During one of my many days working as a Production Assistant on American Horror Story, another PA asked everyone an informal poll question: What’s most important to you? A lot of people said family, financial security, or love. My answer was the same reason I came out to Los Angeles in the first place: happiness. Thousands of people come here every year in hopes of attaining happiness and The Disaster Artist, is about Tommy Wiseau’s version of that: The American Dream.
James Franco stars as Tommy Wiseau, (director of The Room) and directs the film based on the book: The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside ‘The Room’, The Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made by the real co-star, Greg Sestero.
In the book and in the film, Tommy is portrayed as an odd foreigner with a secret past who so desperately wants the American Dream. He loves to act, but his acting chops and mysterious European accent get in the way of those dreams. It’s not until he meets a fellow struggling actor in Sestero, that they fuel each other to create the film we all know and love today.
The character of Tommy may be one of the most bizarre humans to ever walk the Earth, but there is a familiarity to him with which we can all relate. He’s searching for companionship in a world that mocks him and all he wants to do is to be successful in life and to possess a modicum of respect. That’s why this movie works so well and why James Franco’s performance as Wiseau is being hailed as one of the best of the year.
But James Franco isn’t the main character of the story, nor is he the only Franco. His younger brother, Dave, plays Greg Sestero, and it is he, that is the main protagonist. Greg is another hopeful actor living in San Francisco until he meets Tommy. At only 19, Greg has his whole life ahead of him to achieve his goal (as well as good looks), but his fear of what other people’s perception is hindering his performances. Tommy helps break that block and releases Greg’s truest potential.
The cast is comprised of myriad comedic actors, most of which are in the James Franco realm. You have Alison Brie (Dave’s real-life girlfriend) who plays Amber, Greg’s girlfriend, Seth Rogen, Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson, Judd Apatow, the How Did This Get Made Crew of Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, & Jason Mantzoukas, and many, many more.
In the end, the film is about pursuing your dreams, maintaining friendships along the way, and living life to the fullest potential knowing full well, that it may not come out the way you expect it. That’s why The Disaster Artist is a #ConTENder for my Top Ten movies of the year.
-Jamie (@GuyOnAWire)
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