Keeping Up With The Steins
Directed by Scott Marshall
After years of doing bit parts and working as crew for his dad (Garry Marshall) and Aunt Penny (Marshall, of course), Hollywood scion Scott Marshall's comes of age with his own first feature, Keeping Up With the Steins.
It's a family comedy about bar mitzvah, the Jewish faith's coming of age ceremony-and the ridiculously competitive nature of post-mitzvah parties.
"I'm not Jewish, but I went to school with mostly Jewish kids and always wanted a bar mitzvah and never got to have one. So I was a little jealous of the big parties and the moment when they get to become a man, and I didn't," says Marshall. "I really was into this movie, having grown up in LA in a similar environment. It was kind of like I finally got to have my own bar mitzvah. I got to shoot three of them. It was fun, and I learned a lot."
MERIN: What did you learn?
MARSHALL: I learned a lot about bar mitzvah: That it's a time when you assume the responsibility of being a man. Before, I just thought about parties, how great they were. But, it's like Richard Benjamin [the Rabbi] says in the film, "Before you're 13, whatever you do is your parents' fault. After you're 13, it's your fault. So, don't do anything stupid." That's a nice message; I didn't know that's what it's about.
How'd you feel about bar mitzvah-envy and faux mitzvahs?
Or "not mitzvahs," they call them. They weren't around in '83, '84. But there was competition: One kid had a Madonna impersonator, another had a Prince impersonator. Now the real thing shows up, like Destiny's Child.
What would you've had?
Probably Star Wars. Empire Strikes Back had just come out, and I don't think Jaws would have made a good bar mitzvah.
How were you involved in putting the project together?
The producers had the script and a little money. I loved the script, wanted to do it. I said I wasn't Jewish, but I'd married a Jewish girl, so it's close. They said, "Well, aaaaalright." They thought I was Jewish.
We went to Jeremy Piven-my first choice-and got him attached. Then, when we started reading kids, we'd have my dad read with them because he was in the office; we were using his office. We went to Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Martin Landau-they didn't want to do the skinny-dipping scene, and I didn't want to cut it. It's hilarious. We hadn't attached Darryl Hannah yet; that might've helped. The more my dad read with the kids, the more the producers said he's right for the part and should do it.
I didn't want it: This was my first movie. He usually plays gangsters or bosses, never a hippie. I didn't think he was right for the part, but the more he read, the more I thought he could work. He turned out great.
Did you know the cast beforehand?
No. Well, my dad worked with Doris Roberts and Jamie Gertz. Doris liked the script and knew my dad. Darryl, I'd never met. My dad probably knew her. She liked the script. Jeremy, none of us knew. He liked the script. Richard Benjamin, nobody knew. Darryl Sabara, nobody knew. Cheryl Hines, we didn't know. So, it wasn't like I just called friends. If I'd called my dad's friends, I would have called Henry Winkler, Tom Hanks or Robin Williams to beg them to do it, but there really wasn't a part for them.
When you were growing up, you acted, and you were steeped in show business?
I wouldn't say steeped. My mom's from Cincinnati, so she kept us out of it. When my dad had a hit show she didn't move to Beverly Hills, she moved to Toluca Lake-to keep us out of the craziness.
Toluca Lake's a pretty intense showbiz scene.
It's like the Midwest. I mean, Warner Bros. is there, but?
Henry Winkler's there?
He moved to Brentwood.
Oh.
Yeah. There's famous people, but it's still normal?
The point being that you grew up surrounded by?
But my mom didn't-look, my dad got me a part on the Bad News Bears TV show, and my mom refused to let me take it because I'd miss school. She wouldn't let us be showbiz kids-actors-cause it's very hard to stay normal. She made us finish school, go to college. I went to grad school in film. Then I went a little crazy and joined a rock band and moved to New York.
That was Chavez?
Yeah. I played bass guitar. We played around New York-were huge in 1994 on Avenue A, opened for some big bands, learned a lot, had a big world experience. Which helped me as a filmmaker.
I had to do something that wasn't a Marshall thing-although my dad played drums. Something that wasn't showbiz, TV sitcom. I started making music videos, which brought me back to filmmaking. But I didn't grow up on the set-we were allowed to do one show a year and delivered mail on the lot during summer.
Still, you're part of privileged Hollywood?
We make fun of it in the movie. I grew up with it but had a more grounded experience than other kids who were in the middle of it.
What about Jeremy Piven playing an agent in Entourage and your film. Coincidence?
We shot around the same time they shot Entourage's first season. We knew Entourage was HBO and was probably going to be big. That's good for us, but why should we push? They should push. We lucked out; it turned out huge for Jeremy.
I didn't know he was playing an agent, got really nervous when it started running-thought shit, this is the same character. Then I realized it's not-he's more a hard-edged shark who'll scam you and is hilarious, but he's not a heart-of-gold like our Adam Fiedler. I was relieved that he's playing a different person. He was my first choice. I've always loved him in everything, thought he should be a lead in a movie.
We really lucked out getting him when we did. We probably couldn't get him now 'cause he's too big.