A heartfelt comedy returns to the big screen
In the world of cinema, where dark humor and cynicism often dominate, David Gordon Green‘s latest film, Nutcrackers, offers a refreshing change. Starring Ben Stiller as Michael, a lonely city dweller, the movie tells the story of a man who finds himself caring for his newly orphaned nephews. These four wild, long-haired boys turn Michael’s life upside down, but in the process, they all discover the importance of family and connection.
A rare feel-good comedy
Nutcrackers is a rare gem in today’s cinematic landscape—a feel-good comedy that avoids the snark and darkness prevalent in many modern films. The movie charmed audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on its opening night, and both Stiller and Green have expressed a strong desire for it to be shown in theaters rather than on streaming platforms.
Green reflected on the current state of comedies, noting, “There’s a cynicism over the last decade of comedies, and it’s been a few years since we really had that film drive audiences en masse to go [to theaters] and just laugh out loud, that had that simplicity.”
The evolving movie business
Stiller echoed Green’s sentiments, discussing the unpredictable evolution of the movie business due to streaming and other factors. “The movie business has evolved in a very unpredictable way that none of us would have imagined 20 years ago, due to streaming and everything else. At the end of the day, what people like to watch, what they like to feel when they go to the movies, hasn’t changed,” he said. “It’s the same reason people have gone to plays for thousands of years. It’s the same reason why we need to experience storytelling and art in our lives—it’s essential. It’s just about making a commitment to going back to that.”
Stiller added, “The marketplace will go up and down and change. But I think people are always hungry for this kind of movie, and a theatrical experience for this kind of movie, because you don’t get this kind of movie in the theaters that often.”
Lessons from horror applied to comedy
Green, who recently directed the new Halloween trilogy and Exorcist: Believer, shared insights from his experience in the horror genre. ”A lot of what I learned from my friend Jason Blum in the horror genre is you don’t need big explosions and huge special effects to scare the crap out of people. And so taking some of the lessons that I learned with him in the horror genre and trying to apply it to comedy … I think it could follow the same rules of: people that make you glow on the inside when you watch them … that doesn’t need to cost a tremendous amount of money. That needs to come from a place of intentions and humor and warmth that I feel like we can deliver economically.”
He continued, “And then the pressure is not on us so much to make something feel like it has to appeal to everyone. We can start curating things that we respond to from a personal level, from a self-indulgent level, and then slowly integrate that audience that we know could be significant for these films.”
Filming challenges and memorable moments
The film’s setting on the child actors’ real-life farm in Ohio presented unique challenges, particularly with the winter weather. Stiller recalled, “It was cold when we were shooting the movie. I remember the first day … the mini trailer we had on the set lost power, so there was no heat, and it was like 5:30 in the morning. I’m getting makeup and hair [done] with a blanket around me. I was like, ‘This is gonna be a different experience.'”
One memorable scene involved Stiller’s character falling into a frozen pond. “The day I was supposed to fall into the pond, it was frozen,” Stiller said. “In the morning it was frozen … I said to [David], ‘OK so we’re not actually going to do that today, right? We should push it back in the shoot.’ This is Dec. 1.”
As the day progressed and temperatures rose, Stiller found himself facing the icy water. “By five o’clock in the afternoon, it was like 42 degrees, and I was like, ‘All right, I guess I gotta do this, because he’s going to let the stunt man do it but then my ego is going to really be like, ‘I gotta go for it,'” he added.
A surprise appearance
Nutcrackers made a significant impact during its world premiere on September 5 at TIFF, where even the Prime Minister made a surprise appearance to introduce the film. This unexpected endorsement added to the film’s charm and highlighted its potential to resonate with a wide audience.
For those eager to catch a glimpse of this heartwarming comedy, check out the Nutcrackers trailer and experience the magic for yourself.