Sneak Preview: "Laws of Attraction"

I was going to do a column on Saved a few weeks ago (which was one of the only good movies screened at this program during that season), but I waited a little too long to write it, and thus, I forgot most of the filmmaker Q&A session content (there wasn?t much said anyway). But, after a two-week break (and this season goes into mid-June), this sneak preview program kicked off again with a screening of Laws of Attraction.

Having not been a fan of its trailers, I was definitely not looking forward to this movie. And the fact that this new program is held further away than the previous season?s, forcing confrontation with the rush hour traffic that loves to just slowly creep along going into Beverly Hills, well, you can sense my emotional state after the show. But anyway, on to the Q&A session?

Producer David T. Friendly was present afterwards, who was introduced as the guy who went through thick and thin to get this movie to the screen. Hearing that note and listening to him talk throughout the session, it was surprising that someone would fight so much for this mediocre project (but David probably doesn?t have the same mindset as I do).

Friendly started off by saying that producing films can be an extremely challenging job sometimes. The film?s production was delayed for a very long time, as no studio would pick up the distribution rights even with its proposed modest budget of $25 million. Studios were even aware that stars Julianne Moore and Pierce Brosnan would be involved, but that didn?t help any. Eventually, Friendly and team managed to get New Line to handle the film.

Brosnan was the first one to sign onto the project, and he felt Moore would be the ideal opposing character (he was the reason Moore was cast). Friendly said that both of those actors were very impressive in how they came to the set every day perfectly prepared for the scenes. He noted that on some productions, you will have some actors who fumble or don?t have dialogue fully memorized, which can lead to frustration, as the schedule gets behind. Behind the scenes, Moore and Brosnan?s relationship somewhat mirrored the tone of the film; they would tease each other all the time, creating a fun atmosphere that would help with their characters? relationship.

Friendly worked on six drafts of the screenplay with different writers and executives. He commented that the more experience you get as a producer, the easier it is to know when the material needs more tweaking. He worked closely with different people in creating the characters? details (which included long hours in studio meetings), as he felt there was more potential with what was originally presented. He knew an easy comparison for this movie would be Intolerable Cruelty, but he didn?t want to re-create that film.

Friendly was actually the one who wanted to see this story written, as he was at a newsstand looking at a headline and instantly got the idea for this film. He felt that the idea of two people who specialize in divorce court having to battle these conditions in their own lives opened up an intriguing window. He said that from there, this process entails hiring a writer to fulfill the vision, and hoping that he/she can fulfill the position, as there aren?t always going to be good writers; this is precisely how the presence of six drafts comes to be.

The host of the program asked him about the potential amongst writers out there, as there seems to be projects in this genre that just don?t work. He wondered if the comedy genre is just a hard one to execute in the writing or if the talent level amongst artists attempting it is not up to par. Friendly thought the answer involves a little bit of both scenarios, as good comedy can be hard to write, but writers? standards are not always high. He felt that with Laws of Attraction, they found solid material to fit their icon talents onscreen.

In terms of marketing the film, Friendly said that the plan involved counter-programming; with a debut this weekend, it will be the only film aimed at an adult audience set apart from the other releases. He noted that 13 Going on 30 is for teenage girls and their moms, Mean Girls will be chasing after a very young female crowd, and Envy is targeting young guys. In comparison, he said that Laws of Attraction will primarily be playing to women over 25, along with the boyfriends and husbands that they drag along to the show.

Friendly liked the idea of Brosnan being in this movie, since as a moviegoer Brosnan?s presence would be a promising sign to him concerning quality. Friendly liked the actor?s comedic side in Mrs. Doubtfire and if he saw the poster for this movie, even if he knew it was a chick flick, Brosnan would be why he?d be willing to see it, and he feels others might feel similarly.

Friendly mentioned that a few days before this screening, a film critic whom was one of his favorites previously, panned the movie in every way possible; and he said it probably took the reviewer fifteen minutes to attack what took the filmmakers years to create. As he mentioned this, I saw one older man in the audience shake his head in disapproval.

Though I was not enjoying this movie at all (I never cracked a smile), the audience at this screening was in for the ride; there were chuckles and laughs throughout, and the general response afterwards was warm. However, I?ve been with this crowd through eight other movies, and these moviegoers are really not that hard to please. Against the Ropes had gotten a fairly positive reception, and there were even people in the room who dug Twisted when it was screened; The Alamo also scored very good reactions with them.

During the break before the filmmaker session, I was ease dropping on the conversation a row behind me. Two older women were commenting on how well written Laws of Attraction was, and how much better it was than the previous love story of this type that they had seen, which was Love Actually (they called that one ?stupid?). Sometimes you wonder why these movies get made, but then you listen to these conversations and the general responses throughout the show, and the answer comes clear.

That wrapped it up for the evening, and next week they are showing Seeing Other People. However, there is a chance that I will be out of town the night that screening takes place (and for a few days following), so don?t heavily rely on a column to show up. If I am around for it, the next column will be up sometime between next Thursday and Saturday (May 6 ? 8).