‘Unhinged’: Felicity Jones and Jason Schwartzman tease chaotic new film
Oscar-winner Felicity Jones takes on an unexpected new Hollywood role co-starring Jason Schwartzman in a holiday season comedy that challenges stereotypes.
The Santa Clause. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. It’s A Wonderful Life. Each is a tried-and-true viewing option during the festive season.
Yet, they all revolve around fathers. That’s the realisation Michelle Pfeiffer’s fed-up character Claire has while sorting through her collection of DVDs in the new comedy Oh. What. Fun.
“Heck, Steve Martin is some kind of hero because he spends a few days trying to get home in Planes, Trains And Automobiles,” rants Claire of that beloved 1987 comedy classic. “What does his poor wife get – you know, the one who has been taking care of the kids and cooking and cleaning? Around 89 seconds of screen time.”
That’s certainly not the case with Oh. What. Fun. It follows Claire as she stages
a Yuletide protest by making a pilgrimage across the US to the set of her favourite TV show after her self-absorbed family overlook her tireless contributions to the season.
For Jason Schwartzman, who plays her nerdy son-in-law Doug, the film puts mums in the long-overdue Christmas spotlight.
“What makes this one stand out from the crowd is that we’ve got this mother being taken for granted,” he tells The Watchlist.
“And when you remove her from the orbit, you see how everything just falls apart. I’ve never really seen something like that before.”
More than just a Christmas movie, Oh. What. Fun. is a journey of self-discovery for Claire and all of the supporting characters, says Schwartzman.
“It’s about fulfilling what you want to have happen in your life and just being brave enough to do it and to take it, no matter how unhinged it might be,” he reflects.
“There’s a quality of the movie that’s both Christmas and then this chaotic, wonderful, madcap experience that ultimately is just about family and insanity.”
British actor Felicity Jones, who plays Channing – Claire’s daughter and Doug’s wife – suspects that Oh. What. Fun. will strike a chord with a lot of mothers and daughters.
“I feel like your mum really sets the tone for Christmas, and then you find yourself trying to repeat those same traditions,” she points out. “And everyone
is like, ‘Really? Do we have to do this?’ [And the mum says] ‘Yeah, because I used to do it, and so now you have to do it.’ That’s the way it goes.”
All families have their own unique traditions. For Jones, a frosty Christmas spent with loved ones in the UK is a world away from the end-of-year celebrations enjoyed by Schwartzman, who was raised in Hollywood by a Jewish father and Italian mother (Rocky actor Talia Shire, who is part of the celebrated Coppola clan).
“We love opening presents on Christmas Eve,” Jones says fondly of her family’s yearly rituals.
“And we put presents on Christmas Day in pillowcases, which no-one else seems to do, but that’s what we used to do, and I like to continue to do that now as well.”
Another annual tradition in the Jones household involves sitting down to enjoy Christmas film favourites.
“I used to love watching Love Actually, so that one gets an outing at some point every year,” she says of the 2003 British rom-com starring Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant.
“And The Family Stone is great,” she adds of the 2005 comedy, in which the late Diane Keaton leads the ensemble of Sarah Jessica Parker, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Claire Danes and Luke Wilson.
“I love Sarah Jessica Parker, so I love watching her performances.”
Whether the main character is a man or a woman, Jones says the best Christmas movies all share the same qualities. “It’s so nice, at that time of year, watching something that really makes you laugh and makes you feel joyful,” she reflects.
“And the more you know it, the more fun it is. When you know all the beats and what’s going to happen next, there’s a sort of predictability to the Christmas film that’s really important. There’s comfort in knowing everything is going to be OK in the end.”
Oh. What. Fun. is streaming from Wednesday on Prime Video. See Felicity Jones on the cover of a new issue of The Watchlist, out in the Sunday papers.
Originally published as ‘Unhinged’: Felicity Jones and Jason Schwartzman tease chaotic new film
