During this year’s SXSW Film Festival I had the chance to sit down with TONE-DEAF writer/director Richard Bates Jr. as well as lead cast members Robert Patrick (who also executive produced) and Amanda Crew. The film is a clever mash up of conventional horror and hipster dramedy about the generational disconnect between curmudgeon baby boomers and entitled millennials. Just as an FYI, I actually had the pleasure of meeting the T-1000 himself, Robert Patrick, waaaaaay back on my very first set vistit for Robert Rodriguez's THE FACULTY. When I reintroduced myself to the actor, he insisted that he remembered me. Even if it was total BS, I couldn't help but feel pretty dang special, especially when he called it out again midway through our talk. Nerding out aside, I really dug the film and was super excited to get to break down some of the details with the filmmakers, so I hope you enjoy part 1 of our chat.
Kellerman:
Hi guys! Thank you so much for taking your time to chat with me today about your awesome film TONE-DEAF. So my first question for you as writer/director is where did this story come from? Because I love that its almost like two films in one, there's sort of this hipster thing happening and then a straight up horror thing happening. How did this all come about?
Bates Jr:
So like-
Robert Patrick:
That's what I ask him.
Bates Jr:
I'm still working through that...
Kellerman:
Lot's of hours of therapy
Bates Jr:
Okay, so this painting, this Norman Rockwell painting called The Connoisseur, of this gentleman in a business suit. And he's looking at this sort of recreation of a Pollock, and ever since college that painting just stuck in my mind. And my wife and I were watching the news and I started thinking about that painting again, and I looked at it and that's what sort of inspired the whole character of Harvey.
Even Norman Rockwell is taking a stab at this new abstract expressionism 'cause he doesn't get it, someone that talented. You know what I mean? So it became interesting, and then the approach was I can't take a purely one-sided look at this because no one is going to extract anything from that, so everyone go hard on everyone so that you, I guess to really paint this picture that we're all hypocrites. Everyone's a hypocrite. But some people are trying to do the right thing, and then there are others that aren't. Right? And that's what differentiates the two. Some are truly obsessed. But the fun thing is Harvey hates her because she's so preoccupied with herself in his mind, but really, he's so preoccupied with how her existence changes, sort of, his place and value on the planet. So they're constantly sort of stepping on their own toes throughout the movie.
Hi guys! Thank you so much for taking your time to chat with me today about your awesome film TONE-DEAF. So my first question for you as writer/director is where did this story come from? Because I love that its almost like two films in one, there's sort of this hipster thing happening and then a straight up horror thing happening. How did this all come about?
Bates Jr:
So like-
Robert Patrick:
That's what I ask him.
Bates Jr:
I'm still working through that...
Kellerman:
Lot's of hours of therapy
Bates Jr:
Okay, so this painting, this Norman Rockwell painting called The Connoisseur, of this gentleman in a business suit. And he's looking at this sort of recreation of a Pollock, and ever since college that painting just stuck in my mind. And my wife and I were watching the news and I started thinking about that painting again, and I looked at it and that's what sort of inspired the whole character of Harvey.
Even Norman Rockwell is taking a stab at this new abstract expressionism 'cause he doesn't get it, someone that talented. You know what I mean? So it became interesting, and then the approach was I can't take a purely one-sided look at this because no one is going to extract anything from that, so everyone go hard on everyone so that you, I guess to really paint this picture that we're all hypocrites. Everyone's a hypocrite. But some people are trying to do the right thing, and then there are others that aren't. Right? And that's what differentiates the two. Some are truly obsessed. But the fun thing is Harvey hates her because she's so preoccupied with herself in his mind, but really, he's so preoccupied with how her existence changes, sort of, his place and value on the planet. So they're constantly sort of stepping on their own toes throughout the movie.
Kellerman:
Right, And I guess that's funny that you reference a Rockwell painting because it seems that there's always a disconnect between generations. It's not like it's a new concept.
Bates Jr:
Right.
Kellerman:
But I love that it's in the current...
Bates Jr:
Yeah.
Kellerman:
...context. Robert, you executive produced. How did you get into this gang.
Patrick:
I got invited in early on, and participated with Ricky as he was putting it together.
Bates Jr:
I begged him. He was not invited. I begged him.
Patrick:
Very sweet, and he sent a wonderful letter and we talked and we agreed that after I read it, I was intrigued enough with the project to do a Skype conversation and got to know him over the ... 'cause you know, first I was like "Eh, I really gotta kinda see what this guy is all about before I do this 'cause-
Kellerman:
Sure, yeah.
Patrick:
I got it, and I think it's very admirable what he's trying to accomplish with this thing 'cause there's so much he's really trying to do. Little movie and budget and everything. I got excited when I had a conversation with him and I got to know him a little bit. It's deep, deep things that he's contemplating, and he allows us to all deal ... and hers a little bit more current, a little bit now, where as more are more resonance of a long life that's already been led. So I'm in a deeper, sort of, thought pattern. Not that her stuff is not superficial,
Kellerman:
But a little more extreme.
Patrick:
But a little bit more ... she hasn't had that to be able to take a long look back is kind of where we're at with me. The history ... and you know, I don't wanna get into this because-
Amanda Crew:
Oh get into it.
Kellerman:
But I'm gonna get into it!
Crew:
Get in, get in to it.
Patrick:
In my own personal opinion, I mean I'm a spiritual guy, and I'm a church-going guy. In real life Robert is. So I had this deep commitment to that, and I had to try to allow that not to supersede what I was gonna try to do as an artist, but how would they respect that as well? And it's touched on in the film, but it brings us to that question of we are all insecure and not sure of ourselves, and trying to find our way and our own way. And there's such disdain from my generation, feeling like we're being disrespected and they're not appreciative of what we've done. And, you know what I mean?
Kellerman:
Yeah, I do know.
Patrick:
So, It's all there and he's really trying to bridge the gap. I went on too long.
Kellerman:
No, that's a great answer. That's what I wanted to hear.
Bates Jr:
The most important thing about us trying to do this was to make sure, that's why we created a tight reality, so that it was still fun.
Kellerman:
Right.
Bates Jr:
If it was that and it was dry, it's like watching the news. No one needs that.
Kellerman:
It has the horror elements for sure. It's more than that, which I can appreciate.
Patrick:
That genre allows you to do that.
Bates Jr:
Yeah.
Patrick:
We can talk about this stuff like BLAZING SADDLES.
Bates Jr:
Yeah, that's true.
Patrick:
The stuff that you don't even... you know what I mean?
Kellerman:
Yeah, I do. You can poke fun and also scare the shit out of people.
Bates Jr:
How old are you? Can I ask that? Is that rude?
Patrick:
Yeah, you can't do that!
Kellerman:
I'm between.
Crew:
Good answer. Good answer.
Patrick:
We met along time ago [on the set of THE FACULTY] and she was a very young girl when I met her. She was in high school.
Kellerman:
I was a little older. More than twenty. That was in 1998!
Bates Jr:
You look young enough where I thought it wasn't offensive to ask that.
Kellerman:
No. It's not offensive. I'm forty three years old.
Patrick:
I'm sixty, so don't act like...
Kellerman:
I'm kinda between, I'm sort of like, I see this perspective and then I also am part on this side too.
Patrick:
In other words, what generation do you identify?
Kellerman:
I'm generation x, man.
Patrick:
Your generation x. So, there's your answer.
Kellerman:
For you Amanda how do you take this character who is basically kinda insufferable, and make her likable still? Like how does that....
Crew:
I mean, I don't know if I accomplished that.
Kellerman:
I think you did. I think you did.
Crew:
That wasn't my agenda. I really was conscious going into it that I wasn't trying to. I mean, every part, especially as a girl, and a younger girl, every part I've done, there is an element of, and she's likable. You know?
Kellerman:
Yeah.
Crew:
This character was an opportunity for me to not even have that. Anytime that came in my mind of like, "ooh but are we going to like her?" I just had to get rid of it because I knew that if I was conscious of that it would interfere with who this character is. She's not wondering if she's a good person. She thinks she's a good person. She knows she's a good person. In her mind she's a good person. That's millennials, they're very up their own ass.
Kellerman:
Mmmhmmm
Crew:
Myself included. It was interesting watching it last night, because, there were times... again, I’ve never played a character who was just so self involved and messy. There were times last night when I was watching it where it was uncomfortable for me to watch myself like that. I was like I don't like this girl.
Kellerman:
Yeah, in a way she’s almost ironically likable. She is so honest in who she is.
Crew:
Sure.
Bates Jr:
The thing that every time I think there's a thing that you have to make them likable in the first act. Then you can have them do anything. Garbage. I don't wanna... I've never done that. I hate that. I want someone to be themselves and maybe not like them, and then grow and see their circumstances and what their life is, and why they're that way. Then learn to like them.
Patrick:
[to Amanda]I think you're adorable in the first quarter of the movie.
Kellerman:
Well, yeah.
Patrick:
I think, from my point of view, I have a daughter that's twenty one. I'm thinking about what her character has going through, losing her father, and that hurt. I can tell her mother's not totally there for her. So, she, the character, she's had this screwed up way that she was brought up.
Kellerman:
Right, right.
Patrick:
I feel sympathy for her.
Kellerman:
Well and then your character...
Patrick:
And then I felt really bad. Watching the movie last night, I was like, wow, they're so casual about sex and stuff. I was like, I don't like that. Like I said, personally.
Kellerman:
Sure.
Patrick:
Right. It was funny how it hit me.
Bates Jr:
Harvey?
Patrick:
Well, no. Robert, and watching the movie, and I'm going, whoa, is that generation, is my daughter like that too?
Kellerman:
Well there's this other side of things- like her character is insufferable, and yet likable. But, your character is kinda demented, but yet, strangely sympathetic.
Patrick:
Did you have sympathy for him?
Kellerman:
I did!
Crew:
Yeah!
Kellerman:
You do. Can you talk about that a little bit? I mean, [to Bates Jr] you wrote these characters, was that all on the page? Did they bring...
Bates Jr:
We talked about it. Well here's the thing. Honest to god. The only thing that I focused on from the script standpoint is, I try to make these mix tapes. So it's like a girl talk album, it's a dance song with all these samples. So it's horror movie and all these samples. Right. I do that, then, the only thing you have to do as the director is be a fucking nightmare about who acts in it.
Bates Jr:
Once you get the right people, I never micromanage them. They are fucking awesome. I was clapping every day for you guys. I love making movies so much. I was just so happy.
Kellerman:
That's awesome.
Crew:
He is a very happy director.
Bates Jr:
They did it. They did all the cool shit. They did it. I'm just there. I'm just so excited.
Patrick:
Which makes you very confident.
Kellerman:
Yeah.
Crew:
Gives you room to play and do your thing.
Patrick:
For the record, this is the most time I've spent with [points to Crew] this young lady, is this South by Southwest. When we were working together we didn't really...
Crew:
Yeah, there wasn't a whole lot of screen time.
Patrick:
I gave her her thing, and she gave me mine and...
So that wraps up part one of my interview with the TONE-DEAF gang! Stayed tuned for part two of our conversation when Saban Films releases the film later this year.
Thanks for reading,
Rebecca Elliott
Aka Annette Kellerman
