Director’s Statement
Since I was ten I have wanted to make movies. My hope was to one day write something good enough that I could force people to let me direct it. Having been on many meetings as a writer I could tell that most of the things that studios were looking for were not exactly in my wheelhouse. So, I set about writing a story that would be the kind of movie that I would like to see. For me that meant getting personal.
THE ANSWER MAN is my attempt to address several themes in my life. Fathers and sons. Overprotective parents. Drinking. A seemingly elusive Higher Power. A distaste for new age psychobabble. Romantic love. And, a deep reverence for sarcasm. I poured every bit of my life into that story although nothing in the movie actually happened. If that sounds like an oxymoron I would like to quote John Steinbeck who said “something doesn’t have to have happened for it to be true”. I got a brief smattering of attention but nothing really happened until PersonNameKevin Messick came on board and agreed to produce it. From that point forward it was an almost inexorable path toward production. Not that there weren’t a few bumps on the road but in retrospect it was as smooth a journey as one could ask for.
In my years doing stand-up comedy I learned one thing: don’t tell a story with jokes. Use jokes to tell a story. I love stories of smart flawed people with a great sense of humor who are in a state of moral crisis. I want to laugh with them and at them. I want to be there when they’ve tried every trick in the book and the only thing left is the truth. And ultimately, I want a happy ending for all the characters. But, one that is earned. I both love and miss the optimism of Frank Capra.
Casting was an amazing process. We chose to pick the perfect cast and then try and get financing. When we went to cast the role of Arlen Faber we had a couple of things to consider. A lot of people encouraged me to go younger with the role of Arlen. Something I was not willing to do. Arlen is fifty years old for a reason.
I wanted to show someone who was set in his ways and then introduce characters who would make change not only possible but necessary. I needed an actor who could be intellectual, vulnerable, funny, and a romantic lead. When Jeff Daniels read the script he called me right away. Listening to him talk about the story it was as though he had written it himself. He got every nuance I had worked for as well as the overarching theme of the story. His work in the movie is as amazing to me now as it was when I was on the set.
For the part of Elizabeth, Lauren Graham was the only actress I met with. I think you’ll see why. To me she is the closest thing we have to those great fast talking women of the forties and fifties. I didn’t need a girl, I needed a woman. She was perfect. I was a fan of Lou Taylor Pucci’s from Thumbsucker and I was delighted when he agreed to do it. Oliva Thirlby, Kat Dennings, Nora Dunn, and Tony Hale all jumped on board and we were set. The work of the entire cast exceeded my expectations and to this day I wonder how I got so lucky.
I miss shooting it. I miss the front row seat I had for the best parts of somebody else’s life. We caught it all on film of course. But, I was right there with those characters when they experienced the biggest moments of their life. You can’t beat that.
Production notes provided by Magnolia Pictures.
The Answer Man
Starring: Jeff Daniels, Lauren Graham, Kat Dennings, Olivia Thirlby, Tony Hale, Nora Dunn
Directed by: John Hindman
Screenplay by: John Hindman
Release Date: July 24th, 2009
MPAA Rating: R for language.
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
Box Office Totals
Domestic: $26,676 (100.0%)
Foreign: —
Total: $26,676 (Worldwide)