ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese spoke to Nutcrackers stars Ben Stiller and real-life brothers Homer and Arlo Janson. The trio discussed filming at the Janson family’s actual farmhouse, what drew them to the project, and more. Directed by David Gordon Green, the holiday comedy movie is now streaming on Hulu.
“Nutcrackers follows strait-laced and work-obsessed Mike (Ben Stiller) as he is suddenly thrust into being a caregiver for his rambunctious, orphaned nephews,” says the synopsis.
Tyler Treese: Ben, all four of these kids are powerhouses and have such great energy that really makes the movie feel alive. You film this on their actual farm. It just feels like there’s so much truth to this movie and there’s indie roots and vibe to it. So, how exciting was it to get on this project because of that?
Ben Stiller: Yeah, that was why I wanted to do it. Everything you’re saying, it was coming from an organic place. David Gordon Green, this guy loves making movies. I’ve known him for years. We’ve never worked together. And when you feel the passion that a filmmaker has, when he says, “I wanna make this movie. It’s based on these kids. These kids are gonna play themselves. We’re gonna shoot at their house. We’re gonna shoot it on film with a 35-millimeter camera. It’s gonna be down and dirty, and we’re just gonna have fun.” To me, I was like, “All right, I’m on board.”
That’s what you’re looking for in a filmmaker. Somebody who’s passionate and who you think is talented. It was really everything I would’ve hoped for. Jumping in into their world and getting to know these people and their families, and it’s such a feeling of family in the movie, too, because we were in their home, and the filmmaking team was a family, and David kind of creates that energy around. So, it was a blast.
Homer Janson: Passion spreads.
Stiller: It does, right? Yeah. I mean, few filmmakers — David’s been making movies for a while — that I’ve worked with who, like, second or third day of filming, we’re shooting a shot, and he just goes, “Then we’ll get this here, and then we’re gonna pop this here.” He is like, “I love making movies.” They’re like, “I love making movies too.” It’s like, all right, we’re still here. We’re still doing it, and that’s just like the best.
I love that positivity, and it really shows in the film, too.
Homer, so much of the movie is you and your brothers messing with Ben. Did that ever translate to you guys pulling some pranks behind the scenes as well?
Homer: [laughs] I mean, it was basically messing around with the crew and Ben the whole entire time. Yeah. I mean, not even on purpose, but just our normal lives were kind of messing around with everybody. Pigs being in the house, Guinea pigs crawling on top of you, stuff like that.
Stiller: Like the first time the hog Mabel comes in. I think David did that intentionally, but I get used to the environment. Getting me used to the environment, but like this hog comes in squealing full steam. I’d never heard a live hog, you know, probably only heard hogs in movies and the live hog is much more intense. And also when you’re coming down the stairs and the hog’s running at you, and there’s no real… like this isn’t a big budget movie. There’s no…there’s not a lot of…your grandfather was an animal wrangler, right?
Homer: Yeah. We just thought he would be.
Stiller: Yeah. So, I trusted him, but basically, it was like, “All right, is this okay that the hog is squealing and charging me?” And he is like, “Yeah, yeah, no, it’s fine. It’s just me.”
Homer: She only just wants to chew on your shoe.
Arlo Janson: She gets mud all over.
Stiller: Yeah, she gets mud all everywhere, but like that kind of thing was happening all the time, and farting going on. Not you, but Atlas, right? Yeah. So that, the decorum was a little bit [laughs]. Not exactly, this wasn’t The Crown.
Arlo, they filmed on your actual family farm and your actual animals got to be in it. How was that experience of going from your regular life one day to this big film being shot there?
Arlo: Well, half of the people were our friends in two minutes, and it was smooth sailing the time we were there, so it was really fun.
Stiller: Yeah. I feel like these guys are so warm and welcoming. You know, the first time I met ’em, they gave me a big hug, and right off the bat, I was like, all right, these are like really nice sweet kids who are really open. That was the feeling that they gave to everybody at your house. You kinda were always showing people around and giving tours.
Homer: I mean, there’s no reason not to be nice and hug a person when you first meet them.
Stiller: Well, that’s why. I’m from New York, so I mean, if you do that in New York, people think there’s something wrong with you. That’s, unfortunately, what’s wrong with our world.
Homer: I immediately knew I was gonna have fun and that you’re an awesome person when you hugged me back and when you listened to me when I was talking about my chicken running around.
The power of hugs.
Stiller: Right? Exactly.
Thanks to Ben Stiller and Homer & Arlo Janson for taking the time to talk about Nutcrackers, which is out today on Hulu.
