It's been a while since we heard any news on "Butter," the upcoming political satire starring Jennifer Garner and a whole slew of other exciting people that spoofs the 2008 Democratic primaries as a butter carving competition in Iowa.
Shooting seems to be under way for the film, expected out in 2011, and Entertainment Tonight has a lengthy interview package with the main cast members that shows some behind-the-scenes footage of the film. Click on below the jump to hear what Jennifer, Hugh Jackman, Alicia Silverstone, Olivia Wilde, Ty Burrell and Ashley Greene have to say about their characters.
Jennifer describes her character, Laura Pickler, as living her life "for being Mrs. Bob Pickler." He is the best butter carver in Iowa, and that was part of the reason why she married him. It is when he decides to give up butter carving for being a judge that her life gets turned upside down, and we know based on the plot summary that she ends up becoming a butter carver herself.
"She's very ambitious for the two of them. And he decides, without talking to her, that he is going to give up butter carving and become a judge, and it makes her crazy because she had no control over it and her whole life has changed at the drop of a hat and she's grasping at straws trying to save herself," Jennifer said.
Hugh explains in his interview segment that his character Boyd and Laura had a bit of a history, where they were high school sweethearts and the prom king and queen, but then she dumped him and he never got over it.
"In our story, he briefly comes back into her life because he realizes that he can do something for her or will do something for her that probably no one else would," Hugh said. "The moment [Laura] turns up on his doorstep, he drops them all. He's like, thank you God, this is my second chance. He's very briefly very happy."
Then there's Ashley, who plays Laura's stepdaughter, Kaitlen Pickler. She describes Kaitlen as the "typical teen who is rebellious and generally can't stand her parents: her father or her stepmom," which we totally understand in this situation
Interestingly enough neither Jennifer nor Ty mentioned how "Butter" was written as a satire of anything. Jennifer played the story very straight, calling it "original" and "set in a world that maybe you don't know anything about but that are universal in the characters." Original? We thought this was the 2008 democratic election.
Hugh actually did mention the satiric elements of the film, comparing it to "Little Miss Sunshine," "To Die For" and "Fargo," and calling it an "irreverent, hilarious satire." Hopefully the actors get what they are making fun of, and we aren't at the butt of the joke for being excited for this film.
Continuing with the interviews, Olivia Wilde — who plays Bob Pickler's stripper mistress — describes her character Brooke as a "sassy, smart, raunchy, funny stripper who likes to shock," a "little Tasmanian devil that blasts through any room she's in and through town."
Then there's Alicia, who plays Jill, a young Iowan who adopts a 10-year-old African American girl named Destiny, who ends up becoming the prime competition of Laura Pickler. Jill and her husband Ethan (played by Rob Corddry) get caught up in the drama of the butter carving competition.
"She just wants to be a good mom, she's trying so hard to be a good mom, and then she gets thrown into this ridiculous butter contest thing because her daughter wants to do it and she's just in this weird world where Jennifer Garner's character, Laura Pickler, is basically trying to take down our daughter. It's so weird!" Alicia exclaimed
HEAD OVER TO YOUTUBE TO SEE ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT'S FULL VIDEO!
Are you looking forward to seeing "Butter" when it comes out? Are you disappointed the actors didn't mention the political allegory of the film?
** Hollywood Crush Twitter