(L-R) Allison Janney, Oliver Platt, Leighton Meester, Hugh Laurie, Catherine Keener, Alia Shawkat and Adam Brody in The Oranges. (Courtsy of Olympus Pictures)
In a global sense, Thanksgiving is one of the world’s most American holidays. With stuffed turkeys and endless sides, the holiday acts a centerpiece for the new family drama The Oranges.
Directing the film is Julian Farion, a British man known for his work on television series like Entourage and How to Make it in America. Being British, Farion isn’t the most ideal candidate for a drama set in the New Jersey suburbs during Thanksgiving. But with three Emmy nominations, Farion isn’t exactly shooting in the dark.
“Even though I’m an outsider, I’ve lived in LA. for two years and I feel like I know how imporant Thanksgiving is to the culture here,” Farion said during a phone interview. “I also think being an outsider sort of gave me an advantage as it gave me a different angle to look at it all.”
If Farion beleves that being an outsider was an adavantage, the director must not have seen his cast list. With stars like Hugh Laurie, Leighton Meester and Adam Brody on the cast list, the director had a major safety net thanks to the ensemble cast.
“I always hung my hat on Hugh Laurie,” Farion said. “His role as David essentially decided how the entire movie would go. If he was too creepy, then the audience would check out by act one. Hugh really balanced the role perfectly.”
The Oranges’ backbone comes from the quirky culture of American suburban life. As a product of the suburbs himself, Farion wanted to approach the idea of suburbia with his nose held straight.
“I always stood up for the suburbs when I had the chance,” Farion said. “I feel like there is this sense of unity among people who live in the suburbs. I really didn’t want this film to poke fun at Suburbs, like Edward Scissorhands, ultimately this movie about non-judgement so who am I to judge?”
Even though Farion claims that the movie in non-judgemental, the director still admits to the film’s dark side.
“In a way, this film has a dark side but itsn’t edging and broody in a urban sense,” Farion said. “I sort of like to look at it with a sense freshness….like an unspoiled spirit.”
The Oranges opens Friday.
