The Marc Pease Experience
Encyclopedia
The Marc Pease Experience is a 2009 comedy film
directed by Todd Louiso
and written by Louiso and Jacob Koskoff. Shot primarily in and around Wilmington
and New Hanover County, North Carolina
in early 2007, the film is centered around Marc Pease, a man living in the past, when he was the star of his high school's musicals. The film stars Jason Schwartzman
as Pease, Ben Stiller
as Pease's former mentor, and Anna Kendrick
as his love interest.
) ran out on his performance as the Tin Man in a production of The Wiz
, succumbing to his stage fright despite his mentor Mr Gribble's (Ben Stiller
) encouragement. Eight years later, he is dating Meg Brickman (Anna Kendrick
), a high school senior who is bitter about being in the chorus and not having a principal role in Gribble's latest production of The Wiz. Marc is keen for Gribble to produce the demo tape for his a cappella
singing group Meridian 8 (which has already lost four of eight original members). Gribble, however, tries to avoid Marc, frustrated that Marc refuses to leave him alone because of the friendly advice he gave Marc eight years ago.
While tidying Meg's bedroom, Marc finds a tape labelled "Meg singing", but discovers after he listens to it that she is singing with Gribble, and at the end of the song, their noises suggest that they are having sex. Meg, meanwhile, begins to doubt Gribble's sincerity when he tells her what a terrific singer she is when she realizes that she is always in the chorus. Questioning whether she even enjoys singing, she decides to quit. Marc drives to a performance with Meridian 8, where the only way he can keep the group from splitting up is to lie that Gribble has given them the chance to record in a studio. After insisting that he should sing his Tin Man's song, he starts crying on stage, and is later forced to admit that Gribble has not yet responded to his request to produce the demo. That night, the opening night of The Wiz, Marc is working as a chauffeur for a high school prom couple. After dropping them off and cutting off his frequently ridiculed ponytail, he arrives at the show in the interval. He unsuccessfully tries to discuss Meridian 8's demo with Gribble, who brushes him off, then learns from another bandmate that they are losing another member.
After hearing the Tin Man's song from outside the auditorium, Marc goes inside and drags Gribble out into an empty classroom. Marc confronts him about his empty promises for Meridian 8 to record in a studio. Gribble tells Marc that he is still living as if he were in high school, and an angered Marc threatens to play Meg's tape to the school principal and expose Gribble's affair with a student. As they fight, Marc accuses Gribble of denying Meg a main role as a means of revenge on him, and destroys the tape for Meg's sake. He then goes backstage and breaks up with Meg because she is too young for him. Seeing that the actor of the Wiz has injured himself, Marc takes his cape, runs onto the stage and sings the Wiz's song. Meg runs away but decides that she loves singing and returns to the stage. Marc's performance is met with cheers from the audience, and he is overjoyed.
One year later, having left exorcised his Wizard of Oz demons, Marc is working as a professional singer under the title "The Marc Pease Experience".
's second directorial project, having previously directed Love Liza
(2002) and acted in minor roles in High Fidelity
(2000), Thank You for Smoking (2006) and Snakes on a Plane
(2006). Jason Schwartzman
was signed to star in the film by February 2007, with Ben Stiller
in talks. Final funding from Paramount Vantage
and producer Michael London
was received in early February, with production slated to start in March. Anna Kendrick
's role in the film was announced in mid-April, after filming had begun.
Principal photography
began on March 12, 2007 in the state of North Carolina
, where the entirety of the film was shot. Various locations around Wilmington
and New Hanover County
were used for filming, including Wilmington's Eugene Ashley High School
and the school's auditorium. Filming continued through March and into April. On the last day of shooting at Eugene Ashley High, Stiller presented the school's morning announcements.
A number of student interns from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington
's Film Studies Department were actively involved in The Marc Pease Experiences production as part of their internship program. After principal photography was completed, during post-production
Louiso "realized we needed to go back and add some stuff". The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
began at this time, however, and so there was a delay of six months before the extra scenes could be scripted and filmed.
into Paramount Pictures
, its parent studio, in June 2008, The Marc Pease Experience had a limited release
into ten U.S. markets on August 21, 2009. The film opened in San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Dallas, Cleveland, Ohio, Minneapolis, Seattle, Sacramento, and Boston in what was described by Drew Taylor of The Playlist as only "an obligation by the studio to release the film theatrically".
" — which also starred Jason Schwartzman
in the lead — based on the similar character elements.
In spite of this early buzz, however, critical response was overwhelmingly negative. Roger Ebert
called it "badly written and inertly directed, with actors who don’t have a clue what drives their characters". The A.V. Club
's Nathan Rabin, in a "D+" review, asked, "Who could have guessed a concept as promising and long overdue as a musical Jason Schwartzman vehicle would lead to such a regrettable little nothing?"
The Marc Pease Experience currently holds a 17% 'Fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes
.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Todd Louiso
Todd Louiso
Todd Louiso is an American film actor and film director best known for his role as timid record store clerk Dick in High Fidelity, opposite Jack Black and John Cusack. Other supporting roles include School For Scoundrels. Louiso directed his first film in 2002, the acclaimed Love Liza with Philip...
and written by Louiso and Jacob Koskoff. Shot primarily in and around Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
and New Hanover County, North Carolina
New Hanover County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 160,307 people, 68,183 households, and 41,591 families residing in the county. The population density was 806 people per square mile . There were 79,616 housing units at an average density of 400 per square mile...
in early 2007, the film is centered around Marc Pease, a man living in the past, when he was the star of his high school's musicals. The film stars Jason Schwartzman
Jason Schwartzman
Jason Francesco Schwartzman is an American actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Rushmore, Spun, I Heart Huckabees, Shopgirl, Marie Antoinette, The Darjeeling Limited, Funny People, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World...
as Pease, Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
as Pease's former mentor, and Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick is an American film and stage actress best known for the role of Natalie Keener in the 2009 film Up in the Air. Her other work includes the films Camp , Rocket Science , Scott Pilgrim vs. the World , 50/50 , and the Broadway musical High Society...
as his love interest.
Plot
In high school, Marc Pease (Jason SchwartzmanJason Schwartzman
Jason Francesco Schwartzman is an American actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Rushmore, Spun, I Heart Huckabees, Shopgirl, Marie Antoinette, The Darjeeling Limited, Funny People, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World...
) ran out on his performance as the Tin Man in a production of The Wiz
The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...
, succumbing to his stage fright despite his mentor Mr Gribble's (Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
) encouragement. Eight years later, he is dating Meg Brickman (Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick is an American film and stage actress best known for the role of Natalie Keener in the 2009 film Up in the Air. Her other work includes the films Camp , Rocket Science , Scott Pilgrim vs. the World , 50/50 , and the Broadway musical High Society...
), a high school senior who is bitter about being in the chorus and not having a principal role in Gribble's latest production of The Wiz. Marc is keen for Gribble to produce the demo tape for his a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
singing group Meridian 8 (which has already lost four of eight original members). Gribble, however, tries to avoid Marc, frustrated that Marc refuses to leave him alone because of the friendly advice he gave Marc eight years ago.
While tidying Meg's bedroom, Marc finds a tape labelled "Meg singing", but discovers after he listens to it that she is singing with Gribble, and at the end of the song, their noises suggest that they are having sex. Meg, meanwhile, begins to doubt Gribble's sincerity when he tells her what a terrific singer she is when she realizes that she is always in the chorus. Questioning whether she even enjoys singing, she decides to quit. Marc drives to a performance with Meridian 8, where the only way he can keep the group from splitting up is to lie that Gribble has given them the chance to record in a studio. After insisting that he should sing his Tin Man's song, he starts crying on stage, and is later forced to admit that Gribble has not yet responded to his request to produce the demo. That night, the opening night of The Wiz, Marc is working as a chauffeur for a high school prom couple. After dropping them off and cutting off his frequently ridiculed ponytail, he arrives at the show in the interval. He unsuccessfully tries to discuss Meridian 8's demo with Gribble, who brushes him off, then learns from another bandmate that they are losing another member.
After hearing the Tin Man's song from outside the auditorium, Marc goes inside and drags Gribble out into an empty classroom. Marc confronts him about his empty promises for Meridian 8 to record in a studio. Gribble tells Marc that he is still living as if he were in high school, and an angered Marc threatens to play Meg's tape to the school principal and expose Gribble's affair with a student. As they fight, Marc accuses Gribble of denying Meg a main role as a means of revenge on him, and destroys the tape for Meg's sake. He then goes backstage and breaks up with Meg because she is too young for him. Seeing that the actor of the Wiz has injured himself, Marc takes his cape, runs onto the stage and sings the Wiz's song. Meg runs away but decides that she loves singing and returns to the stage. Marc's performance is met with cheers from the audience, and he is overjoyed.
One year later, having left exorcised his Wizard of Oz demons, Marc is working as a professional singer under the title "The Marc Pease Experience".
Cast
- Jason SchwartzmanJason SchwartzmanJason Francesco Schwartzman is an American actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Rushmore, Spun, I Heart Huckabees, Shopgirl, Marie Antoinette, The Darjeeling Limited, Funny People, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World...
as Marc Pease. - Ben StillerBen StillerBenjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
as Jon Gribble, Pease's overzealous former mentor. - Anna KendrickAnna KendrickAnna Kendrick is an American film and stage actress best known for the role of Natalie Keener in the 2009 film Up in the Air. Her other work includes the films Camp , Rocket Science , Scott Pilgrim vs. the World , 50/50 , and the Broadway musical High Society...
as Meg Brickman, a high school senior, romantically involved with both Pease and Gribble. - Jay PaulsonJay PaulsonJoseph Andrew "Jay" Hughes Paulson is an American actor. Jay graduated UCLA in 2001 with B.A. in History and is a lifetime member of The Actors Studio. He also ran the 22nd Annual Los Angeles Marathon in 4:50:13, March 4, 2007.He is a practicing Theravadin Buddhist...
as Gerry - Ebon Moss-Bacharach as Gavin
- Gabrielle DennisGabrielle DennisGabrielle Dennis is an American television and film actress and television host. Since 2008, she has had a recurring role on BET series The Game. -Career:...
as Tracey - Amber Wallace as Ilona
- Shannon Holt as Debbie
- Austin Herring as Mr. Edwards
- Kelen Coleman as Stephanie
- Joe Inscoe as Mr. Brickman
- Matt CornwellMatt CornwellMatt Cornwell is a rugby union player for Northampton Saints in the Aviva Premiership.He previously played for Leicester Tigers and the Exeter Chiefs.Cornwell usually plays as a centre or full-back....
as Rick Berger - Damien Haas as Techie
Production
The Marc Pease Experience is Todd LouisoTodd Louiso
Todd Louiso is an American film actor and film director best known for his role as timid record store clerk Dick in High Fidelity, opposite Jack Black and John Cusack. Other supporting roles include School For Scoundrels. Louiso directed his first film in 2002, the acclaimed Love Liza with Philip...
's second directorial project, having previously directed Love Liza
Love Liza
Love Liza is a 2002 tragicomedy film directed by Todd Louiso and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kathy Bates, Jack Kehler, Wayne Duvall, Sarah Koskoff and Stephen Tobolowsky. The film inspired the song "Benzin" by Rammstein.-Plot summary:...
(2002) and acted in minor roles in High Fidelity
High Fidelity (film)
High Fidelity is a 2000 American comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears and starring John Cusack and the Danish actress Iben Hjejle. The film is based on the 1995 British novel of the same name by Nick Hornby, with the setting moved from London to Chicago and the name of the lead character...
(2000), Thank You for Smoking (2006) and Snakes on a Plane
Snakes on a Plane
Snakes on a Plane is a 2006 American horror-action-thriller film directed by David R. Ellis and starring Samuel L. Jackson. It was released by New Line Cinema on August 18, 2006 in North America...
(2006). Jason Schwartzman
Jason Schwartzman
Jason Francesco Schwartzman is an American actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Rushmore, Spun, I Heart Huckabees, Shopgirl, Marie Antoinette, The Darjeeling Limited, Funny People, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World...
was signed to star in the film by February 2007, with Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
in talks. Final funding from Paramount Vantage
Paramount Vantage
Paramount Vantage is the specialty film division of Paramount Pictures , charged with producing, purchasing, distributing and marketing films, generally those with a more "art house" feel than films made and distributed by its parent company.Paramount Classics was launched in 1998 and...
and producer Michael London
Michael London
Michael London is an American film producer who owns Groundswell Productions. He has produced over 20 films including Sideways, The Visitor, Win Win, and Smart People. The film Sideways was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture in 2005...
was received in early February, with production slated to start in March. Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick is an American film and stage actress best known for the role of Natalie Keener in the 2009 film Up in the Air. Her other work includes the films Camp , Rocket Science , Scott Pilgrim vs. the World , 50/50 , and the Broadway musical High Society...
's role in the film was announced in mid-April, after filming had begun.
Principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
began on March 12, 2007 in the state of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, where the entirety of the film was shot. Various locations around Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
and New Hanover County
New Hanover County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 160,307 people, 68,183 households, and 41,591 families residing in the county. The population density was 806 people per square mile . There were 79,616 housing units at an average density of 400 per square mile...
were used for filming, including Wilmington's Eugene Ashley High School
Eugene Ashley High School
Eugene Ashley High School is a high school just outside Wilmington, North Carolina. The facility opened in 2001. The school is located at 555 Halyburton Memorial Parkway in Wilmington, North Carolina....
and the school's auditorium. Filming continued through March and into April. On the last day of shooting at Eugene Ashley High, Stiller presented the school's morning announcements.
A number of student interns from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
The University of North Carolina at Wilmington, sometimes referred to as UNC Wilmington, is a public, co-educational university located in Wilmington, North Carolina...
's Film Studies Department were actively involved in The Marc Pease Experiences production as part of their internship program. After principal photography was completed, during post-production
Post-production
Post-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
Louiso "realized we needed to go back and add some stuff". The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
began at this time, however, and so there was a delay of six months before the extra scenes could be scripted and filmed.
Release
Due to the consolidation of Paramount VantageParamount Vantage
Paramount Vantage is the specialty film division of Paramount Pictures , charged with producing, purchasing, distributing and marketing films, generally those with a more "art house" feel than films made and distributed by its parent company.Paramount Classics was launched in 1998 and...
into Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, its parent studio, in June 2008, The Marc Pease Experience had a limited release
Limited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
into ten U.S. markets on August 21, 2009. The film opened in San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Dallas, Cleveland, Ohio, Minneapolis, Seattle, Sacramento, and Boston in what was described by Drew Taylor of The Playlist as only "an obligation by the studio to release the film theatrically".
Box office
The film grossed US$3,000 from ten screens on its opening weekend with a per-screen average of only $300. By the end of its domestic run, the film had grossed $4,033 and an international addition of $386,551, totaling $390,584.Critical reception
Before the film's release, Alex Billington of FirstShowing.net dubbed it "the next RushmoreRushmore (film)
Rushmore is a 1998 comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson about an eccentric teenager named Max Fischer , his friendship with rich industrialist Herman Blume , and their mutual love for elementary school teacher Rosemary Cross . The film was co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson...
" — which also starred Jason Schwartzman
Jason Schwartzman
Jason Francesco Schwartzman is an American actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Rushmore, Spun, I Heart Huckabees, Shopgirl, Marie Antoinette, The Darjeeling Limited, Funny People, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World...
in the lead — based on the similar character elements.
In spite of this early buzz, however, critical response was overwhelmingly negative. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
called it "badly written and inertly directed, with actors who don’t have a clue what drives their characters". The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
's Nathan Rabin, in a "D+" review, asked, "Who could have guessed a concept as promising and long overdue as a musical Jason Schwartzman vehicle would lead to such a regrettable little nothing?"
The Marc Pease Experience currently holds a 17% 'Fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.