I love Eulogy. Its the sharpest, sickest funniest and most evil dark comedy of the year. There are some amazing performances by Zooey Deschanel, Hank Azaria, Debra Winger and Ray Romano.
When three generations of a deliciously dysfunctional family gather to bury the family patriarch, the beloved granddaughter of the deceased is given the task of delivering the eulogy. Kate Collins [Zooey Deschanel), struggling through an awkward first year at college, returns home upon the death of her grandfather. At school, Kate might not fit in, but at home, she is quickly surrounded by a disruptive group of people even weirder than she is: her family. She quickly comes to realize that her own fond memories of Grandpa Collins [Rip Torn) are not shared by his children, who can only remember a distant father who could barely keep their names straight. As Kate struggles to find the right words to commemorate the solemn occasion, the rest of the family prepares for the event with its usual unruliness.
This is writer/director Michael Clancys first feature film but hopefully not his last. I think we will be hearing from him for a long time.
Check out the official website for Eulogy
Daniel Robert Epstein: How autobiographical is the movie?
Michael Clancy: Its certainly not autobiographical in that I can say that this character is this person from my life. But if you lived my life you would know where I am drawing all these characters from. Im more fascinated with the sort of politics that exists at every family dinner because people get locked into roles.
DRE: I also liked how it wasnt all about an ethnic or religious family. You didnt touch on that even once.
MC: That part is autobiographical because Im a big of a mutt. I just find that families no matter where they come from have some similarities. Somebody is usually the one in charge of keeping the trains running on and controlling everything and somebody else is a screw-up.
DRE: Which one is the screw-up in this family?
MC: A few of them probably share that role but Id have to say that its Hank Azarias character of Daniel. Hes celebrated for no apparent reason. Screw-up might be an overstatement but he really doesnt have a job and he hasnt made much of his life. But because he was the one who was treated as if he could do no wrong I think very often that role could become a curse. It sort of limits your ability to feel a sense of accomplishment in the greater world.
DRE: But he did raise a good daughter.
MC: He did. Its funny and that daughter also falls under that wing of favoritism.
DRE: How did this cast come together?
MC: I have to say that the script was the thing that drew them. God knows no one was dying to work with Michael Clancy, the new director. I clearly havent done much more than a short film. Its one of those things where you have to get it to enough people kind of at the same time and bring their interest almost simultaneously so you can get them all to see who is standing around the pool before anyone is willing to jump in. You have to use the script and you use a sense of immediacy. We almost started this movie about 20 times over two years before we started the movie.
DRE: Why was that?
MC: Initially I got [producer] Steven Haft involved and we showed the script around. People and financiers liked the script a lot but nobody was willing to sign the check. Under those circumstances if you show a script like that to actors they will show interest but wont really commit on paper. My manager, Todd Harris, suggested we consider making pay or play offers for a specific production day start. He said if Steven was willing to put his money on the line then lets see who we can get. We made pay or play offers to Debra Winger, Ray Romano, Rip Torn and Hank Azaria and they all said yes. Then they all hung in as we then kept pushing the production start to actually raise the money for the film instead of just the money to finance their offers. But lo and behold about a year and a half later they were still there. By then we had added a tremendous list of actors who basically did it for free pizza. We shot it for 28 days and Ray Romano was only available for 14 of those days so the days he worked were especially crazy.
DRE: I heard a story about the shooting of Rushmore. Wes Anderson really wanted to shoot a certain scene but they didnt have enough money so Bill Murray wrote him a blank check. You have some of the wealthiest people in Hollywood in this movie, anything like that happen?
MC: Im still waiting for my blank check if any of them want to thank me financially. But what I did get was a group of incredibly talented, smart and funny group of people working like crazy. It was truly collaborative. I just felt lucky that they would let me in the room.
DRE: Ray Romanos character seems to have the most punchlines. Were you writing those for him or is it just his delivery?
MC: Its just his delivery but his character always had sort of punchlines. Hes playing this sort of a sleazy uncle who doesnt have the ability to censor his thoughts. Ray and I both grew up in Queens around people who had this capacity. They would blurt out something seemingly inappropriate but with enough charm that they could get away with it and then not understand that they said anything wrong. Having said that there was definitely an undercurrent on set especially between Ray and Hank to add the last line to a scene. Most of which we didnt get to put in because they didnt help the scene. Some of those are in there like when Debra is spooning the food she made onto everyones plates and Ray says This looks like it fell out of horse. Another one was when Hank throws a lemon at him and Ray says You dont throw a lemon at me in front of a lesbian. This entire cast was so smart on their feet that I could have just given them the characters and let them improvise.
DRE: Its amazing that Debra Winger is in this. She doesnt do movies anymore.
MC: Yes she came out of hiding for this. She probably worked the hardest of anyone because her character was so tough to play. From the word action she had to be revved up and crazy. She would do anything to sneak a line in and make a scene better. I cant tell you how intelligent these actors were. Not only did they intuitively understand what I was trying to do but they are all uncredited creators of this film.
DRE: Where did you grow up exactly?
MC: Whitestone Queens and now I live in Manhattan.
DRE: Are you Irish?
MC: Clancy is an Irish name but my loving mother raised me to believe I was half Irish and half human. Certainly my fathers parents had immigrated from Ireland so when I spent time with them in the summers it was a fairly Irish household. But my mothers parents I spent time with them everyday after school and they were German and Scottish. Thats pretty much the threads that make up my quilt.
DRE: What was your dinner table like growing up?
MC: Probably most of my holidays were spent with my mothers parents. We had our degree of fireworks. My grandmother who is still alive clearly ran the show. You did not challenge an idea she had without her letting you know about it. If the tension got to high my uncle would pretend to smash his head on the table. The ability for a meal to take a dramatic turn towards hostility or towards comedy was always present. Also in my childhood my parents fought a tremendous amount and had good senses of humor. Those two energies circling around is something I definitely grew up with.
DRE: Are twins inherently evil?
MC: Not to me. Whats remarkable about twins especially twin boys in their teens is that those teenage years are such a weird time. You can feel so insecure but twins always have each other. They are like a two person animal you cant really get to. Twins that I know just have a sort of invulnerability that cant be penetrated. They can get away with certain things and you cant make them feel bad about it because they always have each other. Ive always been fascinated by how secure twins seem to be. The twin characters are not entirely different from Curtis and Keith Garcia who played them. We looked at a 1000 pairs of twins and there wasnt a close second. Most of the ones we looked at clearly got work doing Burger King Commercials or stuff where they were smiling and happy. Then we saw a tape of these two and it didnt take three seconds for me to decide on them. When we were shooting they were literally fighting each other up until I said action. Then as soon as I said cut they went back to attacking each other.
I remember at the end of the first read through one of them pulled me aside and said Let me ask you something. You wrote this whole thing so what are you laughing at? I said that it still sounds funny to me. They were so smart but still so cynical like I shouldnt have the right to laugh at something I wrote.
DRE: I read that Winona Ryder was supposed to be in the movie.
MC: That was a story that got picked up. I met with Winona for Kellys part as we were casting. We had a production start but there were conflicts. I guess the amount of attention she was drawing from the press was so strong that when they even heard we were in talks it became a story.
DRE: The only negative comments Ive heard about Eulogy is that some people thought that your script was better than some of your directing choices.
MC: Well Ill take that as a compliment and a criticism because I know the writer. We shot on a tight schedule but Im very pleased at the performances. It is my first film so I have to learn at some point. Ive had to sit through it 10,000 times and the fact that I dont want to rip my eyes out is a testament to the actors.
DRE: Youre 39 years old, what have you been doing until Eulogy?
MC: Ive been a screenwriter for about 13 years. I live in this weird world where Ive sold every script Ive ever written and none of them have ever been produced. Im one of those strange mutants they keep in the basement of studios. I knew the only way to see anything Ive written get out there was to do it myself.
DRE: Have you done any rewrite work?
MC: For a while after I made my short film I worked for DreamWorks for three years. I developed Cat in the Hat for them. Just when they were about to put the film into production they decided to let the rights go and Universal picked it up and developed an entire different movie. I always felt weird about it because Dr. Seuss was a bit of a hero to me so my fear was writing something that would get me haunted by him.
DRE: What are you doing next?
MC: A film for Paramount with Jim Jackson and Sean Daniels called Sequestered about a messed up jury that gets stuck in a motel on Staten Island. They arent that into the case theyre on so they start throwing these elaborate parties.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
When three generations of a deliciously dysfunctional family gather to bury the family patriarch, the beloved granddaughter of the deceased is given the task of delivering the eulogy. Kate Collins [Zooey Deschanel), struggling through an awkward first year at college, returns home upon the death of her grandfather. At school, Kate might not fit in, but at home, she is quickly surrounded by a disruptive group of people even weirder than she is: her family. She quickly comes to realize that her own fond memories of Grandpa Collins [Rip Torn) are not shared by his children, who can only remember a distant father who could barely keep their names straight. As Kate struggles to find the right words to commemorate the solemn occasion, the rest of the family prepares for the event with its usual unruliness.
This is writer/director Michael Clancys first feature film but hopefully not his last. I think we will be hearing from him for a long time.
Check out the official website for Eulogy
Daniel Robert Epstein: How autobiographical is the movie?
Michael Clancy: Its certainly not autobiographical in that I can say that this character is this person from my life. But if you lived my life you would know where I am drawing all these characters from. Im more fascinated with the sort of politics that exists at every family dinner because people get locked into roles.
DRE: I also liked how it wasnt all about an ethnic or religious family. You didnt touch on that even once.
MC: That part is autobiographical because Im a big of a mutt. I just find that families no matter where they come from have some similarities. Somebody is usually the one in charge of keeping the trains running on and controlling everything and somebody else is a screw-up.
DRE: Which one is the screw-up in this family?
MC: A few of them probably share that role but Id have to say that its Hank Azarias character of Daniel. Hes celebrated for no apparent reason. Screw-up might be an overstatement but he really doesnt have a job and he hasnt made much of his life. But because he was the one who was treated as if he could do no wrong I think very often that role could become a curse. It sort of limits your ability to feel a sense of accomplishment in the greater world.
DRE: But he did raise a good daughter.
MC: He did. Its funny and that daughter also falls under that wing of favoritism.
DRE: How did this cast come together?
MC: I have to say that the script was the thing that drew them. God knows no one was dying to work with Michael Clancy, the new director. I clearly havent done much more than a short film. Its one of those things where you have to get it to enough people kind of at the same time and bring their interest almost simultaneously so you can get them all to see who is standing around the pool before anyone is willing to jump in. You have to use the script and you use a sense of immediacy. We almost started this movie about 20 times over two years before we started the movie.
DRE: Why was that?
MC: Initially I got [producer] Steven Haft involved and we showed the script around. People and financiers liked the script a lot but nobody was willing to sign the check. Under those circumstances if you show a script like that to actors they will show interest but wont really commit on paper. My manager, Todd Harris, suggested we consider making pay or play offers for a specific production day start. He said if Steven was willing to put his money on the line then lets see who we can get. We made pay or play offers to Debra Winger, Ray Romano, Rip Torn and Hank Azaria and they all said yes. Then they all hung in as we then kept pushing the production start to actually raise the money for the film instead of just the money to finance their offers. But lo and behold about a year and a half later they were still there. By then we had added a tremendous list of actors who basically did it for free pizza. We shot it for 28 days and Ray Romano was only available for 14 of those days so the days he worked were especially crazy.
DRE: I heard a story about the shooting of Rushmore. Wes Anderson really wanted to shoot a certain scene but they didnt have enough money so Bill Murray wrote him a blank check. You have some of the wealthiest people in Hollywood in this movie, anything like that happen?
MC: Im still waiting for my blank check if any of them want to thank me financially. But what I did get was a group of incredibly talented, smart and funny group of people working like crazy. It was truly collaborative. I just felt lucky that they would let me in the room.
DRE: Ray Romanos character seems to have the most punchlines. Were you writing those for him or is it just his delivery?
MC: Its just his delivery but his character always had sort of punchlines. Hes playing this sort of a sleazy uncle who doesnt have the ability to censor his thoughts. Ray and I both grew up in Queens around people who had this capacity. They would blurt out something seemingly inappropriate but with enough charm that they could get away with it and then not understand that they said anything wrong. Having said that there was definitely an undercurrent on set especially between Ray and Hank to add the last line to a scene. Most of which we didnt get to put in because they didnt help the scene. Some of those are in there like when Debra is spooning the food she made onto everyones plates and Ray says This looks like it fell out of horse. Another one was when Hank throws a lemon at him and Ray says You dont throw a lemon at me in front of a lesbian. This entire cast was so smart on their feet that I could have just given them the characters and let them improvise.
DRE: Its amazing that Debra Winger is in this. She doesnt do movies anymore.
MC: Yes she came out of hiding for this. She probably worked the hardest of anyone because her character was so tough to play. From the word action she had to be revved up and crazy. She would do anything to sneak a line in and make a scene better. I cant tell you how intelligent these actors were. Not only did they intuitively understand what I was trying to do but they are all uncredited creators of this film.
DRE: Where did you grow up exactly?
MC: Whitestone Queens and now I live in Manhattan.
DRE: Are you Irish?
MC: Clancy is an Irish name but my loving mother raised me to believe I was half Irish and half human. Certainly my fathers parents had immigrated from Ireland so when I spent time with them in the summers it was a fairly Irish household. But my mothers parents I spent time with them everyday after school and they were German and Scottish. Thats pretty much the threads that make up my quilt.
DRE: What was your dinner table like growing up?
MC: Probably most of my holidays were spent with my mothers parents. We had our degree of fireworks. My grandmother who is still alive clearly ran the show. You did not challenge an idea she had without her letting you know about it. If the tension got to high my uncle would pretend to smash his head on the table. The ability for a meal to take a dramatic turn towards hostility or towards comedy was always present. Also in my childhood my parents fought a tremendous amount and had good senses of humor. Those two energies circling around is something I definitely grew up with.
DRE: Are twins inherently evil?
MC: Not to me. Whats remarkable about twins especially twin boys in their teens is that those teenage years are such a weird time. You can feel so insecure but twins always have each other. They are like a two person animal you cant really get to. Twins that I know just have a sort of invulnerability that cant be penetrated. They can get away with certain things and you cant make them feel bad about it because they always have each other. Ive always been fascinated by how secure twins seem to be. The twin characters are not entirely different from Curtis and Keith Garcia who played them. We looked at a 1000 pairs of twins and there wasnt a close second. Most of the ones we looked at clearly got work doing Burger King Commercials or stuff where they were smiling and happy. Then we saw a tape of these two and it didnt take three seconds for me to decide on them. When we were shooting they were literally fighting each other up until I said action. Then as soon as I said cut they went back to attacking each other.
I remember at the end of the first read through one of them pulled me aside and said Let me ask you something. You wrote this whole thing so what are you laughing at? I said that it still sounds funny to me. They were so smart but still so cynical like I shouldnt have the right to laugh at something I wrote.
DRE: I read that Winona Ryder was supposed to be in the movie.
MC: That was a story that got picked up. I met with Winona for Kellys part as we were casting. We had a production start but there were conflicts. I guess the amount of attention she was drawing from the press was so strong that when they even heard we were in talks it became a story.
DRE: The only negative comments Ive heard about Eulogy is that some people thought that your script was better than some of your directing choices.
MC: Well Ill take that as a compliment and a criticism because I know the writer. We shot on a tight schedule but Im very pleased at the performances. It is my first film so I have to learn at some point. Ive had to sit through it 10,000 times and the fact that I dont want to rip my eyes out is a testament to the actors.
DRE: Youre 39 years old, what have you been doing until Eulogy?
MC: Ive been a screenwriter for about 13 years. I live in this weird world where Ive sold every script Ive ever written and none of them have ever been produced. Im one of those strange mutants they keep in the basement of studios. I knew the only way to see anything Ive written get out there was to do it myself.
DRE: Have you done any rewrite work?
MC: For a while after I made my short film I worked for DreamWorks for three years. I developed Cat in the Hat for them. Just when they were about to put the film into production they decided to let the rights go and Universal picked it up and developed an entire different movie. I always felt weird about it because Dr. Seuss was a bit of a hero to me so my fear was writing something that would get me haunted by him.
DRE: What are you doing next?
MC: A film for Paramount with Jim Jackson and Sean Daniels called Sequestered about a messed up jury that gets stuck in a motel on Staten Island. They arent that into the case theyre on so they start throwing these elaborate parties.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
missy:
I love Eulogy. Its the sharpest, sickest funniest and most evil dark comedy of the year. There are some amazing performances by Zooey Deschanel, Hank Azaria, Debra Winger and Ray Romano....