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Ten years after a then little-known movie called "Swingers" was released, writer/actor Jon Favreau, actor Vince Vaughn and director Doug Liman reunited in the St. Regis Ballroom to celebrate what they refer to as the "slow-burning success" of a comedy about camaraderie, coolness and chasing girls.
The independent film -- shot in 20 days on a $250,000 budget -- achieved limited success at the box office after initial release. But, as months turned into years, the film gained a following. Eventually, a phrase from the film ("so money") became as common as the growing independent film culture.
During Saturday night's Comedy Fest panel discussion, the trio talked about the three-week journey it took to create the movie, and the roller coaster of events that ensued in producing a low-budget film.
"There were points when the cops were literally going to arrest us if we didn't shut down filming," said Liman. "There was a subtlety of emotion that was delivered under insane, insane conditions."
Filming in unapproved locations, the trio said they would set up shop in bars that were still open to the public and in diners that were serving breakfast, and drive down highways in which traffic was freely flowing.
A baby pulled from a car stopped at a red light was the only paid extra in the movie, replacing a 3-year-old hired through a casting service that turned out to be too old, as well as the "ugliest baby you've ever seen," said Favreau.
But producing the movie was not all theatrics.
Writer Favreau said he had been going through a difficult time in his life, after leaving love behind, and his character in the movie dealt with the self-esteem issues he was also experiencing.
"People get hooked onto the wrong message from the film, like how to get a girl in bed," said Favreau. "But really motivating the film is the characters' love for each other and they are longing for a companionship."
And for a film that focused largely on how to score dates and get over an ex, the panel said it really paid tribute to femininity and the way men deal with the opposite sex.
"We're dressed up, looked like the s-t, pretending we're in a Scorsese movie, but zoom in and we're really just scared," said Favreau.
Vaughn also agreed that a central theme was the nuances of masculinity.
"It's truthful and genuine because at that time these guys talked about girls a lot more than they got girls. They played video games, and they listened to that kind of music," said Vaughn. "By talking about women it was exposing male innocence for what it is."
Just as Favreau's character discovers that the path to finding love is to stop looking for it, Vaughn offered advice on relationships as well.
"Be yourself. If you have a connection with someone, great, but if you don't, move on," said Vaughn. "You are who you are, be yourself, that's the only way to go through stuff."
Posted by Christine at March 12, 2006 6:52 PM