Call it a bit of Hollywood-style serendipity. “The Joneses,” the new movie starring Demi Moore and David Duchovny, was shot on location in Alpharetta because writer/director Derrick Borte had a long layover at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
“I was going on vacation with my family,” Borte recalled during recent publicity stop at the Mansion hotel in Buckhead. “And I was looking down and seeing all these neighborhoods. I said to my wife, ‘There are a lot of McMansion-type places. I should look here.’ ”
The dark comedy takes on consumer culture, casting Moore and Duchovny as a seemingly perfect acquisitive couple who move to a gated community with their two teenagers, Amber Heard and Ben Hollingsworth. But Borte has a clever plot twist up his sleeve.
As it turns out, these Joneses aren’t a real family or even related. They’re all employees of a stealth marketing firm, hired to infiltrate the community and entice the neighbors into buying all the nifty gizmos and expensive goodies they’re showing off.
After years of directing commercials and music videos, “The Joneses” is Borte’s first feature film. Here’s more of what he had to say about making the movie, and his time in Atlanta.
Q: How long were you in Atlanta and how did you enjoy your time here?
A: We shot for six weeks. I was here six weeks prior for prep, so I was here for three months total. I really found some great places to eat. I found the DeKalb Farmers Market. That was a nice place to unwind. I would literally go walk the aisles. My wife and kids came down a few times. I took them to Six Flags and the Aquarium. Overall, I really had a great time. The people were wonderful. And the food was unbelievable. I hope a get a chance to come back and shoot here again.
Q: Where did you get the idea for the film?
A: I knew I needed to have a good script if someone was going to let me make the jump from commercials to film. I was watching “Dateline NBC” or one of those shows and it was focusing on stealth marketing — models going to bars and ordering the same drinks over and over, and seeing how other people ordered those drinks. People are doing the same things with cameras and home electronics. It just hit me to take it to the next logical level of placing a whole family into a neighborhood and within 24 hours the concept was there.
Q: Isn’t the twist that the family members are basically strangers more like reality TV?
A: I was fascinated by reality TV — these forced relationships where strangers get put in a house together. I wanted to take my key from that, so I knew the personal stories needed to drive the bigger story set against the background of conspicuous consumption and consumerism. I was focused on writing the personal stories and not trying to hit anyone over the head with a message.
Q: When the economy tanked did you worry that this was the wrong time for this film?
A: I was very afraid when I saw things starting to slide that it wouldn’t be relevant anymore. Yet, it seems to be very relevant. There are definitely still pockets of people out there who aren’t worried about anything and have plenty of everything.
Q: Was it fun working with David Duchovny and Demi Moore?
A: Absolutely. It was a lot of fun. David had a [flatulence] machine. When things got tense, he’d break that out. And everybody seemed to get along really well. Demi Moore comes to work prepared and ready to work. She’s such a trooper. We pulled crazy hours on a low budget and she gave a jolt of energy to the cast and crew when we needed it most.
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