Darin Farriola Interview about Mr. Fix It *Exclusive*

Darin Farriola Interview about Mr. Fix It Exclusive

by arieanna on September 18th, 2006

I contacted Darin Farriola, writer and director of the upcoming movie Mr. Fix It (preview here), starring David Boreanaz, to see if he’d be open to an interview on the blog. He happily obliged!

SearchingBones (SB): When you wrote "Mr. Fix It", did you have an actor in mind who you thought fit your vision of Lance Valenteen?
Darin Farriola (DF): No. I try not to write with actors in mind. It limits the character but most of all: if you can’t get the actor you had in mind, it can really suck.

SB: Is the name "Valenteen" a purposeful play on "Valentine"?
DF: I strongly believe in making character names loosely resemble their identities…so yes, Valenteen is a play on Valentine (but not the David Boreanaz movie :) )

SB: How do you think "Mr. Fix It" can distinguish itself from "Hitch", a movie with a similar plot line?
DF: I wrote Mr. Fix It in 2002, way before anyone heard of Hitch. However I was happy when I saw it, because it is quite different. The plot lines are very different and I strongly feel Mr. Fix It has more depth and charm. The only similarity is that their professions are similar. However, Hitch was nothing more than a re-imagining of the Cyrano de Bergerac story (like Roxanne) in which Will Smith tells his clients how to "hook up". Lance, however, actually dates the ex-girlfriend in an effort to make his client look more appealing.

SB: How did you land David Boreanaz for the role of Lance?
DF: David’s management read the script and really liked it. They approached us and after some meetings with David, I felt that his inherent personality was very similar to the character. So although I never saw him portray a vulnerable, comical romantic lead before I took a leap of faith…I’m glad I did.

SB: What quality in Sophia finally catches Lance’s eye, if you can dish that?
DF: When you watch the film you’ll see that it’s not just one quality. As is often the case, it’s a series of things.

SB: What scene in the movie came out completely different than how you thought it would be?
DF: Everything was very well planned, storyboarded, rehearsed…when you make movies independently on challenging budgets you have to over prepare. Therefore no one scene really turned out different than I had hoped. Having said that, the biggest surprise was how well the movie works as a whole. As a filmmaker you always strive for a seemless, entertaining film but when you actually achieve it…it’s always a surprise.

SB: Were there any funny behind-the-scenes moments?
DF: We did have fun, but no one moment stands out.

SB: Who do you think this movie appeals to?
DF: This will sound cliche but it appeals to everyone. Check out the review we just got on Filmthreat. The movie has been called a "date movie" and not a "chick flick"…meaning that guys can enjoy it too.

SB: When is the movie website coming out and what URL?
DF: I’m currently creating a MySpace site for the film and will let you know when it’s up.

Thanks Darin for taking the time to do the interview, we look forward to hearing more about Mr. Fix It!

Tags: darin farriola, mr fix it, movie, interview, david boreanaz

b5media.com

Searching Bones