Half-Assed Internet Research
Personal origins; Damon interview; casting publicity; production anecdotes; finances; locations; football preparation
In the discussion (15)
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:41Read transcript
- Wolf’s screenplay is said to draw on personal experiences; a 2017 Entertainment Weekly oral history describes the filmmakers’ sense of responsibility toward the antisemitism theme.
- A replayed 2018 Damon interview describes being cast by Jaffe and Lansing as a major credibility boost, followed by returning to college without work; publicity emphasized Fraser and O’Donnell because they had follow-up films.
- In the interview, Damon rejects the suggestion that playing the villain itself was held against him; his hurt concerned the publicity focus on the other actors.
- Fraser reportedly stayed in a separate hotel and socialized apart from the others, paralleling David’s outsider role.
- The stated budget is$18 million and gross$14.7 million, with long-term cable and home-video income speculated to have made up the difference.
- Rapp reportedly could not see through the glasses he wore as Magoo and acted without clearly locating the others.
- Filming took place at Middlesex School in Concord and other prep schools.
- The shower fight reportedly ran out of hot water, with artificial steam used around cold water.
- Mandel reportedly encouraged the actors by predicting they would be the next Brat Pack.
- McGivern’s French assignment is identified as Keats’s On Seeing the Elgin Marbles for the First Time.
- The young cast are said to have all auditioned for Scent of a Woman, which O’Donnell won.
- David’s 42 is interpreted as a Jackie Robinson reference, while Dillon’s 21 is proposed as half-the-man symbolism; the symbolic interpretation is not independently confirmed.
- O’Donnell recalls the group lifting weights with the UMass Lowell football team and Damon as the strong one.
- Fraser says he faked much of the football and disliked getting hit despite later making a career of physical roles.
- Locane recalls Fraser remaining apart from the others’ fraternity-like social group, perhaps for the role.