Adoption, neurosis, the search for one's past -- few films have tackled these topics with as much humor as David O. Russell's 1996 comedy, Flirting With Disaster. The film, which stars Ben Stiller, is a wild and irreverent road movie, one that features biting wit with a healthy dose of amusing slapstick comedy.

Stiller plays Mel Coplin, a neurotic young father who was adopted at birth. Unaware of his biological roots, Mel struggles with an identity crisis, leaving him unable to name his four month old son and straining his relationship with savvy wife Nancy (Patricia Arquette).

Hoping to resolve these issues by finding his biological parents, Mel enlists the help of Tina (Tea Leoni), a sexy yet incompetent adoption counselor who promises to reunite Mel with his long-lost family. The fun begins when Tina, to whom Mel quickly finds himself attracted, leads the Coplins on a disastrous cross-country trek, rife with screw-ups, mistaken identities and a whole lot of hysterically awkward moments that leave more than a few of them in handcuffs.

Russell's film succeeds for a number of reasons. For one, the movie has an incredible cast. While Stiller, who has made a career out of playing amusingly bumbling and quirky lead characters, does all one can ask for as the self-centered Mel, the supporting cast steals the show. Mary Tyler Moore and George Segal take a surprisingly hilarious turn as Mel's equally neurotic and overbearing adoptive parents, who aren't the least bit happy to learn of Mel's desire to uncover his roots.

Just as amusing are Lily Tomlin and Alan Alda, playing free-spirited former Dead Heads (with a few hair-raising secrets). These fine performances, in addition to those of Arquette and Leoni, add a layer of depth and realism to the film, making us laugh at, but also care about, the characters they play.

The cast had a lot to work with, thanks to Russell's tightly wound script. While a lot of comedies (even some really good ones) fall victim to a slow stretch, Disaster simply does not let up. The action moves from one hilarious misadventure to another, giving each amusingly awkward encounter between characters enough time to develop without overdoing it.

The film also relies on some physical humor, which works some, but not all, of the time. As more and more characters throw themselves into the mix, things get crazier and crazier.

In fact, the film tips overboard a little near the end, with ridiculous moments such as Mel's wife getting her armpit licked by a former boyfriend-turned-bisexual federal agent. Regardless, the gut-busting climax left me wanting more of this well-crafted comedy that is definitely worth your time.