LOS ANGELES — It’s a story about how comedy can help overcome a potential tragedy.
“Is This Thing On?” is the story of Alex and Tess, played by Will Arnett and Laura Dern. The two, who’ve been married for about 20 years, have decided to split. Tess stays with their kids in their home outside New York City, while Alex rents an apartment in Manhattan. One night, Alex steps into a bar and, to avoid the cover charge, he signs up to participate in the open mic comedy night. He discovers that comedy helps him deal with his moments post-separation.
As the film goes on, we see them both coming to terms with who they are as individuals, where their relationship stands and how they see each other.
On The Red Carpet and Searchlight Pictures teamed up for a look behind the scenes of the film, plus a conversation with stars Arnett, Cooper, Dern and Andra Day.
“It’s just learning to be honest enough with yourself that you can actually tell the other person, which is so much braver,” Dern said. “We’ve all lived that story, you know. Every couple has been through that story.”
Arnett wrote the script with Mark Chappell, and then Cooper came on board to direct, star and co-produce.
“As Bradley came into it, Bradley started to discover what the film was telling him, what the story was revealing to him,” Dern continued.
Cooper added, “The beautiful thing to me at least is that we were partners through the whole thing. I don’t know how to shoot anything that I haven’t written and been part of the writing process. And for Will, then, to be acting those words, and for us to be talking about the scenes and be able to rewrite them on the day, every day. And because we had a sense of what our purpose is.. “
“That was the improv,” Arnett said. “And then we’d get these new pages and go ‘yes, yes.’ And of course as we were doing it, it would change because in the moment…”
“You’re inhabiting it,” Cooper added.
“Inhabiting it. We never had a preconceived notion of how the scene was gonna go and that’s the best part,” Arnett continued.
“Listen, the first word that comes to mind about what Will is bringing to this role is authenticity. And belief, you know, belief in what he’s doing, belief in all of our work, belief in his director,” said Day.
Watch the “On The Red Carpet Presents: Is This Thing On?” special in the player above.
“Is Thing Thing On?” is playing in theaters everywhere.
The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of Searchlight Pictures and this ABC station.
