“Should we screw this up?”
“Yes indeed.”
Tess and Alex Novak (Laura Dern and Will Arnett) are brushing their teeth next to each other in the bathroom one evening when they suddenly realize: This is over, now we’re breaking up.
While Tess stays in the villa with the children, the financier Alex moves to the city and seeks solace in alcohol. One evening he accidentally ends up in a comedy club – to avoid entry, he signs up for the open stage. Suddenly he stands in front of the audience and says: “I think I’m going to get a divorce. I live in an apartment where my wife and children aren’t, that’s a clue.”
How “Is this thing on?” works. begins. which is inspired by real events. The screenplay by Will Arnett and Bradley Cooper is loosely based on the story of British comedian John Bishop and his path to stand-up comedy. Will Arnett heard the story when he met Bishop through some friends a few years ago…
– I sat there and listened to him describe the liberation from the crappy state of life when he started performing as a comedian, how it allowed him to sort out his emotions and thereby find a way to talk to his wife again. “And I felt like, my God, this is too good a story not to do anything about it,” says Will Arnett, who at first seems more comfortable talking about his love of Stockholm than his job.
“It was such a clear framework for a love story that goes backwards and has a slightly different hope,” says Arnett, who has been divorced twice, most recently in 2014 from his colleague Amy Poehler, with whom he has two children.
He broke through as hopelessly selfish and failed magician Oscar “Gob” Bluth II in the long-running series “Arrested Development” (2003–2019). Over the course of his career, he has also voiced financial fraudsters (Mr. Perkins in “Stupid Me”), superheroes (Batman in “The Lego Movie”), cynical chefs (“Rattatouille”) and alcoholic horse actors (“BoJack Horseman”). As an actor, you often have the opportunity to try out many different professional roles at work, but the role of a stand-up comedian is unusual. How does it work? You just have to try it yourself.
– My God, how nervous I was, he says, rolling his eyes.
– To prepare for the recording, I had to perform several times incognito at a location in Texas. It’s terrible to stand in front of a group of people who think, and in some cases outright say, “What the hell are you doing?” You probably can’t understand the job if you haven’t been there yourself, he says.
It would still be like that even worse when they started filming – even in front of an audience that didn’t know it was a film shoot.
– When I was introduced as Alex Novak, I really realized the difficulties. One of the hardest things was sticking with the material and not revealing who I really was and that it wasn’t serious.
Like many stand-up newcomers with some talent, Will Arnett’s – or at least Alex Novak’s – stage skills and techniques developed over time. At least he felt a little warmer in his clothes.
– I used to enjoy getting up, but without any real insight – either it was good or not so good. Now I understand that it’s a real art form – you get direct feedback on your performance and you have to always be one step ahead and focused on the next line, regardless of the audience’s reactions.
“Is this thing on?” holds lots of stand-up scenes and reflections on stage humor, with supporting roles from professionals like Jordan Jensen and Chloe Radcliffe. But the biggest focus is on the relationship between Alex, Tess and their two sons – is all lost or is there a way back? The tone is reserved, as in the quiet opening scene of brushing your teeth.
– Movies teach us that breakups are dramatic and full of arguments, but in reality they are often quiet and sad. It can be a decision on an ordinary Wednesday, without screaming or broken things – mostly gray and dreary, with a focus on protecting children, says Will Arnett.
– And if it was difficult to transform into a fighting stand-up, this situation between me and Laura Dern was almost the most difficult of all, not shouting, arguing and acting out all the emotions, but just being in this heavy head. We worked a lot on that.
So what kind of movie is this really? Now you have to decide on the genre!
– Yes, somehow you want to clarify this, but … It’s all and nothing, back and forth, says Arnett, pauses briefly and makes a suggestion:
– Can you say without presumption that it is like life? An ordinary day is rarely just funny or tragic – it is usually chaotic. You laugh, receive sad news, experience small accidents and unexpected joys – all at the same time.
– Whatever we did, I will take to heart the reviews of some comedians. Amy Schumer chimed in and said it reminded her why she became a stand-up comedian. And most important was the comment from the author, John Bishop:
“You got it.”
Facts.Will Arnett
Actor, comedian and producer. Born: 1970 in Toronto, Canada. Was previously married to Amy Poehler (2003-2014), with whom he also has two sons.
His breakthrough role was as Oscar “Gob” Bluth II in “Arrested Development” (2003-2019), which earned him an Emmy nomination. Also nominated four times for Best Guest Actor in “30 Rock” and twice for the title role in “BoJack Horseman” (2014-2020).
Also had roles in films like “Hot Rod,” “Blades of Glory,” and “Semi-Pro.”
Currently with “Is this thing on?” which celebrates its Swedish cinema premiere on February 27th.
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