The characters portrayed by Paul Rudd in movies are rarely easily identifiable role models — even in the new film he stars in named "Role Models."
Take "The 40-year-old Virgin." In that 2005 hit Rudd's character David is years out of a months-long relationship, and he's still not over his ex. She, on the other hand, has moved and changed her e-mail address and phone number. (Maybe he's a model of how not to act after a breakup.)
Then there's last year's "Reno 911! Miami," where he's a "Scarface"-style Cuban drug dealer at first, but it turns out he's really an unsuccessful criminal from Colorado acting like the fictional Tony Montana. (Maybe he's model No. 1 of why it pays to be yourself.)
Now Rudd is in "Role Models," where his character, burnt-out energy drink hawker Danny, rather hilariously ends up having to do community service. During a recent promotional stop in Atlanta, Rudd explained what moviegoers can take from that:
"Well, if you ask a lot of people, 'Are you where you thought you would be at this point in your life?' a lot of people would say 'No.' And just the feelings of kind of an unfulfillment and frustration, I think, are identifiable. And also how easy it is to just go with the flow. You know, you go with the flow long enough, 10 years go by, and all of a sudden you're like, 'Wait a minute — what's going on?'
"This movie is about having that self-realization, and then just losing it!," Rudd says with a laugh. "You could say my character is a role model for everybody going through a midlife crisis. Filthy family fun!"
Q: Picking up on this twist on role models, you know that some people can be a model of what not to do, as well as what to do. Who would Sen. John McCain be a good role model for?
A: John McCain has always struck me as someone who has very much had his own opinions and stuck to them regardless of where they fell on the popularity scale.
Q: Alright, Barack Obama.
A: Barack Obama, I think, is a role model for all of us.
Q: Back to film, what are some of the more upstanding characters you've seen in movies recently?
A: [Laughs again] Obviously, not a lot of mine. But I don't even look at them in terms of people to emulate. I just think, "Oh those guys are really funny. That would be fun to do." But back to the question. Hmmm, I'm going through the Rolodex of movies in my mind. "The Elephant Man's" John Merrick. Richard Farnsworth in "The Straight Story." Those are noble characters.
Q: Finally, other than your parents and family members, who did you look up to?
A: As a kid, I suppose the person I was a major fan of was actually a football player. John Stallworth, who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. I was a Steelers fan. A huge Steelers fan. That was my life.
Sing along to 'HSM 3'
In case you weren't singing along already, Walt Disney Pictures is releasing a sing-along version of "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" today in 125 theaters nationwide (including Regal Mall of Georgia 20 and AMC Barrett Commons 24). This Disney first — done with digital captioning technology — follows the biggest opening week ever for a musical.
To find the sing-along showing closest to you, go to Disney.com/HSM3. Enter your zip code or city/state into the ticketing application.
A look at 'Atomic' opera
On Nov. 11 the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will offer a free screening of "Wonders Are Many: The Making of Doctor Atomic," a documentary about the opera "Doctor Atomic." The behind-the-scenes feature will be shown at 7 p.m. in the Richard H. Rich Theatre of the Woodruff Arts Center. ASO Music Director Robert Spano and Georgia Tech economic history professor August Giebelhaus are scheduled to participate in a pre-film discussion. The ASO's premiere of John Adams' "Doctor Atomic" is Nov. 21 and 23 at Symphony Hall.
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