In the new comedy starring David Duchovny and Anna Faris, a feuding family vies for the love of their terminally sick aunt, who has a sizable bequest to give to one lucky family member.
Exists there still a market for comedic films that make light of really serious subjects?
The Estate is a comic escapade in which a feuding family, most of whom despise one another, attempts to win the huge fortune of a dying relative by any means necessary.
David Duchovny, Anna Faris, Rosemary DeWitt (Rachael Getting Married), and Toni Collette are featured (Sixth Sense).
To prevent him from marrying their aunt and claiming her inheritance, the film’s protagonists attempt to get an elderly man to sexually assault their teenage relative by flashing her. In another scene, one of the cousins forces her husband to sleep with a wealthy family member in an attempt to, shall we say, cheer her up.
The Estate cast and David Duchovny discuss playing “fast and loose”
Duchovny, who portrays Richard (or Dick, as he frequently refers to himself while trying to sleep with his on-screen cousin – seriously), told the Backstage, and cinema podcast, that not every film must have a political statement or self-censor.
“I think it’s nice to have a little fun with things that people often take too seriously,” he says.
“It is not attempting to convince people not to take critical matters seriously, but for that two hours or so, it is not taking them seriously.
It is not a position paper about how an individual should live his or her life.
He continues, “I believe the issue now is that every film is considered as a position paper.
This has never been my experience… A film’s good politics do not make it a good film; it merely makes it a film with good politics.
Let’s say this is a decent film with poor politics.
Faris adds that she has been “part of a lot of offensive things,” possibly referring to films such as Scary Movie and The Dictator (though the offence is often a subjective idea…)
“I’m like numb. I can no longer evaluate anything. Therefore, you cannot upset me.”
Toni Collette, an Australian actress, told Backstage that “funny is funny.”
If something is humorous, it will appeal to you.
After apologizing to Faris for her opinion on the difference between American and British comedy (she believes American comedies are sometimes too forced), she says of The Estate’s vulgarity, “It’s a natural result of the conditions the characters are experiencing.”
The comedy was a major factor in the cast’s decision to accept the project, as Duchovny explained to Backstage: “I thought it was pretty raunchy and amusing, and it reminded me of comedies from ten or fifteen years ago that I had missed.”
Rosemarie DeWitt concurred, stating, “It was profane, and you (David) made it even more so, which is remarkable… it was a no-brainer – and it was humorous on the page, which is always a great beginning.”
DeWitt also said that her co-star Collette was also her agent, which was a very clear factor in her decision to participate in the film.
Faris told Backstage that their time on set was one of her favorite filming experiences because “we were constantly laughing.”
“We were playing in a manner that I wasn’t able to on Mom (her long-running show), and it just felt so fantastic.”
Collette remarked that it was “wonderful to witness all of these brilliant actors laughing so hard while attempting to deliver their lines.”
“I’m enjoying myself. I believe it is necessary to enjoy something that much in life in general.”
