On The Scene - Jason Reitman Live Read of The Big Lebowski

Last night marked the final installment of what has in six quick months become a highly popular Los Angeles cultural touchstone, Jason Reitman's Live Series. Much to the delight of everyone in attendance, curator Elvis Mitchell announced right before the performance began that the Live Series would return in October with six brand new scripts. Reitman himself apologized for his "day job" that would keep him occupied during the summer, but expressed great enthusiasm about returning later in the year. Hell. Effing. Yes. This was easily the most packed of the six Live Reads, with a stand by line circling around the Wilshire LACMA entrance, triple the size I've seen in the past.

Both Reitman and Mitchell decided that the final script of the first series should be a crowd pleaser, something overlooked originally by critics, but that maintained a cult status in years to come specifically because of its strong script, or as Mitchell put it, a film "ignored by the mainstream, but still found a way into our hearts...and bongs as the case may be." Naturally, the film that ended up being chosen was the Coen Brothers' The Big Lebowski, which was released fourteen years ago this month. The film has over 40 characters so presenting it as a reading with only nine actors was no easy task. But, and I hate to sound like a broken record, but if it's true it's true - this Read was even better than the last one. Which was leagues better than the last one. Oh Reitman and your learning and applying your learning! 

The cast, sitting from house right to house left was as follows: Lebowski (originated by David Huddleston) : Jason Alexander, Brandt (originated by Philip Seymour Hoffman) : Fred Savage, Jesus (originated by John Tuturro)/Jackie Treehorn/one of the Germans/many more : Nick Kroll, Bunny (originated by Tara Reid)/waitress/Pilar/German woman: Catherine Reitman, Donny (originated by Steve Buscemi)/Dieter/more: Hank Azaria, The Dude (originated by Jeff Bridges) : Seth Rogen, Walter (originated by John Goodman) : Rainn Wilson, Maude (originated by Julianne Moore): Christina Hendricks, and The Stranger (originated by Sam Elliot): Sam effing Elliott, who got a standing ovation just for walking on stage. Because. Sam. Effing. Elliott. Reading. The Stranger. 

Where to even begin? Shampoo was a fine introduction, Reservoir Dogs was a raucous good time, but The Big Lebowski was in a league of its own. There was a level of professionalism and preparation among the actors that was unlike anything I'd seen yet, definitely the tightest script read of the three I've seen. Clearly each person on stage took this INCREDIBLY seriously and went to great pains to make sure he or she could deliver. Seth Rogen (who I kind of wished was wearing a bathrobe) and Rainn Wilson were so pitch perfect, I was not alone in thinking that if the movie had been made today, with those two actors in the roles, it would have worked just as well. It was as if Seth Rogen's stoner chill meets over the top exasperation and Rainn Wilson's comical intensity were crafted by the universe to play The Dude and Walter. They did not miss a word. They did not miss a moment. There was specificity, tactic changes, appropriate tonal shifts, I was FLOORED by what these guys were doing, and they made it look so easy. Word to the wise - this is *not* easy and it's rare to get through an entire live reading with a truthful, full fledged performance, without screwing up even once. And Rogen's rolled papers that he "smoked" from as a prop whenever the script called for it? Love.

More after the jump

A huge part of this screenplay, as evidenced by, you know, just hearing the script read aloud, are the many overlaps in dialogue. So much of this film is high energy, with a lot happening at once, a lot of thoughts being thrown out, digested, and thrown back, and this cast of actors managed to handle the acrobatic act that tossing these lines back and forth was with a graceful expertise, as if they'd spent weeks rehearsing. Especially with the practically never-ending barrage of laughter coming from the audience, you'd expect to miss a line or two, but the actors had the timing nailed, simultaneously listening to each other and the audience, never missing a beat. The stage directions too were extremely particular, inherently visual and exceedingly clever, all Coen Brothers traits. Writers that take as much joy in their descriptions as they do their dialogue always stand out in situations like this, much like Tarantino's did last month. A favorite of mine came in the last scene of the movie - "We've never actually seen them bowl before - they're quite good." A simple stage direction, something to provide context, something that may not even be *noticed* by the audience in the film, but when read aloud by Reitman, brought the house down.

This is part of what makes these Live Reads such wonderful experiences and explain why people spent the day in line in order to attend. We all know The Big Lebowski is a great movie. We all understand that. But I personally, for example, haven't seen it since high school. I remembered loving it, but not why I loved it. And I feel so fortunate to have been reintroduced to it via a medium like this, where everything is stripped away but words and actors. It makes it undeniably clear when a script stands on its own. In fact, some folks I talked to better understood the plot of the movie hearing it in a reading, then they did watching it as a film. Because of the number of expensive, involved and important set pieces and incidents, The Big Lebowski would be very difficult to actually stage, which is why getting to see actors interact with each other with such a solid script, *live* was such a once in a lifetime treat treat. The words lend themselves so well to that kind of presentation, it was practically an out of body experience. 

But let's get into some specifics, shall we? I've already covered how Wilson and Rogen are clearly the second coming of Walter and The Dude, but what about everyone else? From left to right? Sam Elliot, reprising his role, as Fred Savage did for the Princess Bride, nailed it. Even when he messed up a word, his save was hilarious, referencing the last time he performed it being 15 years ago and giggling along with us. I mean, his voice! He framed the evening with such a rough and tumble cowboy gravitas, it makes you wonder what the film or the Live Read would have done without him. Christina Hendricks easily infused Maude with her commanding sensuality, projecting equal parts strength and sexuality. Oh, and also happened to look distractingly gorgeous. I sensed that a part of her was nervous, performing one of the more direct, expository roles in a cast of strange characters played by comedic actors, but she still managed to hold her own. 

Hank Azaria did a simple and effective Donny, and brought the big guns out for the smaller roles which required at least four different kinds of accents. One of his best moments came towards the beginning of the evening when Reitman realized he forgot to assign George Bush (speaking on the television) to someone, so Azaria stepped in with a spot on impression. Catherine Reitman, who I couldn't BELIEVE was the same Catherine Reitman who creeped me out in the best way possible on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (how did I not put together that they were related?!) kicked serious ass as Bunny Lebowski, but it was her moment with Azaria as the Germans ordering Lindenberry pancakes, stepping into the Aimee Mann role, that had Seth Rogen losing his mind with laughter. This. Girl. Is. Hilarious. 

Nick Kroll keeps proving to me more and more that is a lot more talented than I ever gave him credit for, being as believable as a cowardly Nihilist, as he was a creepy bowler pedophile who has no qualms about threatening to stick things up people's behinds, as he was the smooth Jackie Treehorn. His eyes when he got into Jesus mode were out of control. Kroll strikes me as one of those actors who is either highly trained or takes the craft so seriously that it seems as though he was. Fred Savage was perhaps the most unexpectedly wonderful of the night. He stepped in almost literally last minute to replace Patton Oswalt (who seriously must have had an emergency, because after being in most, if not all, of the other Live Reads, I can't imagine he would miss this one for anything less), but rather than disappointing, he stepped up to the plate and then some, crafting at least five different characters, none of which seemed like they were being played by the same guy. He stood out most as Brandt, as if channeling Phil Hoffman himself, and inspired random accolades from the audience at multiple points. 

Last, but most definitely in no universe least was Jason Alexander. Alexander was the one with the most theater experience on the stage, and boy did it show, with not a single flub or drop in energy to be found. There was such an organic build to the role of the Big Lebowski, and clearly some focused character work, mixed with a healthy dose of over the top gesticulation. Everything Alexander did worked in spades. The audience practically leapt to their feet after his first scene alone. 

Everytime I see one of these things, I wish so bad that I could have called every actor friend I have and brought them along. I always find them to be such a treat, both for me as a fan of film, and as a gal with a drama degree from NYU. Though not something I pursue any longer, I still appreciate the intricacies that go into perfecting work like this and was filled with such great respect watching each of these actors work last night.

When I tweeted about how great  the Live Read was last night, a good friend of mine from Movies.com wanted to know why these events mattered so much out here, what was it about them that made anyone care? To me, the answer is simple. Reading a script out loud directly showcases how good a script is. No bells, no whistles, no reliance on anything else. A Live Read, like a table read, shows a piece of work and its most vulnerable, its most open to criticism - there is nothing to hide behind. Unlike a table read, these scripts are already locked, and have been for some time. But that same kind of chemistry and spontaneity is still at play, which makes the happenings on stage utterly riveting. These performances force us to consider what makes a good script, and frankly, what makes a good performance. Why is it that some actors can nail this and some can't? Why can some get through two hours without flubbing a word and others can barely get through a paragraph? Moreso than either Shampoo or Reservoir Dogs, this read of The Big Lebowski brought a palpable new love and respect of the source material for me. I'm dying to watch the movie again. I mean, if Seth Rogen and Rain Wilson made me laugh with every single line they said (HOW WAS IT NOT WRITTEN FOR THESE TWO SPECIFICALLY IT DOESNT EVEN MAKE SENSE BECAUSE THEY WERE SO PERFECT), holy crap, I can't WAIT to re-watch this with the two definitive geniuses that originated the roles.

Even beyond that, because the Reads aren't allowed to be filmed, they are truly a one time only experience, so everyone in the room shares a special bond from the get go. It's like we all become a little community, brought together by our desire to see this so bad, that some of us bought Film Independent memberships and pressed refresh until tickets became available every month, or stopped at nothing to find the press contact to request press tickets, or waited in line for hours to make it in from the stand by line. Once inside, we were anticipating our favorite lines, giving standing ovations for the best moments (something that might be awkward in a movie theater), and afterwards getting our Gallery 1988 art prints signed by Reitman afterwards if we have the guts and collectively drinking White Russians. These evenings have become magical across the board and I can't imagine ever missing one again.

Mark your calendars now folks, and get ready to buy Film Independent for LACMA film club memberships later in the year because I am TELLING YOU, you do not want to miss these when they return. These experiences are so special, so singular, so strange and wonderful, I can't see their novelty ever wearing off, or the art they promote ever growing stale. If it weren't for my undying love of Young Adult, I might be so inclined to say this series is the best thing Jason Reitman has ever done. You have seven months to procure a way to get tickets. 

Moments of Note:

-Reitman describing Lebowski as a "fat, 60ish man" and Jason Alexander giving a face that said both "hey! watch it!" and "but you're kind of right….", much to audiences' enjoyment

-Nick Kroll and Hank Azaria subsequently losing it during Alexander's first scene as Lebowski

-Catherine Reitman professing as Bunny that she would suck the Dude's "c***" for 1000 dollars, prompting Jason Reitman to interject, "Sorry mom, sorry dad!"

-Seth Rogen uncontrollably giggling after Kroll's introduction as Jesus and especially Walter's line immediately flowing - "8 year olds, Dude."

-Whenever introducing the Stranger in the script, both the voice and the character itself, the stage directions reading the description were always followed by "Sam Elliot, perhaps." Perfect.

-Catherine Reitman continuing to cause Rogen to lose his shit, not only with Lindinberry pancakes, but with "No, no, he has health problems" during the confronting Larry scene

-Wilson's read of Walter's "300 years of tradition…." spiel which led to UPROARIOUS applause from the audience. Lots of Jews in the house? I mean, I know I am. And I applauded. So just a guess.

-As soon as Reitman read "Fade to black. The end," the audience all jumped to their feet, in the longest standing ovation I have yet to witness at a Live Event, capped with Elvis Mitchell announcing that Reitman has been named the first ever Artist in Residence of the Bing Theater at LACMA. Reitman had no idea that announcement was coming and was genuinely surprised and touched. 

-At the LACMA bar after the event, the bartender did not stop making White Russians for at least twenty minutes straight. 

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On The Scene - Jason Reitman Live Read of Reservoir Dogs

Cross-posted on Film.com

Okay. Yes, Shampoo was great, but it had NOTHING on tonight's Live Read.

In the fifth installment of this incredible series, Jason Reitman presented Reservoir Dogs in a brand new light. In honor of Black History Month, the cast was 99% black (the 1%? Patton Oswalt, once again using a variety of voices to fill in smaller characters) and 100% legendary. Sitting on stage from left to right was Reitman reading stage directions, Common as Mr Brown (originated by Quentin Tarantino) and Marvin Nash, Terrence Howard as Mr. Blonde (aka Vic Vega, originated by Michael Madsen), Cuba Gooding Jr. as Mr. Orange (originated by Tim Roth), Laurence Fishburne as Mr. White (originated by Harvey Keitel), Anthony Mackie as Mr. Pink (originated by Steve Buscemi), Anthony Anderson as Nice Guy Eddie (originated by Chris Penn), Chi McBride (originated by Lawrence Tierney) and the aforementioned Patton Oswalt as the K-Billy, Holdaway, and the cop in the bathroom.

As last time, the house was absolutely packed, but I know at least twenty people got in from stand-by, and word to the wise, folks got there as early as 5, so if you plan on seeing the final show in March (already sold out), you'll want to arrive to the stand-by line as early as possible. The energy in the room was palpable even before the actors came on stage. This crowd was clearly more passionate about Reservoir Dogs than anyone in the audience was about Shampoo last month. Which makes sense. The film that put Tarantino on the map is also the film that made Jason Reitman want to be a director when he saw it in high school. After his introduction from Elvis Mitchell, Reitman warned "If you brought children, the time to leave is now … This will be the most profane screenplay you'll ever hear in the Bing Theater." Naturally, Reitman, Mitchell, Common, Howard, Gooding Jr, Fishburne and Mackie were decked out in a black suit and tie, dressing the part, and looking amazing, Howard in particular, who added some flare with a dress vest.

As last time, the locations of each scene were projected onto a screen with the actors digitally removed, but an added bonus for this screenplay? Music! It seemed to be the question on many of our minds. With a writer like Tarantino, who puts such great stock into the music he uses, would music play a role in the reading? Only three songs were played, but man what a difference it made. There was such an excited buzz in the air when Stuck in the Middle With You started playing as Howard danced in his chair and Reitman read the stage directions detailing everyone's favorite cinematic ear chopping. Also different from readings past? This one used the deleted scenes as well, going off of the screenplay itself, not anything that was added or deleted on set or in the editing room.

Details on each performance after the jump!



Each actor stepping on to the stage during the cast introductions was received enthusiastically, but none more so than Fishburne, expertly cast as Mr White, eliciting a standing ovation from every other actor on stage. And rightly so. Fishburne was the highlight of the evening, bringing grace and professionalism to the table, plus a brilliant depiction of the character to boot. He had clearly spent time preparing for this, infusing just enough Keitel (the slight accent was definitely there) into his natural inclinations, to create a living and breathing black Mr White. It honestly felt like the part was written for him and everyone in that room was floored. The first audience applause came after his opening scene line "Shit, you shoot me in a dream, you better wake up and apologize." Then, during his dialed-to-11 scene with Mr Orange in the car, when he asks "Are you a doctor?!" and repeatedly tells Mr Orange he's going to be okay, the audience practically rose to their feet with adoration.

Chi McBride also stood out as a talent to be reckoned with. Although I haven't found any evidence of formal training in his past, he certainly seemed classically trained, bringing his all, never missing a word, never missing a moment, and nailing the role from start to finish. He really helped bring the tension in the room to a boil during the Mexican standoff, which is difficult to do when everyone is sitting down. And no one has a gun. I was thoroughly impressed.

But perhaps the most interesting and talked about performance of the night, for better or worse, was Terrance Howard as Mr Blonde. Howard really rolled with the whole silent psychopath thing, speaking softly, taking the mic off the stand and holding it to his mouth as he leaned back in his chair and looked at the other actors as he interacted with them. His body language, facial expressions and entire disposition were in a constant state of "I might kill you, yeah, sure, I might." His unique, yet spot on line readings had Reitman himself visibly blown away. One of my favorite moments was after Nice Guy Eddie, Mr Pink and Mr White leave Mr Blonde alone with a dying Mr Orange and Nash. Howard stared at the audience for a solid few seconds in complete silence. Then slowly smiled. And spoke with a subtle sadism "Alone. At last." He was having such a good time, and so we were watching him, that after Reitman read the stage directions killing Mr Orange, Howard completely dropped character and said "Hey, I'm not ready to die yet," which was met with uproarious laughter and applause, a reaction second only to Reitman's response "For a moment, apparently Mr Blonde dodges a few bullets…" I heard a couple people afterwards that weren't a fan of Howard's take on the character, but I tell ya, I effing loved it. Perhaps my favorite exchange of the entire evening was between Howard and Fishburne, with this, one of the only bits of dialogue delivered by the actors directly toward one another.

Mr. Blonde: Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy, or are you gonna bite?
Mr. White: What was that? I'm sorry, I didn't catch it. Would you repeat it?
Mr. Blonde: Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy, or are you gonna bite?

Can't you just *see* it?!

Anthony Anderson did a solid job as Nice Guy Eddie. He fell so easily into the role, there was no element of disbelief whatsoever. He landed all of his moments and was extremely professional, something I wasn't expecting going in. Great casting.

While Common didn't have much to do as Mr Brown, who only really has dialogue in the opening scene, and the Internet seemed to be hoping for a comedian, someone like Chris Rock to step into the role with the infamous Madonna monologue, Common completely held his own and had Reitman losing it. He was less memorable later on, playing Marvin Nash, the cop who loses an ear. Howard was having a grand old time pretending to slash him in the face, and Common's response was to kind of half heartedly jiggle in his chair. Still, I hate to take away from the work he did for the role of Mr Brown because of some physical improv he wasn't expecting.

The weakest performers of the evening were Cuba Gooding Jr and Anthony Mackie, but both were by no means bad and both still had moments of brilliance. Mackie reminded me of that high school student that loved acting so much that during an initial read of a play, he gets so overexcited, that he stumbles over words and loses some specificity, replacing nuance and choices with a general loud talking. But man, when he got it, he *got* it. I wish he could have had time to read over the script more, or perhaps it was just his nerves that caused his stumbles here and there, but the moments he took his time with, letting himself connect with the other actors, were stellar.

Gooding seemed a bit all over the map, sometimes subdued, sometimes way over the top, but got a million points for really selling his gun shot wound in the beginning and playing the difference between when he is first learning the "cops in the bathroom" anecdote and when he has the story memorized. He was drinking wine the whole time, so it's always possible he was simply getting more and more intoxicated as time went on. After all, it was a celebration of sorts, Mitchell ending the show with a martini in hand and a reception for everyone following.

Now I don't know if Tarantino was in the audience, though I highly doubt it since I'm pretty sure he's busy shooting Django Unchained, but I tell ya, I can't imagine he wouldn't have been over the moon for this take on his twenty year old cult classic. It did seem like some of the n-words were taken out here and there, in fact I felt like a lot of the Christie Love scene dialogue was cut, but overall, the entire evening worked extremely well, and props to Reitman for thinking up this idea. It brought a whole new level to the script, and to the conversations held between these men. In the movie, these men come across as, well, fairly racist, but here, in this context, they seemed like guys just making observations about their own lives, being self-deprecating, or having fun with being self aware, in a way that may have been too progressive even for 1992. It was fascinating, refreshing and endlessly captivating.

Naturally, the evening came to a close with a rousing standing ovation and an almost group hug on stage. The chemistry between the actors was alive and powerful and a real comradery seemed to form among them during the reading. I felt like it was an honor to get to be in that room, and I hate that there is only one more installment to go of these Live Reads. Although, fear not, Los Angelinos - at the reception following the performance, I did hear some LACMA folks talking about approaching Reitman to do another series of this when he is finished shooting his next film. Fingers crossed?

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