Monster in Law Madness Movie In Laws Ranked

[00:00:00] Sometimes the real obstacle in a rom-com isn't the relationship, it's the family. This week we're ranking the most chaotic, intimidating, and unforgettable in-laws in movie history in a game we're calling Monster in Law Madness. Welcome to the No More Late Fees podcast. I'm Jackie.

[00:00:29] And I'm Danielle, and we're just two best friends and ex-blockbuster employees re-watching some of the best and worst movies from the late 90s and early 2000s. And this week's bonus episode is totally dedicated to the madness that is marriage and in-laws. But we're not alone. We're so excited to have our pal Jason joining us. Hello! We have been mutuals for a while on TikTok. I always find it funny to use the word mutuals.

[00:00:57] I never used it ever in life until TikTok started happening. But I think one of the first videos, it's funny because Jackie and I discovered who you were at separate times and didn't realize we were both watching your content. Yeah. But I think one of the first videos that I saw was you calling to get the tow truck. Right. So obviously that's not your whole deal.

[00:01:24] But tell us like how that started, what you do, and all the good stuff. Yeah. I mean, I'm a wedding planner, and that's kind of what I've been for the last 18 plus years. So I've been a hospitality events person. And, you know, a few years ago, I started to really like work on my people pleasing. And so I'm like in – I'm in recovery. I'm like a recovering people pleaser. And it is daily work.

[00:01:49] And so for five or six years, I had like two parking spaces that people would park, and I would end up just like parking on the street and paying my own parking. And then I was finally like after five years, I was like, fuck that. Like, these are my spots. And so I called the tow truck and had a full meltdown because I'd never done that before. And then I just recorded it and posted it, and it got six million views, which is insane.

[00:02:14] And as somebody who's also done content, like where we've actually invested money to make content and it's never done anything, to do like something so silly where I just like posted it and it just started growing, like that was pretty crazy. But then to be recognized and be called the tow guy is kind of crazy because, you know, and then now like, you know, I did a wedding last year that got a lot of visibility too. And so then it started to like merge people. They were like, oh my God, isn't that the guy from the tow videos? And I was like, no, is that my legacy?

[00:02:43] So now I'm like kind of just, you know, continuing to make videos, but people love it when I tow. I hate it when I tow. We actually haven't had a tow in a while because we finally got signs redone. And we finally, I think we started spreading like the energy that we will tow you. And so it's actually made big change. And now my neighbors are towing. Everyone is like kind of like community built. Like we are now protecting our spaces. Yeah. Look at you. So influential.

[00:03:13] I just think it's crazy that we don't have enough. Like when these developers are making these different malls and like even apartment buildings, I think is one of the worst that they don't make enough room for parking. Yeah. And I'm in Los Angeles. So it's like parking is premium here. And what's interesting is like I always joke about wishing that my parents like own parking lots. I could be like a little, you know, parking error.

[00:03:40] But like it's just crazy because like parking is expensive in LA and it's real estate. And so at the end of the day, like if I'm paying for it, get out of my spot. But it's amazing the entitlement of people. And that is, I think, been the cool thing to see on the content is that people are just genuinely, I think also right now wanting justice in the world. Like we'd like to see people get accountability and we'd love to see that. So I think that's been the blend of it. But, man, it was rough work.

[00:04:09] And now there's been like, I don't know, over 90 tow videos. And so it's just been a fun journey. But I do love the community that I was able to find through it. So I'm really grateful. I really love – That's awesome. There was a video where you told a lady and you went out and you talked to her because she came out while she was getting towed. And then you weren't mean. You're just kind of abrupt with her and just kind of like this is my spot.

[00:04:35] But what I really appreciate is you made a follow-up video because you felt bad about how – because she had said she had a really bad day. And it's one thing to like internally take accountability and be like, okay, I need to work on how I react in certain situations. But then to put that out there for like the world of like I messed up and I'm owning that. I just thought that was so noble of you.

[00:04:59] And like spreading that is like it's okay to mess up as long as you kind of reflect, learn from it, and grow from it. So it was ever since I was like, oh, I just love him so much. Oh, thank you. Well, ironically, she had called my office and left me a voicemail and explained to me that she had a really bad day. And then like she made up this whole story. But then after I made that video, she actually ended up writing a bad review on my company, Google. So now on my Google, my rating went down.

[00:05:28] They're like 4.6. I have one bad rating and it's from her. Don't worry. I will go on and write a really good review. I'm not joking. I have like, you know how there's different stages for Google reviewers? I think I'm at like at five. I've been doing it for a long time. It's so interesting, though. But I am really grateful. And again, at the end of the day, like my content is never to be hateful.

[00:05:54] And I just felt like that was important to do just because, you know, it was, you know, I don't like being mad. But I can be mad and cut to me like literally three hours ago on having my road rage situation in L.A. today. So, you know, I can get I can get heated. So I just we should all be a little accountable, though. We can all say let me mess up. Yeah. But I do think that. If you have a gut instinct, I would trust it. Yeah. Yeah. But I mean, I mean, bottom line, I think we can all be monsters, right? I know I can.

[00:06:25] Okay. So what are you guys watching on TV? We've been doing this segment lately because we talk so much about nostalgia that we don't get a chance to talk about some of the cool stuff we're watching. So Jason, has there been anything on TV or I'm watching the pit? The pit hacks. Those are the two shows that keep me going. I'm trying to get back into euphoria, but I just haven't started yet.

[00:06:51] And obviously there's just it's also interesting because like we're from the generation that I feel like there was a lot of toxicity going on, but we didn't know about it. And now we just know too much. So it's like one moment we love a show and then we find out that the lead actors cancel because they're terrible. And then we're like, how do we how do we enjoy anything anymore? But I'm still on the regular watch friends like when I'm feeling down and I need like something to play while I'm folding laundry.

[00:07:17] I'll just put friends on and it still gets me every time that the comedy that still gets me. And I'm watching the hacks, which I really love. And the writing is so smart. And the pit, I think, is the drama I watch. I don't watch scary shows. I think the world is already scary as it is. I need a little bit of a little bit of escape. And so those are kind of what I'm watching. What about you guys? Jackie, what are you watching? I haven't been watching much just because I was traveling and all of that. But I did listen to an audio book.

[00:07:46] It was Hillary Burton's autobiography. The one about her cult? No, that's a different one. That's the other one. Bethany. Hillary Burton is married to Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Yeah. How is that one? It was really it was really interesting. I very much enjoyed it. Again, talking about taking accountability.

[00:08:07] She talked about how at the beginning of the Me Too movement, she kind of because I guess and I haven't looked up the clip yet, but I guess Ben Affleck groped her on TRL. Yes. Yeah. Oh, God. Yeah. So she had that. That went viral. And then like all the stuff with Mark Schwann. So she had like a lot of stuff come up for her, unfortunately. Yeah. And it's called the Rural Diaries. Wow.

[00:08:34] But she kind of just goes through her life, like meeting Jeffrey Dean Morgan and then like how they built their life together. They own a farm in New York and they're very much about community. They live in a small community. And like the owner of the sweet shop passed away unexpectedly, you know, somewhere they went all the time.

[00:08:53] So it was her and Paul Rudd and his wife and one other couple purchased the sweet shop and kept it going in honor of this guy's legacy. So it was very interesting. And just I love autobiographies. I just love hearing other people's perspective on life. And I could never run a farm. I could tell you that right now. It's not so hard. It's not so hard.

[00:09:21] It sounds like so much manual labor and I'm just not that girl. Well, we all better buckle up and start becoming farmers. I know. Because the supply chain is like if I tell anybody who's listening to this show, please. Get some seeds. Learn some trade. Learn some trade. Learn some like at least with food, we're going to have some issues.

[00:09:48] It may not be like, oh, there's like no food on the shelves because I'm not trying to be about scare tactics. But it definitely may be like, we don't know when we'll ever get avocados in again. Or we don't know if we'll have this item. So we have to be, you know, find things that are shelf stable and bulk up on some things. Make sure you're getting water where you can. And you should have a gallon a day per person in your house.

[00:10:17] And you can get seeds at your local library. You can get seeds even at the Dollar Tree. There are things. Maybe you just start with a little garden. But I'm telling you, things are going to be quite hectic. And so like having like Taco Bell on the ready is probably not smart. I mean, the thing that we should worry about when it comes to like the fast food is, is it real? No, it's not. We're finding out it's not. You know what? At this point, I'm okay. I'm okay if it's not real.

[00:10:46] Just give me my Crunchwrap Supreme. All right? Just give it to me. Jason's out there hunting for his Crunchwrap Supremes in the wild. Hunter and gather right there. The talk about hot sauce is legit. Like it is, there's something special about that. And again, it's probably linked to something terrible. It's probably funded by something terrible. But can I just have one sliver of thing left?

[00:11:13] Because I've already, I'm like, I'm like, you know, I'm like, like protesting things. And I'm like, try not to use different companies. And I'm like trying to do my best to like be 10 toes down. But I just need my Taco Bell. I will say that reminds me about one of the shows that I'm watching. Because there was a show called Jury Duty that was on Amazon that I was obsessed with. And then I was like, there's no way they could do a season two.

[00:11:43] But they said, bet, hold my Coke. Let's do this. And it's called Company Retreat. And the funny thing is the company that, the fake company is a hot sauce company. And one of the like first episodes, the Nepo baby son who's supposed to take over the company, he has made a new hot sauce flavor to surprise everybody. Everyone thinks it's amazing. And then he starts telling everybody what the ingredients are.

[00:12:11] And he's like, yeah, I just took a bunch of Taco Bell hot sauces. And they're like, that's, that's not what you're supposed to do. So I highly recommend. It's one of those shows that make me laugh out loud continuously. But it also has a lot of heart considering it's kind of a mix of a reality show slash improv show, I guess you could say. Okay. So I'm watching that. I finally finished.

[00:12:40] Oh, God. What's the Jade show that I've been telling you about? My first C drama. Oh, gosh. Hold on. You talked about it. I know. I know. I know. What's a C drama? It's a Chinese drama. So I'm a big K drama head, but I have not watched a C drama before. Oh, okay. So pursuit of Jade. I finished it.

[00:13:11] I want to go back to when I never watched it so I could watch it again. It's so freaking good. And everybody's like telling me on the internet that there's other ones to watch. And I'm like, I don't, I can't afford to be sucked into another slippery slide of dramas, but I think I will be. And a new K drama just dropped. It's on Hulu and Disney Plus. And it has IU in it. And the really hot guy.

[00:13:41] I say this because every K drama has a really hot guy, but this guy is extremely hot. I just started watching that one and I'm like, oh, this is going to be the business. This is going to be one of my favorites. I could already tell. It's called The Perfect Crown. So definitely watch out. It's supposed to be like if Korea still had a monarchy. And I love, I love when they do that.

[00:14:10] Cause I'm like, yes, who is the, who is the crown prince? I love him. Yeah. So anywho, that's what I've been watching. Oh, and I watched you, me and Tuscany. I went to see it. Oh my God. I heard so many good things about it. I really want to see it. It was super cute. Now I will say it took, I had to give it some time in the beginning for me because she was doing some real Gen Z shit. And I was like, girl, this is, this is not what we do, but you're also young.

[00:14:37] So I have to like, let you be whimsical and crazy. Yeah. But it was super cute. I did like it a lot. I could even see myself going back to theater and watching it again. It's what, you know, typical rom-com. All right. Now we can get into the game. So our game this week is Monster-in-Law Madness. We are going to rank iconic monster-in-laws from Absolute Nightmare, Annoying But Survivable,

[00:15:06] and Actually Redeemable. So we have a list and we'll all work together to kind of rank these in-laws. So we have Viola Fields from Monster-in-Law, Jack Burns from Meet the Parents, Percy Jones from Guess Who, the Stone Family from The Family Stone, Daphne Wilder from Because I Said So, the Clearies from Wedding Crashers, and Steve Tobias from The In-Laws.

[00:15:35] When I was making the list, I was like, I know there's so many more crazy in-laws, but I just like couldn't. And I try to focus on a lot of the movies that were mainly like wedding movies because then we'd be here all day with just like excluding just like horrible parents, you know, in general. So any first thoughts, Jason?

[00:16:00] I mean, anything with Diane Keaton, I'm just like wrapped up in a bow. So I mean, like anything, anything she's in, she's incredible. And she's so good at like playing that. I mean, obviously The Stone Family, The Family Stone is one of my most favorite films and I watch it every year. And now it's like even more poignant being that, you know, we lost the star of that movie. But I don't know. Like, I also didn't, to be fair, I didn't watch The In-Laws. I haven't seen The Wedding Crashers in a long time.

[00:16:29] But I feel like they're all, I mean, I think the way that these are all written is that they're hopefully redeemable. But you know, a lot of them are annoying and redeemable, I think, right? And terrible and redeemable at the same time. Kind of like real in-laws, you know? Yeah. And I can say that only because I'm not married, so I don't have any in-laws. But from my professional experience, in-laws are tough. We call them, you know, HWCs, which is handled with cares. Especially MILs, which are mother-in-laws.

[00:16:59] They can be, they can be spirited. So. I think The Stone Family, first of all, on my list of like the worst has to be like Jack Burns from Meet the Parents. Yes, that's true. Because he was an asshole, like honestly and truly. I don't know how much is redeemable. But you know, in a lot of these, I blame the spouses or the fiancés. Like in Meet the Parents, I blame his fiancés.

[00:17:28] She did not set him up for success, to say the least. But I think that's like maybe the through line and the truth in a lot of it too. It's hard because you do need like, you need the support of the actual, you know, the children of the family to support you in whatever the conflict is. I would say Viola would probably be second. She did some penis. She tried to kill J-Lo.

[00:17:56] Okay, but also I had forgotten until I watched it again that technically she roofied her first. J-Lo roofied Viola first. I thought she just gave her her actual pills. No, the actual pills were vitamin C. Yeah. I thought, this is the story I made in my brain, is that she found what she was like,

[00:18:22] said she was prescribed and actually gave her what she was prescribed rather than the placebo vitamin C pills that she was taking. True. Yes. I agree. My panic was that she falls asleep into the soup and then I'm like, you drown. You're going to drown. Yes. And again, not that it's one is worse because they're both pretty terrible. But you know, that is a good point. I don't know. I feel like, I mean, a lot of these factors also play into mental health.

[00:18:52] And I think there is kind of this, like, also this mother-in-law, daughter, you know, the new woman versus the old woman, you know. And it feels, yeah, there's that aspect. I think it's buried in patriarchy. Like, the whole idea. Oh, I was going to say, it feels a little massage-y. It feels a little, yeah. Yeah.

[00:19:14] I will say, re-watching Wedding Crashers recently, the Cleary family, they're fucking nuts. Yeah. But they're a fun kind of nuts. It was really the only one that I had an issue with was the ex-fiancee. Yeah. Or the boyfriend. Yeah. Whoever, what's his face was. Yeah, the Clearies make you, you, okay, there are people who are just, like, mean.

[00:19:42] And then there are people who just make you very uncomfortable. Yeah. Like, the very physical, touchy uncle from your boyfriend's side who's, like, every time he sees you, he does this with your arms and then hugs you. And then his hands kind of glide down. And everyone's like, oh, don't worry about. Danielle, is this a personal story? I'm just, I'm just. I'm just. Name him. Name him.

[00:20:09] I will say, like, there are, in the Cleary family, there are lines that are crossed. I'm not justifying. I mean, also, as a wedding planner, I cannot say that I support any wedding crashing. So just the whole movie in general gives me major anxiety in the sense that everything is, everybody's misbehaving. Everybody's misbehaving. Yes. Yes. So in the in-laws, Steve Tobias's character is in the CIA.

[00:20:40] Oh. And he, like, really just puts the father-in-law through hell, not necessarily the, his new to be, to be daughter-in-law. So he's. Towards the bottom? Yeah. He's, he's cray cray, but like, it doesn't seem like he does anything to his daughter, future daughter-in-law. Just her dad has to go through hell. So I'm like, eh, not so bad.

[00:21:08] I, I think I watched because I said so once left a real impression on me and then guess who? I don't even know if I've ever watched guess. So guess who is like a comedic spin on guess who's coming to dinner with Cindy Poitier from back in the day? And it stars Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac and Zoe Saldana. And so it is a tip for tat.

[00:21:36] I don't mind seeing Ashton Kutcher go through hell in that movie. Agreed. But he really does do too much. I think most of these parents on this list do way too much, but like if it's a harmful too much, not, not so much. And Daphne, and because I said so is, I would say what more torturous on her own daughter than. Yes.

[00:22:05] The potential guy that she's dating. Yeah. She just won't let up. She, she just, Millie doesn't have room to breathe, but Millie has to work on like breaking that. Yeah. People pleasing. You know what all of these have in common? They're all boomers that have generational trauma that is unexplored. I know that's actually very, cause I feel like that.

[00:22:34] I mean the new generation would not put up with half the shit that goes on. No. No. I mean, we'll get into it when we get to the movie, but I was like, why is she just not recording all the crazy ass shit the mom's doing and like showing this? I'm like, this is what your mom is doing. I'm just trying to watch a movie. Receipt. Receipt. 2005 maybe. Cause I don't think like, I mean, we had cameras, but it's not like now. They were digital cameras. They were digital cameras. Yeah. Right.

[00:23:03] Cause we're still taking, we're like still uploading like full albums onto like the internet. Oh, that's true. Yeah. 150 images from a night out. Like just raw dogging, no editing, just like upload. I still can't believe that I was at the club with, with, with a camera on my wristlet. And Jackie, the funniest thing is I never had a small camera. I had like the Canon with the, I brought that shit to the club. Is that a Veronica Mars camera? I did.

[00:23:33] Is that a Veronica Mars camera? Okay. Let's, let's wrap this up. Let's see what we got. So, so far we've said, I've said that Jack Burns is the worst. I agree. Okay. And then he got sequels. He was so bad. Yes. They're making a new one. Yes. Viola. I do agree is, is number two, but I do think the stone family, I don't know. People say they were redeemable, but I would have never forgiven none of that shit.

[00:24:02] But there's also like the brother sister thing. Like the, the, it's a little weird, but I also dated brothers. So I can't, I can't judge. I dated twins. Okay. Well, that's, that's going to be all. That's going to be a separate Patreon link that people can pay for it and listen to on that conversation. What a great time. Just with your giant camera on your wrist, dating twins. It was before the digital camera era.

[00:24:32] So, okay. Okay. So we have Percy Jones from guess who and Daphne Wilder. So Percy above Daphne, just because it was targeted at the soon to be. Yes. I would say the Claries are probably right under Percy. Okay. Because like you said, the bottom, I think they're weird, but I still think it's going to be hard to be in laws with them.

[00:24:59] Like just because they're not harming you that like kitty cat is trying to throw her kitty cat at you. I don't know if that stops after you get married. And the brother is throwing himself at Vince Vaughn. It's sexual abuse more than anything. And grandma is asking you to carry her to bed. But they, they're all besides the dad and what the Rachel McAdams character. Rachel McAdams character. Everyone's pretty sexual in that movie. In the family. Yes.

[00:25:29] Okay. Okay. I think we, I think we got it. So number one, Jack Burns from meet the parents to Viola Fields, monster in law, three, the stone family from the family stone for Percy Jones from guess who five, the clearies from wedding crashers, six, Steve Tobias from the in-laws and seven Daphne Wilder from, because I said so. Agreed. Okay.

[00:25:58] So I have a question for all of us and this one could be movie or TV. Okay. But which monster in law would be the perfect horror movie protagonist? Like if you put them, maybe it pulled them from a comedy, but their antics could be deemed as a horror movie. I think the best example of something like that would be the parents from get out. Oh yes. Yeah.

[00:26:26] Trying to think, I think it's more fun for TV. I would say just from the movie monster in law, I think Gertrude, the grandmother, she was scary. Like that is, she's that's scary. That would be, that would scare me. Absolutely. Oh gosh. I was almost thinking like Rachel's dad from friends. He was terrifying. I got to go with Papa Pope from scandal.

[00:26:55] I know it's outside of our timeframe, but if that was my father-in-law, I would piss my pants. So that's who I'd go with for sure. Rachel's dad called Ross wet head. Yeah. Yeah. Just, I could just hear his voice as you say. Yeah. Rachel. And he made the waiter cry. Yeah. Okay. Well now it's time to put Jason in the hot seat for his three employee picks.

[00:27:24] Let's see what movies he'll stock on the shelves at Blockbuster. You ready? Yeah. Okay. Let's hear it. I would say American Sweethearts. America Sweethearts is one of my favorite movies. Julie Roberts, John Cusack, Billy Crystal. Catherine Zeta-Jones. Catherine Zeta-Jones. Seth Green. Like an ensemble, amazing comedy. And Julie Roberts, again, can't do wrong. Like I just love Julie Roberts and everything. That's that one.

[00:27:54] Fun with Dick and Jane, the remake. That was in 2005. With Tia Leone. Yes. And Carrie. One of my favorites. It's so funny. There's so many LOL moments in it. And again, like the soundtrack of Darude Sandstorm is like plays in my head in one of the workout scenes I love. And I mean, for the gays and the girls, I would say the sweetest thing with Cameron Diaz, Summer Blair. Shoot.

[00:28:24] Christine Applegate. Ugh. Like incredible. Which I would recast the love interest. I just never liked him. Thomas Jane is pretty boring. Such a weird match. But, and then I think three, but I would also have two weeks notice with Sandra Bullock. I love an honorable mention. That one is, I really enjoy. And I quote often because I have cats. So I'll be like, look, they're a bobcat twisty pretzel. Yes. Mine are all like rom-com centered because I just love a rom-com. All right, Jason.

[00:28:54] So why don't you tell everybody where they can find you on social? You can find me at Jason Roars. It's J-A-S-O-N-R-O-A-R-S on Instagram, TikTok. I make stupid videos. I'm not sponsored. So if you want to sponsor me, great. But yeah, I just make content. I look at it. I use my Instagram as like my personal journal. So you'll see a lot of work stuff and you'll see a lot of silly, stupid stuff. And then I make very unique TikToks where I'm just eating or towing cars.

[00:29:21] But yeah, you can find me on Instagram and TikTok and the dating apps. You're in the LA area. Or visiting, whatever. And you can find us at NoMoreLateFees on TikTok and see around Twitter, Facebook, YouTube threads, all the places. And next week as we kick off another Mayhem Month with Joshua Jackson and our first movie will be The Skulls.

[00:29:48] And as always, be kind and rewind.