Meet the Patels
{{Infobox film
| name = Meet the Patels
| image = Meet the Patels.png
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Geeta Patel
Ravi Patel
| producer =
| writer =
| starring = Geeta Patel
Ravi Patel
| music =
| cinematography = Geeta Patel
| editing =
| studio =
| distributor = Alchemy
| released = {{film date|2014|04|27|Hot Docs|2015|09|11}}
| runtime = 88 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross = {{US$|1.7 million}}
}}
Meet the Patels is a 2014 American romantic comedy documentary film directed by siblings Geeta Patel and Ravi Patel.{{cite news|last1=Miller|first1=Julie|title=Introducing Meet the Patels, the Best 2015 Documentary That You Probably Haven't Heard Of|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/09/meet-the-patels-documentary|accessdate=18 January 2016|work=Vanity Fair|date=10 September 2015}} The film explores the expectations surrounding marriage in the Patels' first-generation Indian immigrant family and in wider American society.{{cite news|last1=Grigsby Bates|first1=Karen|title='Meet The Patels': One Man's Quest To Find Love, The Old-School Indian Way|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/09/11/439467662/meet-the-patels-one-mans-quest-to-find-love-the-old-school-indian-way|accessdate=18 January 2016|work=All Things Considered|publisher=NPR|date=11 September 2015}} It had its international premiere at Hot Docs in April 2014.{{cite news|last1=Gupta|first1=Shipra Harbola|title=LAFF: Brother-Sister Filmmaking Duo Ravi and Geeta Patel on Filming Their Parents in 'Meet the Patels'|url=https://www.indiewire.com/article/brother-sister-filmmaking-team-ravi-and-geeta-patel-on-documenting-historically-private-indian-culture-in-meet-the-patels|accessdate=18 January 2016|work=Indiewire|date=16 June 2014}}{{cite news|last1=Smiley|first1=Tavis|title=Actor Ravi Patel|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/interviews/actor-ravi-patel/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924015501/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/interviews/actor-ravi-patel/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 24, 2015|accessdate=18 January 2016|work=The Tavis Smiley Show|publisher=PBS|date=17 September 2015}}
Fox Searchlight acquired remake rights after the documentary won the Audience Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival.{{cite news|last1=Fleming|first1=Mike Jr.|title='Meet The Patels' In Fox Searchlight Remake Deal; Ravi And Geeta Patel To Write, Co-Direct|url=https://deadline.com/2015/10/meet-the-patels-ravi-patel-geeta-patel-fox-searchlight-documentary-remake-1201589924/|work=Deadline Hollywood|date=21 October 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Rao|first1=Mallika|title=Master of None's Ravi Patel on Doing the Infamous Indian Accent and the Second Coming of Aziz Ansari|url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/11/ravi-patel-aziz-ansari-second-coming.html|accessdate=18 January 2016|work=Vulture|date=11 November 2015}}
Plot
Neither Ravi Patel, a 30 year old small-time upcoming actor, nor his sister are married, to the chagrin of their parents Vasant (Financial planner) and Champa (an accomplished match-maker and real estate agent), who had an arranged marriage. However, Ravi has been, without his parents' knowledge, dating Audrey, a white red-headed American woman, and Ravi recently broke up with her. On a family trip to India (during "wedding season") he agrees to make a serious effort to find a partner, alternating between a matchmaking process of dates with Indian-American women from among the Patel clan based in Gujarat by circulation of biodata sheets; registering with Indian marriage websites, identifying potential mates by evaluation and through extended family relations, and matrimonial ceremonies & conventions. Interspersed between the dating activity, much of it organized by his parents who continue to lament his lack of commitment to the process and high standards. Ravi discusses his experiences and his feelings about the whole thing with his sister Geeta, meanwhile Geeta also notices Ravi's one nights with Audrey, even after breaking up and Audrey's consistent request to break their plateau friendship. Ravi eventually recognizes that his frame of reference is always Audrey, his first love and no matter what or where he searches, he is not going to find Audrey in others. The parents hearing the news from Ravi at first become reluctant but come around, conclude their match-making and relax their constraints in expectations and accept their son's wishes for being with someone he truly loves, and Ravi ends up back with Audrey, who eventually wins the affection of his parents and adopts Indian traditions.{{cite news|last1=Daswani|first1=Kavita|title=The family behind 'Meet the Patels' takes candid talk to a warmly comic level|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-patel-family-20150911-story.html|accessdate=18 January 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|date=10 September 2015}}
Production
Production for the film began in early 2009 under directors Ravi Patel and Geeta Patel. The film was produced by Janet Eckholm and Geralyn Dreyfous along with PBS and received funding from the CPB (Corporation for Public Broadcasting).
=Filming techniques=
The movie alternates between live action cinematography (filmed by Ravi's sister Geeta) with limited effort made to address lighting issues or the intrusion of microphones into the camera's view; and animation sequences of Ravi being interviewed by Geeta and explaining events in his dating and family life.{{cite news|last1=Clayson|first1=Jane|title=One Surprisingly Modern Arranged Marriage|url=http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/09/15/meet-the-patels-documentary-film|accessdate=18 January 2016|work=On Point - WBUR|date=15 September 2015}}
Reception
=Critical response=
Meet the Patels has received mostly positive reviews from critics.{{cite news|last1=Barker|first1=Andrew|title=Film Review: 'Meet the Patels'|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-meet-the-patels-1201263651/|accessdate=18 January 2016|work=Variety|date=16 July 2014}} The film premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival where it won the audience choice award leading Fox Searchlight to acquire remake rights. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 87%. The site's critical consensus reads, "Meet the Patels works on multiple levels, offering an affably entertaining documentary about one man looking for love while posing thoughtful questions about cultural assimilation and modern romance."{{cite web|title=Meet The Patels|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/meet_the_patels_2014/|website=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=5 May 2020|date=11 September 2015}}
=Accolades=
Meet the Patels won the Audience Choice Award at the 2014 Los Angeles Film Festival, was named a Top 10 Audience Favorite at Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival, named Best Feature Documentary at the Mt. Hood Independent Film Festival, and won the Audience Award at the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival. It was also named the Best Documentary Film and won the Founders Grand Prize Best Film at the Traverse City Film Festival.
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{IMDb title | tt2378401 }}
- [https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/meet-the-patels/ Meet] at PBS's Independent Lens
Category:2014 documentary films
Category:Films about immigration to the United States
Category:Documentary films about Asian Americans
Category:Autobiographical documentary films
Category:Films about Indian Americans
Category:2010s English-language films
Category:Comedy films about Asian Americans