Sundance 2015 Sees Funny Actors in New Light

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Photo Source: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle

Many were surprised to see Steve Carell as the disturbed, humorless millionaire John du Pont in “Foxcatcher,” or Melissa McCarthy as a struggling single mother in “St. Vincent,” but next year’s Sundance slate will bring us even more comedic actors dipping into the serious side of their acting abilities.

The 2015 indie film sphere will see actor-musician Jack Black star in “The D Train” as Dan, a man who lacks self-confidence and decides to befriend a popular guy from high school (James Marsden) to boost his reputation before their 20th reunion. When a night out with Mr. Popular goes sour, Dan’s fear over his image takes a back seat to something more malevolent. Comedic actor Jarrad Paul (“Liar Liar,” “40 Days and 40 Nights”) serves as co-director on the drama, teaming up with “Yes Man” writer Andrew Mogel, with whom he also wrote the screenplay.

Two-time Emmy winner Sarah Silverman is playing a suburban drug addict in “I Smile Back.” She’ll star as Laney Brooks, a wife and mother who has stopped taking her prescribed medication and decides to substitute it with recreational drugs and multiple extramarital affairs. The film also stars Josh Charles (“The Good Wife”), Thomas Sadoski (“The Newsroom”), and Terry Kinney, with Adam Salky directing. This will be Salky’s second time at Sundance; his 2009 film “Dare,” starring Emmy Rossum, was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.

Comedians who went serious for Sundance 2014 included Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader in the critically acclaimed “The Skeleton Twins,” in which they played an estranged brother and sister who unsuccessfully attempt suicide on the same day, and Aubrey Plaza in “Life After Beth,” in which her signature deadpan delivery, popular on “Parks and Recreation,” complemented her portrayal of a teenage girl who turns into a zombie.

Other notable actors to be seen at the upcoming festival include Nicole Kidman in “Strangerland,” in which she’ll star as a mother on the search for her two missing sons; Kevin Bacon in “Cop Car,” about a sheriff in hot pursuit of two 10-year-old boys who have stolen a car; Keanu Reeves in “Knock Knock,” a home invasion thriller directed by Eli Roth (“Cabin Fever”) that’s set to screen in the Park City at Midnight lineup; Greta Gerwig in “Eden,” which chronicles the journey of the French DJ who created French house music; Michael Fassbender in “Slow West”; and Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor and Chris Pine in “Z for Zachariah.”

Sundance has long been a launching pad for big talent. Five-time Academy Award nominee Amy Adams first received major recognition with 2005’s “Junebug”; Oscar recipient Steven Soderbergh won the Audience Award in 1989 for “sex, lies, and videotape”; and two-time Oscar winner Quentin Tarantino premiered “Reservoir Dogs” in Park City, Utah.

This year’s festival kicks off Jan. 22 and runs through Feb. 1.

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Briana Rodriguez
Briana is the Editor-in-Chief at Backstage. She oversees editorial operations and covers all things film and television. She's interested in stories about the creative process as experienced by women, people of color, and other marginalized communities. You can find her on Twitter @brirodriguez and on Instagram @thebrianarodriguez
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