The D Train

Last updated

The D Train
The D Train poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Written by
  • Jarrad Paul
  • Andrew Mogel
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Giles Nuttgens
Edited byTerel Gibson
Music by Andrew Dost
Production
companies
Distributed by IFC Films
Release dates
  • January 23, 2015 (2015-01-23)(Sundance)
  • May 8, 2015 (2015-05-08)(United States)
Running time
101 minutes [2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3.4 million [3]
Box office$774,780 [4]

The D Train (also known as Bad Bromance) [5] is a 2015 American black comedy film written and directed by Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel in their directorial debuts, and stars Jack Black and James Marsden. The film premiered at the 11th Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2015, and was released in the United States on May 8, 2015, by IFC Films.

Contents

Premise

Dan Landsman is the self-proclaimed chairman of his Pittsburgh high school's alumni committee. While planning the twenty-year reunion, Dan has the idea of convincing Oliver Lawless, the most popular guy in his graduating class (and now a TV-commercial celebrity) to return, thinking that this will make people want to attend.

Cast

Production

On February 10, 2014, it was announced that Jack Black and James Marsden would star in a comedy film, directing debut of Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel, which Black's Electric Dynamite produced with Mike White's RipCord Productions and Ben Latham-Jones and Barnaby Thompson of Ealing Studios. [7] [6]

Filming

According to a casting call, the shooting was set to begin on March 17, 2014, in Metairie, Louisiana. [8] Later on March 19, Jack Black was spotted during the filming of The D Train in New Orleans. [9] Due to Black's schedule, the film was shot in just 21 days. [10]

Music

In October 2014, Andrew Dost was hired to compose the music for the film. [11]

A Pittsburgh sports radio segment playing when Dan arrives at a sports bar includes an audio cameo by John-Paul "JP" Flaim, Eric "EB" Bickel, Johnny "Cakes" Auville and Jason "Lurch" Bishop, the titular hosts of The Sports Junkies in Washington. The Junkies also released audio of them reading their lines in studio. [12]

Release

The D Train premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2015. Shortly after, IFC Films acquired U.S. distribution rights for $3 million in a bidding war against studios including Lionsgate, Fox Searchlight, Broad Green Pictures and Alchemy. [13] The film was released theatrically in the United States on May 8, 2015, by IFC Films. [4]

Box office

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $447,524 from 1,009 theaters ($444 per theater), which is the 15th worst opening for a wide release film of all time. [14] In its second weekend, the film was pulled from 847 screens, and its weekend-to-weekend gross fell 96.5%, as it only earned $15,714 ($97 per theater). As of November 10, 2015, the film had grossed $771,317. [4]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a rating of 53% based on 134 reviews, with an average rating of 5.70/10. The site's consensus reads, "The D Train offers Jack Black a too-rare opportunity to showcase his range, but its story and characters are too sloppily conceived to hold together as a film." [15] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 55 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [16]

The New York Post described the film as "cute, breezy fun". [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Black</span> American actor and musician (born 1969)

Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for roles in family and comedy films, in addition to his voice work in animated films. His awards include an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and nominations for three Golden Globe Awards.

<i>School of Rock</i> 2003 film directed by Richard Linklater

School of Rock is a 2003 comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, produced by Scott Rudin, and written by Mike White. The film stars Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White, and Sarah Silverman. Black plays struggling rock guitarist Dewey Finn, who is fired from his band and subsequently poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. After witnessing the musical talent of the students, Dewey forms a band of fourth-graders to attempt to win the upcoming Battle of the Bands and use his winnings to pay his rent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IFC (American TV channel)</span> American pay TV channel

IFC is an American basic cable channel owned by AMC Networks. Launched in 1994 as the Independent Film Channel, a spin-off of former sister channel Bravo, IFC originally operated as a commercial-free service, devoted to showing independent films without interruption. Starting in the late 2000s, the channel gradually dropped independent films in its lineup in favor of comedy and horror programming before it became an ad-supported channel in 2010 and renaming itself to IFC in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Marsden</span> American actor (born 1973)

James Paul Marsden is an American actor. He began his acting career guest starring in the television shows Saved by the Bell: The New Class (1993), Touched by an Angel (1995), and Party of Five (1995). Marsden gained fame for his portrayal of Cyclops in the X-Men film series (2000–2014) and for his roles in the films The Notebook (2004), Superman Returns (2006), Hairspray (2007), Enchanted (2007), and 27 Dresses (2008). He portrayed John F. Kennedy in the drama film The Butler (2013) and starred in the comedy films Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013), Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Phillips</span> American filmmaker (born 1970)

Todd Phillips is an American filmmaker. Phillips began his career in 1993 and directed films in the 2000s such as Road Trip, Old School, Starsky & Hutch, and School for Scoundrels. He came to wider prominence in the early 2010s for directing The Hangover film series. In 2019, he co-wrote and directed the psychological thriller film Joker, based on the DC Comics character of the same name, which premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival where it received the top prize, the Golden Lion. Joker went on to earn Phillips three Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, with his co-writer Scott Silver, his second, third, and fourth Academy Award nominations after also being nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for Borat at the 79th Academy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tika Sumpter</span> American actress (born 1980)

Euphemia LatiQue"Tika" Sumpter is an American actress and producer. Sumpter began her career as the host of Best Friend's Date. From 2005 to 2010, she appeared in the daytime soap opera One Life to Live. In 2010, she made her film debut in Stomp the Yard: Homecoming and later featured in supporting roles for What's Your Number? (2011), Sparkle (2012), and A Madea Christmas (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Lin</span> Taiwanese-American filmmaker (born 1971)

Justin Lin is a Taiwanese-American film and television director, producer, and screenwriter. His films have grossed over $3 billion USD worldwide as of March 2017. He is best known for his directorial work on Better Luck Tomorrow (2002), the Fast & Furious franchise from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) to Fast & Furious 6 (2013) and F9 (2021), and Star Trek Beyond (2016). He is also known for his work on television programs like Community, and the second season of True Detective.

Jarrad Paul is an American screenwriter, director, and actor.

<i>The Dilemma</i> 2011 film by Ron Howard

The Dilemma is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Ron Howard, written by Allan Loeb and starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James. The film follows savvy businessman Ronny (Vaughn) and genius engineer Nick (James), who are best friends and partners in an auto design firm. They are pursuing a project to make their firm famous. Ronny sees Nick's wife Geneva kissing another man. Ronny seeks out answers and has to figure out how to tell Nick about what he saw while working with him to complete their critical presentation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Mann (actor)</span> American actor

Thomas Mann is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the films Project X (2012), As Cool as I Am (2013), Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013), Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015), Kong: Skull Island (2017), and Halloween Kills (2021).

<i>300: Rise of an Empire</i> 2014 film by Noam Murro

300: Rise of an Empire is a 2014 American epic historical action film directed by Noam Murro from a screenplay by Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad, based on Frank Miller's graphic novel Xerxes. It is a follow-up to the 2007 film 300, taking place before, during, and after the main events of that film, and is loosely based on the Battle of Artemisium and the Battle of Salamis. The cast includes Lena Headey, Peter Mensah, David Wenham, Andrew Tiernan, Andrew Pleavin, and Rodrigo Santoro reprising their roles from the first film, alongside Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Hans Matheson, and Callan Mulvey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Dost</span> American songwriter

Andrew Paul Dost is an American musician and singer; he was a member of the indie rock band fun., in which he plays several instruments, mainly the piano. He was formerly a member of the indie rock band Anathallo from 2003 to 2007.

<i>Cooties</i> (film) 2014 American horror comedy film by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion

Cooties is a 2014 American zombie comedy film directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion from a screenplay that was written by Ian Brennan and Leigh Whannell. It stars Elijah Wood, Alison Pill, Rainn Wilson, Jack McBrayer, Whannell, Nasim Pedrad, Brennan, and Jorge Garcia as a group of elementary school employees who fight to survive an outbreak among students that turn them into aggressive zombies when someone eats chicken nuggets that contain a virus.

<i>22 Jump Street</i> 2014 film by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

22 Jump Street is a 2014 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, written by Jonah Hill, Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel and Rodney Rothman and produced by and starring Hill and Channing Tatum. Ice Cube, Peter Stormare, Jillian Bell, Amber Stevens, and Wyatt Russell also star. It is the sequel to the 2012 film 21 Jump Street, which is in turn based on the television series of the same name. The plot follows police officers Schmidt and Jenko as they go undercover at a college in order to find the supplier of a new drug.

<i>Cold in July</i> (film) 2014 American film

Cold in July is a 2014 American independent crime thriller film directed by Jim Mickle, written by Mickle and Nick Damici, and starring Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard and Don Johnson. The film takes place in 1980s Texas and is based on the novel Cold in July by author Joe R. Lansdale. Hall plays a man who kills a burglar, whose father (Shepard) subsequently seeks revenge. The plot is further complicated when a private investigator (Johnson) shows up.

<i>Dear White People</i> 2014 film by Justin Simien

Dear White People is a 2014 American satirical dark comedy-drama film written, directed and co-produced by Justin Simien. The film focuses on escalating racial tensions at a fictitious, prestigious Ivy League college from the perspective of several black students. It stars Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Kyle Gallner, Teyonah Parris, Brandon P. Bell, Brittany Curran, Marque Richardson and Dennis Haysbert.

<i>Sleeping with Other People</i> 2015 film by Leslye Headland

Sleeping with Other People is a 2015 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Leslye Headland. The film stars Jason Sudeikis, Alison Brie, Natasha Lyonne, Amanda Peet, and Adam Scott. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2015, the film was released theatrically on September 11, 2015, by IFC Films. Sleeping with Other People received generally positive reviews from critics.

A bromantic comedy is a comedy film genre that takes the formula of the typical "romantic comedy" but focuses on close male friendships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Sundance Film Festival</span>

The 2015 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 22 to February 1, 2015. What Happened, Miss Simone?, a biographical documentary film about American singer Nina Simone, opened the festival. Comedy-drama film Grandma, directed by Paul Weitz, served as the closing night film.

<i>Rebel in the Rye</i> 2017 American film

Rebel in the Rye is a 2017 American biographical drama film directed and written by Danny Strong. It is based on the book J. D. Salinger: A Life by Kenneth Slawenski, about the life of writer J. D. Salinger during and after World War II. The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Zoey Deutch, Kevin Spacey, Sarah Paulson, Brian d'Arcy James, Victor Garber, Hope Davis, and Lucy Boynton.

References

  1. Grierson, Tim (January 26, 2015). "The D Train". Screen International . Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  2. "The D Train (15)". British Board of Film Classification . June 5, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  3. "Initial Certification Search" (Type "Dtrain" in the search box). Fastlane NextGen. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 "The D Train (2015)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  5. "Bad Bromance". Amazon UK.
  6. 1 2 3 Sneider, Jeff (February 10, 2014). "Jack Black, James Marsden to Star in High School Reunion Comedy The D Train". The Wrap. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  7. Kit, Borys (February 10, 2014). "Jack Black and James Marsden to Star in The D Train". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
  8. P. King, Kevin (March 15, 2014). "Caucasian Male, height 5'6 or shorter, to work as a stand in for THE D TRAIN on Monday in Metairie, LA". The Southern Casting Call. Archived from the original on March 15, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  9. "The D Train, starring Jack Black and James Marsden, filming underway in Louisiana". On Location Vacations. March 19, 2014. Archived from the original on March 23, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  10. "'The D Train' writer/directors deliver a big twist in a movie that almost didn't get made". The Frame. May 6, 2015. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  11. "D-Train to Feature Music by Fun.'s Andrew Dost". Film Music Reporter. October 17, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  12. "The Sports Junkies reading their D-Train lines". Play.it. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016.
  13. Fleming, Mike Jr (January 25, 2016). "IFC Pays $3 Million For Jack Black Comedy 'The D Train' – Sundance". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  14. "Worst Wide Release Openings of All-Time". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  15. "The D Train (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  16. "The D Train reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  17. Smith, Kyle (January 24, 2015). "Rookie filmmakers hit the mark with charming D-Train". New York Post . Retrieved January 29, 2015.