Scott Prendergast On Kabluey

The Writer-Director-Star Discusses How the Comedy Film Was Made

Jun 18, 2008

Independent filmmaker Scott Prendergast shares production secrets of his semi-autobiographical film about feeling lost in middle-class America.

Speaking after a screening of Kabluey at the 2008 Florida Film Festival, Prendergast revealed that the film was based on a true story about his brother serving in Iraq and his sister-in-law needing help around the house and with the children. Just like the movie, his experiences were a mixture of poignant moments and comedy.

Major Stars in a Small Film

Kabluey stars Prendergast as Salmon, a young man who lives in the shadow of his heroic older brother. Lisa Kudrow co-stars as the stressed-out sister-in-law, who finds Salmon a job as a silly corporate mascot named Kabluey. Conchata Ferell plays his cranky boss; Christine Taylor portrays a snobbish neighbor who hires Salmon to entertain at a birthday party; Chris Parnell plays Frank, the grocery store manager, and Teri Garr is featured as a crazed woman who lost her lifesavings from investing in the company where Salmon now works.

“As the writer, director, and star, I was told I was crazy when I said I wanted to get big stars for the film,” Prendergast said. “I got real lucky with the casting. Once Lisa Kudrow signed on, the others joined. Working with five major stars, it was hard to work schedules. The stars were responding to the script when they came on. They certainly didn’t do it for the money. They all worked for scale.”

Once a writer for TV’s Celebrity Death Match, Prendergast says Kabluey is his first feature film. He took the classic advice to write about what you know. Although based on a true story, he made an important distinction between his art mirroring his life.

“Kabluey is based on a true story, but unlike the character in the film, my sister-in-law did not have an affair while my brother was away in Iraq,” he said. “I promised her to make that clear every time I spoke.”

Two Ideas in One Movie

Beginning with a 100-page script, the filmmaker combined two ideas into one movie: the sad, true story of a family going through the war, and a silly, slapstick story about a guy trapped in a ridiculous blue costume because he’s isolated from everyone else.

“Salmon is like a giant laminator – closed off from the world,” according to Prendergast. “That’s why the film starts with him in the job as a laminator and then as a costumed character. I once worked at a museum in a superhero costume. I based some of the experiences on what happened to me during that time.”

Kabluey was selected for the FIND (Film Independent, Los Angeles) 2005 Screenwriter’s Lab, the 2005 Producer’s Lab, the 2006 Director’s Lab, the IFP (Independent Film Project, New York) 2005 Director’s Lab, and the L.A. Film Fest’s 2005 Fast Track Program.

Shot on-location for one month in Austin, Texas, Kabluey was purchased by Sony Pictures and will be released the summer of 2008 with limited screenings in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, followed by a DVD release in the fall of 2008.

The copyright of the article Scott Prendergast On Kabluey in Comic Films is owned by Leslie C. Halpern. Permission to republish Scott Prendergast On Kabluey in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.