The Hope College Knickerbocker Fall Film Series will continue with the real life romantic comedy “Meet the Patels” on Monday-Saturday, Oct. 12-17, at 7:30 p.m.
A romantic comedy-documentary, “Meet the Patels” centers on Ravi Patel, an almost-30-year-old Indian-American, who enters a love triangle between the woman of his dreams ... and his parents. Filmed by Ravi’s sister in what started as a family vacation video, “Meet the Patels” reveals how love is a family affair.
Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter has described the film as “The funniest doc I've seen in years and a sure-fire Oscar contender.” Variety has called it “Riotously Funny.”
Fresh out of a breakup with his secret white girlfriend, who his parents knew nothing about, Ravi goes on a family vacation to India with his head and heart spinning.
Ravi is willing to do whatever it takes to find love—but there’s one tricky detail to consider: in his family, everyone has the last name Patel. Patels marry other Patels. It is not considered incest; it only means they are from the same 50-square mile radius in India. Struck by how overwhelmingly happy the marriages are of his Patel family and friends, Ravi enters a fool-proof Patel matchmaking system and embarks on a worldwide search for another American Patel just like him.
The Patel network is instantly alerted of Ravi’s availability through his legendary matchmaker mother and his life-advice-spouting father, both of whom expertly quarterback Ravi’s love life through a system that has brought love into the lives of all of Ravi’s cousins. During this process, Ravi can’t seem to shake his documentarian sister who follows him around, inserting commentary at every whim. Over the course of a year, Ravi’s parents send him on a whirlwind of dates around the United States via the “Biodating” system, a chain of weddings, online matrimonial websites, and the “Patel Matrimonial Convention.” This comedy explores universal questions such as what the nature of love is, how it’s found and how it’s kept.
Directed by siblings Ravi Patel and Geeta Patel, this award-winning film is from producer Janet Eckholm (“American Splendor”), Academy Award-winning executive producer Geralyn Dreyfous (“Born into the Brothels”) and PBS. The film is rated PG.
Following “Meet the Patels,” the Knickerbocker Fall Film Series will continue with “A Brilliant Young Mind,” showing Monday-Saturday, Nov. 30-Dec. 5. All films begin at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for the individual films are $7 for regular admission, and $6 for senior citizens, Hope College faculty and children. Tickets will be sold at the door but are also available in advance at the Events and Conferences Office located downtown in the Anderson-Werkman Financial Center (100 E. Eighth St.). The office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at (616) 395-7890.
The Knickerbocker Theatre is located in downtown Holland at 86 E. Eighth St.