paul reiser step away from the standup comedy spotlight to write a warmly humorous and gently tender story about family what we see and what we do not see and what we expect and what surprise u . the thing about my folk doesn not set any new standard for film and but it be a fine little story well tell that remind u about the significant bond that family represent . sam kleinman ( peter falk ) have be a workaholic and at time push his wife muriel ( olympia dukakis ) and his daughter ( mackenzie connolly and lydia jordan ) and and his son ben ( paul reiser ) into the background . one day muriel leave a note that after year of marriage she be leave . her daughter and along with ben wife rachel ( elizabeth perkins ) immediately begin the search for her whereabouts and leave the confused and hurt and disgruntle sam to sort thing out on a road trip with son ben . the road trip become a time for the two men to learn who each other be and what they each mean to their status a father and son and a family member . sam relaxes for the first time in his life and introduce the now workaholic ben to the pleasure and fun of living . the trip come to an end with a phone call about the whereabouts of muriel and why she leave and the regrouping of the wiser family draw the story warm end . all be not what it seem represent it good and and well and different . falk and reiser play off each other like the pro they be and but in many way the film belongs to the brief moment when olympia dukakis be on screen and remind u that she be one of our strong matriarch on film . well worth view . grady harp .