August 2, 2017 The Skanner Page 7
Arts & Entertainment
Film Review: Freed Kidnap Victim
Adjusts to Reality in ‘Brigsby Bear’
by Kam Williams
For The Skanner News
“B
rigsby Bear” revolves around
an age-old premise that’s
tough to establish and main-
tain convincingly — namely,
the plight of a sheltered protagonist
blissfully unaware of reality. Four
fi lms come quickly to mind.
In “Room” (2015), we witnessed a little
boy being imprisoned with his mother
in a shed by the rapist who’d fathered
him. In “Life Is Beautiful” (1997), we
found a concentration camp internee
doing his best to shield his young son
from the horrors of the Holocaust.
In “Being There” (1979), Peter Sellers
played a gullible gardener who learned
everything he knew about the outside
world from TV. And in “The Truman
Show” (1998), Jim Carrey was an or-
phan who had no idea that he’d been ad-
opted by a corporation that turned his
life into a reality show.
Now we have Brigsby Bear, a wor-
thy addition to the challenging genre.
Film still from ‘Brigsby Bear’
The movie marks the impressive di-
rectorial debut of Dave McCary, who’s
been writing for “Saturday Night Live”
since 2014. The picture stars SNL’s Kyle
Mooney, who co-wrote the script with
Kevin Costello.
As the fi lm unfolds, we’re introduced
to James (Mooney), a 25 year-old very
content to be still living at “home.” The
overgrown kid religiously tunes in to
See FILM on page 9
Interview
cont’d from pg 6
ron James, and he’s even
made a guest appear-
ance on it. Is it based on
his life or on that of an-
other basketball star?
EA: No. When the se-
ries fi rst started, it was
loosely based on LeBron
James’ life, and really
that of many basket-
ball players, as many of
them fi nd themselves
catapulted into a whole
new world of money
and notoriety when
they start to play basket-
ball professionally. But
the series quickly took
on a life of its own aft er
season one.
KW: Is there a mes-
sage you want people
to take away from the
show?
EA: Yes: we’re missing
out on so much commu-
nication and it’s okay
!
e
t
a
d
e
h
t
e
v
a
S
to talk to and relate to
one another. Our show
does a great job of start-
ing the conversation by
tackling issues with gut-
punch creativity.
KW: How about “Real
Husbands of Holly-
wood”? What’s it like
playing Kevin Hart’s
wife?
EA: It’s fun. I had no
guidelines in creating
this character as I had
not met Tori before
starting that series. But
I do enjoy annoying
Kevin, so I tried to come
up with a character that
would drive him crazy. I
think I nailed it. [LOL]
KW: Since it’s a fake
reality show, do people
ever mistake you for
Kevin’s real-life wife?
EA: Gosh, Yes! Even
people who know me!
Like family members
who totally would’ve
been invited to the wed-
ding if I’d had one. I just
take it as a compliment
to my acting. Guess I’m
pretty believable.
KW: What’s it like
having so many guest
stars on the show?
EA: Busy! You never
know what the next day
is going to be like on set.
But it’s always fun.
KW: Harriet Paku-
la-Teweles asks: With
so many classic fi lms
being redone, is there a
remake you’d like to star
in?
EA: “The Josephine
Baker Story” and “Love
Jones.”
KW:
AALBC.com
founder Troy Johnson
asks: What was the last
book you read?
EA: “The Greatest
Manifestation Principle
in the World.”
Read the rest of this interview
at TheSkanner.com
–NEW–
LOCAT
ION
F oundation
32nd annual
MARTIN
LUTHER
JAN. 15
2018
KING, JR.
8:30AM-10:30AM
Breakfast
RED LION ON THE RIVER – JANZTEN BEACH
909 N HAYDEN ISLAND DR, PORTLAND, OR
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H
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