Adam Scott & Clark Duke Talk 'A.C.O.D.'
Adam Scott and Clark Duke walk into the interview room smiling, two of Hollywood’s funniest comedians have been doing interviews nonstop for their film A.C.O.D. and if they were tired, they certainly fooled us. Adam (Parks & Rec) and Clark (The Office) play brothers Carter and Trey who are both A.C.O.D.s, or Adult Children of Divorce. The chemistry these two actors have in the film is spot on, and that same dynamic is seen here at the press day, cracking jokes and having us laughing the entire time. We begin:
THE CHARACTER THAT YOU PLAYED WENT THROUGH HELL, WHAT WAS IN YOUR MIND WHEN YOU READ THE SCRIPT?
ADAM SCOTT: I think a lot of the movie is very painful, but I think that’s where a lot of really good comedy comes from… I thought it looked like a lot of fun and luckily it was.
CARTER HAS SUCH A MESSED UP RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS PARENTS, HOW DO YOU ENSURE THAT YOU DO A GOOD JOB AS A DAD?
AS: I had a great example from my parents who split up when I was very young, but did it in a way where it didn’t really affect [me].
CLARK DUKE: They just put you up for adoption, right?
AS: Yeah they put me up for adoption, left me out on the front doorstep, which was really positive!
[LAUGHTER]
CLARK, DID YOUR ROLE FEEL LIKE THE COMIC RELIEF OF THE FILM?
CD: A little bit, I hate to say that though because everybody in the movie is so much funnier than me, when you have Catherine O’Hara and Richard Jenkins… but yeah, just because [my character, Trey] is naïve and a loveable simpleton.
AS: I think one of my favorite parts in the movie is when I say to Clark, ‘You guys are getting married? You just met, like, three months ago’ and, it wasn’t necessarily written this way, but he said the line like, ‘yeah… it has been three months!’
[LAUGHTER]
AMY [POEHLER] IS YOUR WIFE ON PARKS AND REC, DID YOU GUYS HAVE ANY LAUGHS ABOUT THE FACT THAT SHE'S YOUR STEPMOM IN THIS MOVIE?
AS: Yeah, it was really fun to just hate each other’s guts. And it’s not like we have some sort of redemptive ending… we just still hate each other at the end of the movie.
ADAM, I ACTUALLY SAW YOU AT THE UPRIGHT CITIZEN'S BRIGADE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AND YOU HAVE A GREAT IMPROV STYLE...
CD: [To Adam] Hey dude, do you wanna borrow some money? Is everything OK?
[LAUGHTER]
AS: Yeah, that would be great.
CD: OK, we will talk after.
WERE THERE ANY SCENES IN THE FILM THAT WERE IMPROVISED? ANY ONE-LINERS?
AS: You know, there are little, tiny things here and there but not really…
CD: Just small bits like the thing he said about my line.
AS: Yeah, but with a script that’s as good as this one you don’t necessarily need to [improvise].
I LOVED THE CASTING- YOU GUYS WERE BRILLIANT AS BROTHERS. WHEN YOU CAME TOGETHER FOR THE TABLE READ, DID YOU FEEL THAT [CHEMISTRY]?
AS: We had worked together before and were friends and had briefly dated…
[LAUGHTER]
AS: I think once the cast was assembled it was like, you can’t really go wrong with all these people. They were so good.
Adult Children of Divorce Unite in 'A.C.O.D.'
For some, watching A.C.O.D. may be like realizing there’s a club out there that you didn’t know you belonged to; a group of adults who have successfully, or unsuccessfully, integrated into mainstream society despite their unconventional childhood (blame placed on the divorced parents). These people are called “A.C.O.D.s,” or “Adult Children of Divorce”. Carter, played by Adam Scott, is one of these people.
Carter is seemingly a well-adjusted guy, running a successful restaurant, in a long-term relationship with his supportive girlfriend (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and has a great dynamic with his divorced parents, but only when visiting them one at a time. His parents (Richard Jenkins and Catherine O’Hara) are ridiculously childish, with their banter making up a good portion of the film’s comedy, and their awful behavior towards each other presents a problem for Carter, as news of his little brother Trey’s (Clark Duke) wedding day approaches.
Carter wants nothing more than for his parents to be able to enjoy Trey’s wedding together, so he stages an “intervention” to bring the two back to speaking terms. What Carter doesn’t plan on, however, is their re-sparked chemistry, which leads to an affair, and now Carter’s problem isn’t how to bring them together, but rather, how to peel them off of each other.
In a room full of movie critics, I even heard several laugh out loud… which is a good sign for any comedy.
The characters in the film are what make it such a solid comedy; first off there’s Adam Scott, the quintessential sarcastic anti-hero. Then there’s Jane Lynch, the wacky pseudo-psychologist who tries to help Carter deal with being an “A.C.O.D.” Amy Poehler is a genius as Carter’s stepmom, Sondra, although a bit of a strange dynamic since us “Parks & Rec” fans are used to seeing Poehler as Scott’s lover. Richard Jenkins and Catherine O’Hara round out the comedic roster. If any actor were missing from this film, it wouldn’t be half the success I project it to be.
A.C.O.D. is a genuinely funny film with an all-star cast, an obvious success for first-time director Stu Zicherman. Although it's not flawless, Jessica Alba's character is seemingly pointless and the script does tend to drag on at times, but overall, it's a very enjoyable film. In a room full of movie critics, I even heard several people laugh out loud… which is a good sign for any comedy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hRpWVw6fEU
Director Stu Zicherman on 'A.C.O.D.'
Even though this is Stu Zicherman’s directorial debut, you’d never guess it. With A-list comedic talent and his show-runner background, Zicherman knew exactly how to prep and shoot his indie comedy A.C.O.D., (he claims being a show-runner is harder than being a director). He is very enthusiastic and energetic as we sit down for his interview. Behind his left shoulder is a poster for A.C.O.D and I immediately ask him about what it’s like to see his name amongst some of Hollywood’s finest actors, like Adam Scott, Catherine O’Hara, Amy Poehler, Jessica Alba, Jane Lynch, and Richard Jenkins. We begin:
THIS BEING YOUR FIRST FEATURE FILM, YOU LOOK AT THE POSTER AND SEE ALL THE NAMES… IS THAT SURREAL TO YOU?
Oh yeah, the whole thing’s surreal. The other night Adam [Scott] was on Jay Leno and they showed a clip of the movie and Jay Leno was saying ‘ACOD’ and I was like, this is just crazy!
WHEN DID YOU HAVE THIS IDEA?
I think when you’re a kid you don’t really have any perspective, you’re just kind of in it. It feels scary and weird at times, but for me, it also felt funny and irreverent. Then you get to a point where you grow up and you start fucking up your own relationships and you’re like, ‘What is wrong with me?’ Then you realize, oh I had no role models. My parents made a mess of it and I have no idea what I’m doing. And that was the inspiration for the movie.
WAS A.C.O.D. ALWAYS SET OUT TO BE A COMEDY?
Yeah, it was. I always had this idea for an opening of a movie that started with ‘Fuck you.’
[LAUGHTER]
I wanted to make something you could call a comedy but it’s also about a subject that you can’t completely make fun of… At the end of the day, the intention of the movie was not to be solely about divorce. The message of the movie at the end is that whether you’re from married parents or divorced parents, you’re not destined to repeat the patterns of your parents.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE CASTING PROCESS?
Well, it started with Adam… Adam to me was the classic anti-hero, he’s got a very cynical, funny point of view on things and I love that. And once I got Adam, I started looking at other people I really loved, like Richard Jenkins. We got him, and once you start to get those kinds of people, it starts to roll. I went after Jane [Lynch] and Amy [Poehler] to play parts that were not straightforward and funny.
WOULD YOU CONSIDER A SEQUEL IF THIS WAS SUCCESSFUL?
Haha, I don’t think there’s a sequel, although at one of the screenings in New York, Christie Brinkley came up to me and said ‘I think you should do a sequel, I have lots of stories for you about divorce.’
[LAUGHTER]
That’s been fun for me; since Sundance, it’s been really fun having people come up to me saying, ‘I didn’t realize I was part of this ‘thing’,’ or ‘My parents got divorced when I was blah, blah blah,’ and it’s kind of funny. I’m not a shrink by any means, I have no answers for anybody, but it’s been fun.
Catherine O'Hara & Jane Lynch on 'A.C.O.D.'
Catherine O'Hara and Jane Lynch have been friends for years, they're part of the original "Brat Pack," starring in classic Christopher Guest films such as Best in Show and For Your Consideration, and they're reunited once again for "A.C.O.D." O’Hara plays Carter’s selfish (and slightly horny) mother Melissa, and Lynch plays Dr. Judith, Carter’s wacky therapist. As to be expected, they fit the roles perfectly. Catherine and Jane walk into the interview with the biggest smiles on their faces; they command the room so much so that the men stand up to shake their hands, a nice gesture that both ladies appreciate. We begin:
YOU KNOW WHAT I LOVE ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER, JANE?
JANE LYNCH: Tell me…
[LAUGHTER]
JL: Again and again, please.
YOU'RE THE TYPE OF CHARACTER THAT CAN GET AN EMOTION, WHETHER IT'S ANGER OR LAUGHTER, AND YOUR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS...
JL: Oh that’s great, I’ll have to watch myself next time.
WHERE DO YOU GO TO GET SOMEONE LIKE THAT?
JL: I think it’s the oblivious, blind ambition that people have sometimes and it doesn’t even really matter how you may hurt somebody else, and [my character] just saw an opportunity and jumped on it. Basically, [my character] said, ‘I’m gonna use you to resurrect my career.’
CATHERINE, TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER, HOW'D YOU GET OFF ON [PLAYING MELISSA]?
CATHERINE O’HARA: Oh, I got off all right….
[LAUGHTER]
JL: Yeah, she and Richard Jenkins got off…
CO: Haha, well the last thing a parent should be is selfish, but we’re only human and this mother is just so selfish. The fact that Carter’s parents have bad-mouthed each other for all these years and tried to turn their children against each other is just so beyond immature. But you know, people behaving badly is kinda fun, especially when they so don’t think they’re behaving badly.
HOW DID YOU REACT IN THE SCRIPT WHEN YOU [AND RICHARD JENKIN'S CHARACTER HUGH] FINALLY GOT BACK TOGETHER? AND THEN CARTER'S LIKE, 'WE'VE GOT TO STOP THIS!'?
CO: It was kind of sad that [Carter] was so repulsed by us, that’s not very flattering…
[LAUGHTER]
JL: Yeah, they’re awful people
CO: Aww, come on!
WELL THERE IS THIS SAYING, 'THE GREATER THE ANGER, THE MORE POWERFUL THE LOVE.'
CO: Oh yeah, well you have to care to get mad. So [our characters] really care about each other, because we’re still after 20 years…‘Ahhh!’
IN A ROOM FULL OF CRITICS, HEARING THEM LAUGH OUT LOUD IS A REALLY GOOD SIGN...
JL: Oh that’s great!
CO: Oh good!
DID YOU SENSE THAT AT THE FIRST ROUNDTABLE READING THIS WAS GOING TO BE A SUCCESSFUL FILM?
CO: Oh yeah, when I read it for the first time…
JL: Yeah, me too.
CO: Yeah, it’s got great stuff in it. It’s real because it comes from Stu Zicherman [director] and Ben Karlin’s [writer] real lives! It’s all based on real pain…
SO MANY PEOPLE ARE REACTING TO THIS FILM, ARE YOU GUYS PREPARED NOW TO HEAR PEOPLE'S STORIES [OF DIVORCE]? YOU'RE GOING TO BE REAL-LIFE SHRINKS NOW.
CO: I’ll just tell them to get out of my face.
[LAUGHTER]
JL: I think this is the first generation of adult children of divorce who are now adults. Now since divorce has become this viably acceptable option, we now have, as my character says, ‘the most un-parented generation in history.’ [Marriage is] a social meme that doesn’t work for everybody; It didn’t really work for my parents, although they were of a generation where that’s what you did, you stay together no matter what. Now, we have this option where you can come in and leave if it doesn’t work.
CO: You shouldn’t be made to feel like you have to get married. Really, you shouldn’t get married unless you’re ready to, and you love yourself already.
Controversy Surrounds Third-Trimester Abortions in 'After Tiller'
A good documentary is one that doesn't leave you as soon as the lights come up; you get in your car to go home with an unsettling feeling of what you just watched still lingering.
Expect to feel this way with After Tiller, the controversial documentary from directing duo, Martha Shane and Lana Wilson. After Tiller profiles the four remaining American doctors who perform third-trimester abortions, and their daily struggle with the public scrutiny they face.
The women Shane and Wilson profile who are seeking out these late-term abortions are not the “16 and pregnant,” careless girls you may expect. Most of them are women who desperately want to have a family, who are mentally ready to become parents, yet discover their unborn child has birth deformations that would severely affect their quality of life or ability to sustain life at all. Bones that won’t bend and lungs that will never work on their own are just some of the futures these unborn children would face, and while every child deserves a chance to live, what is life if you’re bound to machinery from a hospital bed from birth?
No matter what side of the fence you sit on, After Tiller does a great job of providing insight and compassion for the other side.
After Tiller paints an incredibly emotional picture of women struggling with the biggest and most painful decision of their lives, as well as how extremely difficult this job is for the doctors that perform the abortions. From their perspective, these doctors believe that if they are not able to safely help women perform abortions, some women may become desperate and try to do it on their own. In this sense, the filmmakers are very fair with their representation of abortion; there is no clear "left" or "right" views forced into the audience's mind.
What was most captivating to me was the day-to-day life the doctors lead; when they walk out of their office, they expect to be assassinated. They receive death threats in the middle of the night. They're constantly living in fear for their lives, yet they continue to go to work every morning, truly believing that they are helping women who need them.
No matter what side of the fence you sit on, After Tiller does a great job of providing insight and compassion for the other side. You may not leave the theater with a different view, but that's not the point. A good film is one that starts a conversation and provokes thought, and After Tiller is certainly one of those films.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf3rETOO62s
Catalina Film Festival: Kate Bosworth and 'Big Sur'
Day 2 of the Catalina Film Fest was all about the independent drama, Big Sur. We talked to director Michael Polish and actress Kate Bosworth, who recently got married after meeting on the set, about the adaptation from novel to film. Plus, Michael lets us in on a couple of "Michael Polish" surprises. We also chatted with Jean-Marc Barr, who plays Jack Kerouac, about his admiration for his character.
Big Sur opens in theaters on November 1st.
'Best Man Down': Catalina Film Fest, Day 1
The Catalina Film Festival kicked off last week and Cinemacy was in the front row, covering the highlights of the independent festival. We catch Patricia Arquette who was receiving the "Catalina Career Tribute Award," which highlighted her most memorable roles in Hollywood. We also talk with Ted Koland, director of the independent dramedy Best Man Down, starring Justin Long (Accepted) and Jess Weixler (Teeth). Best Man Down is a film about one newlywed couple's last-minute decision to cancel their honeymoon in order to make funeral arrangements for their best man, who unexpectedly dies after their wedding ceremony.
Best Man Down opens in theaters October 3rd.
Director Bryan Fogel & Ivan Sergei Talk 'Jewtopia'
Bryan Fogel and Ivan Sergei seem like best friends, I walk into the interview room and I’m immediately greeted with great energy and Max the dog, sleeping in the corner. “Jewtopia” is Fogel’s feature film as a director; his past credits include playwright, producer and author. Ivan Sergei, while not quite a household name, is soon to launch into celebrity-dom. He plays Christian O’Connell (although his name is oddly missing from the IMDB page), the love-struck gentile who pretends to be Jewish to win the attention of Alison Marks, played by Jennifer Love Hewitt.
CINEMACY: What took 8 years to finally come to this point? How was that possible?
BRYAN FOGEL: Uh, 8 years! Haha. This is something I wanted to do so badly and for me, creatively, I felt like I couldn’t move on until I got this film made. And I fought like hell to get it made.
IVAN SERGEI: Yeah, it was a play…
FOGEL: And the play and the movie are so, so different [but] the concept and the comedy is similar. I think when your will is strong enough you can get something done and that was certainly the case here.
CINEMACY: And it took you less than a month to actually shoot?
SERGEI: Yeah, 21 days.
CINEMACY: So was it like, every single day you were filming something?
SERGEI: Yeah but all the actors are really professional, they all know what they’re doing. They came to work knowing what they wanted to do… and that’s where the real fun things happened.
FOGEL: [Especially] knowing that there wasn’t going to be a lot of stuff on the cutting room floor. When I went into the edit, my director’s cut of the film was like, 97 minutes! I knew that what I was shooting was going to be in the movie…haha.
CINEMACY: Silly question, was the catering kosher?
FOGEL: No, haha. I think if you see the film, this is not a…
SERGEI: Kosher film
FOGEL: Kosher film by any stretch of the imagination.
CINEMACY: I wrote a note here, I kind of pictured it as like the new “Tyler Perry movie for Jews.” I thought it was pretty funny and such a great ensemble cast, what was the table read like for both of you?
FOGEL: The table read was the first time that I heard the movie… and everyone was just cracking up.
SERGEI: Yeah I’ve always said that Jamie-Lynn Sigler stole the table read by far, she was awesome.
CINEMACY: Bryan, what was it about Ivan that made you cast him as your leading man?
FOGEL: Ivan was just the best for the role; it really came down to that. And once I saw him with Joel [David Moore], they played so well off of each other and they looked good on camera together, it all meshed.
SERGEI: It was a compliment too, there are a lot of great people in [the film] and I’m sure it would have been great to get a big name in that role, and they probably could’ve gotten one too, so it was really a compliment for me to get it.
FOGEL: That process of when I want something and have passion towards something rather than somebody sitting on the sidelines, and Ivan, being so involved and me knowing how much he liked the film and how much he wanted to do it, on top of me thinking he was incredible, was what pushed it over the edge for me.
CINEMACY: What was it like working with Jennifer Love Hewitt?
SERGEI: I actually did “Party of 5” with her way back when… She’s an awesome girl, she’s maybe what you think she is and maybe she’s not what you think she is from her characters. We had really good chemistry; it was a lot of fun to work with her.
CINEMACY: Going into [the film], did you have any reservations about possibly offending anyone?
FOGEL: That’s been the core of “Jewtopia” along the way, if it’s not offending some people I’m not doing a good job. I think comedy in general, you either love comedy or you’re the person who gets offended by comedy. With “Jewtopia” it’s either people are like, ‘this is the funniest thing in the world’ because it’s so offensive, or ‘oh my God, this is so offensive, how could somebody do this,’ and I’m happy when people have that reaction cause that means it’s striking a chord.
Jewtopia is in theaters September 20th.