OUT OF ORDER!: We Interview Brandon Routh About His New Comedy

Introduction

Brandon Routh traded in his superhero cape a long time ago and has enjoyed recent success on the small screen and indie offerings. The likeable actor, famously known for his role in Superman Returns, recently sat down with Cinema Scholars’ own Glen Dower to promote his new film, Out of Order! Taking on the dual responsibilities of lead actor and producer, Routh offers an inside look at this witty, fast-paced comedy about a lawyer trying to turn his life around, who finds himself in double jeopardy when he takes on a big new case – representing both sides!

Routh opens up about the thrill of nailing a dramatic courtroom monologue, the joy of working with a self-aware script filled with inside jokes, and why the world needs more good-natured comedies.

Interview

Glen Dower:

Mr. Routh, how are you, good sir?

Brandon Routh:

I’m good, thank you. How are you?

Glen Dower:

I’m great, sir. Thank you. So congratulations on Out of Order! I’m so happy to say these words: A truly funny comedy. 

Brandon Routh:

Oh, wow! Thank you. That means a lot. That’s rare you hear these words, right?

Glen Dower:

Indeed. So I finished my viewing, and I was trying to think, what does this remind me of? Because I was chuckling, I was grinning ear to ear, everything like that. And I was going through my mind going, how can I describe this? And it came to me finally. It’s a caper, right?

Brandon Routh:

I like that. It’s a caper. 

Glen Dower:

There’s no sex, no violence, no gore, no foul language. It’s very witty, it’s very quick. It reminded me of those Cary Grant comedy classics, Bringing Up Baby and His Girl Friday.

Brandon Routh:

Yes.

Glen Dower:

It really put me in mind of those. Is that what you were after as lead actor, and also producer?

Brandon Routh:

I think Bringing Up Baby was probably mentioned a little bit. By our director, Guy (Jacobson), as one of his, you know, inspirations and movies like Liar, Liar, Mrs. Doubtfire. Definitely the late 90s, early 2000s and the more shticky, silly, character-based goofball comedies. And stuff that I grew up loving and watching, and they’re heartwarming.

Sometimes a little outdated, but there aren’t a lot of comedies like that these days. There’s a lot of comedy with a tinge of darkness or like WTF about the world. The world is a confusing place, but we’re still humans. We like to laugh and have a good time, and it can be good-natured, more good-natured, and bring a wide range of audiences to the screen. So it’s like that; it’s a bit more of a PG-13 type of film.

Glen Dower:

For sure, something for everyone to enjoy for sure. Including physical comedy fans! I just want to talk about one specific moment of physical comedy on your behalf that really stuck out for me. And members of the audience could blink and miss it. It is a moment you share with the great Luis Guzmán in the third act. His character is starting to figure out what is going on, and is about to shout it out. But you put your hand over his mouth. But your character quickly recalls he’s revealed himself to be a biter and you pull your hand away in panic. I thought that was just a great moment.

Brandon Routh:

Thank you, thank you! Oh, I so appreciate that! It came just in that moment. I hadn’t done that in any previous takes, I don’t think. Because we did those little bits. But Luis was just improv-ing. It was basically just improv. And so I just naturally wanted to keep him quiet…but was quick enough of wit in that moment to go, ‘don’t put your hand there – he’s going to bite you!’ and play it. I don’t know that I’ve noticed anybody laugh at that, that moment. But so I’m grateful that you said, because that’s one of many moments. I’m like, was that bit funny? And so, yeah, thank you, Glen! But that’s the fun, always to be thinking about what else could be silly or whatever.

Glen Dower:

And the film is so fast-paced and comes in at a lean 95 minutes. So I guess you had to be on it. I just want to talk about the ensemble as well, because you have so many characters going on here. But are all fleshed out. Because you have, for example, your BFF, Sam Huntington as Paul, your character’s BFF. I can only imagine there was a lot of corpsing.

Brandon Routh:

Oh yes. We do a pretty good job because we both get into it, you know. But we had a nice rehearsal process a couple of days beforehand and talked to the script quite a bit. We’d worked out a little bit of it and found unique, fun moments. But yeah, he’s like my favorite scene partner ever to work with, especially in comedy. Because I just know that he’s got my back no matter where I’m going to go, you know.

Glen Dower:

And Brooke Shields, where did this performance and this amazing character come from? 

Brandon Routh:

Yeah, absolutely. You know, I think she was excited to be doing a comedy. That’s why she came on to the little indie that it was and had the opportunity to kind of be this bigger-than-life character a little bit. And I think she’s a great juxtaposition for my character John, certainly. And even for my second character, Jack, I like that. They’re kind of quirky, like an odd relationship. And, you know, she’s the bad guy, second bad guy-ish that we needed to make the movie balance, you know, with all of John’s and Jack’s craziness. So she was a delight to work with.

Glen Dower:

I am so happy to hear that. Let’s talk about the lawyer scenes. Is it on every actor’s bucket list to have that final moment in court? The A Time to Kill, JFK, Murder in the First-moment; when it’s time for your closing argument, and you get to rise and say Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury…

Brandon Routh:

Well, that was at the end of our shoot. So that was our last couple of days. And time was of the essence, certainly made a little bit more stressful than maybe we would have liked it! But, you know, as it’s the first time I played a lawyer, in all my time as an actor, so that was cool! And I certainly learned, you know, some things about how to do that better than others. And how much like being a lawyer is like acting, you know, some attorneys are good, or better than others, and telling the story for your client is so important.

I got to be two different versions of a lawyer, although Jack doesn’t do a lot of lawyering. It’s mostly John, but it was great. It was a lot of fun to do that. And I realized I really had to know my story from beginning to end to give it a good arc. That one took me a couple of times to get the right rhythm of it, because it had to have a nice rhythm. But yeah, it’s cool. You have one half of the film, which is pre-court. And then the second half is in court with a bunch of fun antics mixed in there. So you have to be silly and serious, a little bit of drama in there too.

Glen Dower:

As we need to care about what the outcome is for sure. And as a character mentions in the film, which is of course true, you’re six foot three. That’s a whole lot of Routh. In the past, you worked with movement coaches; did that stand you in good stead to make those differences between Jack and John, John and Jack?

Brandon Routh:

I’m sure that it filtered down to having an important part of this. Definitely body positioning and control of the body. I mean, working with Terry Notary, who was my movement coach for Superman Returns and has done all the Apes films and a bunch of other stuff, he’s just amazing, in his understanding of how to move the body. It gave me a better appreciation for the body and how I could be more flowing than I even needed to. And probably has influenced posture and many other things. Just putting an awareness to how I’m standing or how many characters are standing and moving. Walking is a big thing. Like how the two characters walk.

Glen Dower:

Yeah, that really comes across as well. And I also loved the very self-aware script as well. One moment where John calls himself Mr. Doubtfire. I do like a movie character who watches movies. Then the crazy credits scene as well, where other characters discuss the plot and even compare the film to another of yours..!

Brandon Routh:

Yes, yes, yes. The little inside jokes. They are a lot of fun.

Glen Dower:

Yes, so the film is a blast from start to finish, literally. And before it’s time to go, Mr. Routh, I just want to show you one more thing, which I got from my two little boys recently…

(Glen shows Brandon his new Superman Build-A-Bear)

Brandon Routh:

Oh, yeah!!

Glen Dower:

And I wanted to make the point that we have been spoiled with Superman actors. And you are definitely one of them still. So I just want to add that in at the very, very end.

Brandon Routh:

Thank you. What are their names?

Glen Dower:

George and Harrison.

Brandon Routh:

Well, give George and Harrison my best and much love to them. Thank you so much. I look forward to the next time.

Out of Order! is on the festival circuit now; be sure to catch it on a small or big screen soon!

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