and Joy. Its IMDb rating of 6.7/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 70/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Humor
- Tension
- Curiosity
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Curiosity
Dominant emotion: Humor
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Humor | Tension | Curiosity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 2′ | Curiosity | 48 % | 30 % | 22 % | 45 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 7′ | Humor | 46 % | 36 % | 25 % | 40 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 12′ | Humor | 48 % | 39 % | 34 % | 38 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 16′ | Tension | 53 % | 41 % | 40 % | 34 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 21′ | Humor | 53 % | 43 % | 36 % | 33 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 26′ | Curiosity | 50 % | 36 % | 35 % | 41 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 30′ | Curiosity | 51 % | 35 % | 40 % | 46 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 35′ | Tension | 49 % | 36 % | 39 % | 43 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 40′ | Curiosity | 44 % | 34 % | 34 % | 38 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 44′ | Tension | 45 % | 35 % | 36 % | 30 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 49′ | Humor | 48 % | 41 % | 38 % | 26 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 53′ | Humor | 44 % | 40 % | 29 % | 30 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 58′ | Curiosity | 44 % | 34 % | 26 % | 38 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 63′ | Curiosity | 52 % | 35 % | 39 % | 41 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 67′ | Tension | 60 % | 39 % | 53 % | 35 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 72′ | Tension | 61 % | 43 % | 56 % | 29 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 77′ | Humor | 55 % | 46 % | 44 % | 23 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 81′ | Humor | 45 % | 44 % | 24 % | 14 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 86′ | Humor | 37 % | 37 % | 13 % | 8 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 91′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence |
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Jane
Sandra
Mitch
B&B Lady
Cop #1
Cop #2
Detective
Details
- Directed by
- David O. Russell
- Written by
- David O. Russell
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 1996
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Country
- United States
- Genres
- Comedy
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Humor
- Data updated
Where to watch
Subscription
Rent
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