“A Totally different Man’s” standpoint is layered, introspective, and fully distinctive. The second collaboration between actor Adam Pearson and writer-director Aaron Schimberg — the 2 beforehand labored collectively on Schimberg’s “Chained for Life” — relies on a real-life dialogue between Pearson and Schimberg (with Sebastian Stan becoming a member of in in a while) on disfigurement, seen distinction, and the continuing means of self-acceptance.
Pearson suggested Stan on his function as Edward, an aspiring actor with neurofibromatosis (usually shortened to NF1) who will get every thing he thought he ever needed when he indicators up for an experimental process that makes him appear like all people else (or like Sebastian Stan, even higher). Then Pearson — who additionally has NF1 — enters the narrative because the cocky, gregarious Oswald, whose charisma holds a mirror as much as Edward’s insecurity and makes him query every thing he is aware of about himself and the world.
Schimberg approaches the fabric with each vulnerability — the topic is private for him, too, as he explains in our interview — and a refreshingly darkish and sardonic humorousness. Edward’s destiny is a cosmic joke being performed on him by his creator (i.e., Schimberg), who’s written a script that regularly brings struggling upon a personality he additionally says is partially based mostly on himself. The difficult cycle of self-awareness, self-hatred, and meta commentary at play in that dynamic is typical of “A Totally different Man,” a movie whose nuances beget extra nuance in flip.
We spoke with Pearson, Stan, and Schimberg after a screening of “A Totally different Man” at Unbelievable Fest in Austin, Texas, in an interview that went deep instantly — a lot so, that we solely acquired to ask a small portion of the questions we had ready.
Adam, you informed Sebastian some tales out of your life to tell his efficiency — what was the forwards and backwards between you guys in creating your characters? They are surely two sides of the identical coin.
Adam Pearson: I believe if you enter an endeavor like this, be it artistic or in any other case, honesty and transparency are at all times helpful. Except I can get to a spot the place I’m going to be open and trustworthy [with] Sebastian, then there’s no level in doing it. I’m going into every thing with a transparent head and a full coronary heart and full openness and belief. In a bizarre means, I let folks doubtlessly disappoint me, [but that] was by no means going to occur on this [project].
We had been simply trustworthy with one another. We had the open conversations. Some issues had been extra snug than others, however until we had been ready to go there and push by means of the discomfort, we’d haven’t any proper to ask an viewers to do the identical once they’re watching the movie. So the ethos off display was used to design the ethos on display.
Sebastian Stan: The dynamic was very clear within the script, so I simply felt that it [would be] good for us to fulfill and join and determine how we work and the way we will get in there and ensure we’re all on the identical web page. A variety of these early conferences had been [about], can we all share the identical purpose? As a result of generally you get into a movie and somebody’s within the fallacious film.
After all, I used to be additionally excited to see Adam and the way he was going to completely steamroll into the movie. [Laughs]
So what was the purpose, then? Was it what Adam was speaking about, honesty and pushing by means of?
SS: The purpose was serving Aaron’s imaginative and prescient of the movie, and serving the story as in truth as attainable with out falling into any of the tropes and stereotypes of making an attempt to be humorous or making an attempt to coach or wink on the viewers or make them really feel dangerous. There’s an actual tightrope of tone that I believe Aaron can communicate to, by way of actually giving the viewers an elevated expertise past our surface-level reactions in direction of people who look completely different. And judging by the disabled individuals who have stated to us, “I simply need to say thanks,” I believe we’ve reached that purpose.
What do you concentrate on what Sebastian stated about tone, Aaron?
Aaron Schimberg: Tone comes naturally to me. I don’t actually choose it — really, I do, I agonize about it beforehand. However then it turns into what it’s. And it’s actually simply my standpoint on the topic, which is private for me. I’m at all times coming from a private place about it.
Among the tone comes from making an attempt to keep away from the tropes and cliches concerning the topic. I’ve at all times felt type of oppressed by [the way] we view incapacity. I’ve at all times been scared of individuals with a constructive perspective — after I was rising up, it was the Particular Olympics, and being “particular,” and these infantilizing concepts about incapacity that bothered me, whilst a toddler. You suppose you’re giving me a praise, however it’s not likely a praise.
It’s patronizing.
AS: Yeah, it’s patronizing. I’ve at all times felt patronized. So I at all times [thought] you couldn’t present any person who feels positively about disfigurement or incapacity in a movie, as a result of it’s tied up with this infantilization, this patronizing perspective. This movie comes out of making an attempt to ask, “how do I get there? How do I present a constructive illustration of disfigurement?”
I began on the opposite finish, with the cliché of the lonely unhappy disfigured man. If I do this, I’m additionally in a position to put my very own ache and the true microaggressions and aggressions that come from that [into it], so it’s a extra well-rounded portrait not less than. Then we slowly go the torch to Adam.
None of this ever would’ve occurred to me with out realizing Adam. Adam performed a shy character in my first movie who relies on myself. I’m shy. And I’ve by no means actually had a constructive perspective about — not solely about my disfigurement, however about something. I’ve at all times blamed [everything] on my cleft palate. And so assembly Adam, and seeing that he’s any person who takes management of how he needs to be perceived, that was an inspiration to me.
It additionally discombobulated me as a result of I assumed, “I might have been completely different. Might I’ve seen all this in another way? Might I’ve not let this cease me? Have I been leaning on this an excessive amount of?” I used to be coping with these emotions truthfully within the script. It allowed me to create a brand new sort of portrayal, which I do know to be truthful as a result of Adam confirmed me a brand new strategy to be disabled.
Really, that does lead me to one thing — I needed to speak to you about your efficiency, Adam. These guys had been saying it’s an exaggerated model of you in actual life. What was exaggerated?
AP: The clothes was drastically exaggerated, which I appreciated. But additionally the mannerisms, greater actions, a distinct sort of voice work — I’d by no means be that chipper in actual life. If I did, all my mates could be like, “what are you doing? How a lot do it’s essential to borrow proper now?” So yeah, simply turning the amount up ever so barely. The entire jujitsu saxophone factor is totally made up.
Yoga within the park.
AP: I can’t do any of that. He’s simply such an attention-grabbing character. “I ran off to Tangiers with my professor.” After all he did. Shocked, however not.
Talking of those two characters being two sides of the identical coin and what you had been saying about illustration that isn’t patronizing: In my thoughts, Edward and Oswald characterize two paths ahead for folks with disfigurements. Are you going to be assured like Oswald and let your character push by means of, or are you going to break down within your self like Edward does? That selection, or that message — it’s a part of what you had been making an attempt to do right here?
AS: Lots of people appear to return away with the message of, “the grass is at all times greener. It is best to settle for your self and love your self.” And people points are introduced up within the movie. Is the grass at all times greener? Can you settle for your self?
However to me, there’s no ethical judgment on self-acceptance. Not all people can do it. I haven’t been in a position to totally settle for myself. Anyone who posts an Instagram story the place they put a filter on themselves — in some methods they’re making a masks. And I don’t choose that. To me, the film is about that wrestle. A few of it could simply be the way in which Edward was born. A few of it’s what he’s been made into, or what society or different folks’s judgments have made him, or the way in which he was raised, or any variety of issues. And when you’ll be able to’t settle for your self, or you must wrestle to do it, it’s straightforward sufficient to say, “nicely, simply love your self.”
And that may be trite and patronizing, too.
AS: And perhaps you get there some days however you fall off and also you get up and also you’re struggling once more. So it’s not a judgment for me, however it’s about that course of and the way painful it may be.
AP: It’s a tough course of, self-acceptance and self-love. I don’t suppose it’s a one-size-fits-all store, and all of us have good days and dangerous days. I believe so as to love your self, you’ve acquired to get up saying, “Alexa, play ‘Macho Man’ by The Village Individuals” and dance round in some sort of weird ritual of self-confidence.
And I believe that’s notably true now that all of us have our little low shallowness machines in our pocket, and we’re without end evaluating our behind-the-scenes to different folks’s biggest hits. And nobody’s taught these younger folks any type of media literacy to be like, “A) that’s one second in time, and B) that’s airbrushed to excessive heaven.” We’ve acquired all these folks chasing one thing that they’re by no means going to get, as a result of it doesn’t exist. Even when they did get it, they’d don’t know what to do with it. It’s a canine chasing a hearth engine. There’s a Jim Carrey quote — and I hope that I don’t butcher it right here — however he stated that he needs everybody might obtain their hopes and goals, so that they’d notice it received’t make them completely satisfied.
SS: I believe there are 1,000,000 Edwards strolling round, they usually’re not essentially disfigured. [There’s] this obsession we’ve all succumbed to with different folks’s lives, and I actually blame social media for that, in quite a lot of methods. It’s so detrimental to the self, the consumerism of all of it in America and the way we make the most of one another for revenue. You will have folks which might be actually searching for any sort of validation to really feel okay about themselves. And as a substitute we’re simply pulling them and coaxing them and manipulating them. In order that they’re simply consistently chasing this ghost, a shadow model of themselves.
How did you set it, Adam? The canine chasing the automotive?
AP: The canine catching the fireplace engine. What are you going to do now? You’ll be able to’t drive!
SS: This movie clearly offers with quite a lot of that. I fear that individuals aren’t keen on going that deep and truly asking themselves, “what’s it about me that I hate? What’s it about me that I choose or I really like or I’m pleased with?”
AP: And in case you can’t do it in 280 characters, it’s “too lengthy, didn’t learn, on to the subsequent one.”
SS: The opposite factor that I fear about is that we’ve gotten into such a selective pondering mindset that we’re susceptible to depriving ourselves of going deeper. It’s a lot simpler to simply write one thing off. “That’s fallacious, that’s proper, that’s it, I don’t have to consider it any extra.”
AS: “Do higher.”
SS: Proper. “Do higher.” Do you have got the answer, then? I really like that everybody’s a critic, however the place’s the answer in your half? What’s your contribution?
AP: The place’s the nuance? Nuance is among the saddest bits we’ve misplaced in our society.
