The Film That Lit My Fuse is a Deadline video series that aims to provide an antidote to headlines about industry uncertainty by swinging the conversation back to the creative ambitions, formative influences and inspirations of some of today’s great screen artists.
Every installment asks the same five questions. Today’s subject is Greg Mottola, the Long Island-bred writer and director whose latest film, Confess, Fletch, rebirths the franchises from the Gregory McDonald novels, with Jon Hamm taking the title character originated by Chevy Chase. Mottola made his feature directing debut on The Daytrippers, a well received road trip comedy that starred Hope Davis as a Long Island housewife convinced her husband might be cheating, and heads to New York City to find out. Stanley Tucci, Parker Posey, Liev Schreiber and Campbell Scott starred. Mottola made a giant leap in bankability directing Superbad, the raunchy hit comedy that starred Jonah Hill and Michael Cera. He also directed Adventureland, Paul, Keeping Up with the Joneses, and he was EP, writer and director on such series as Newsroom, The Dangerous Book For Boys and Dave. Here, he explains the influences that shaped an indie sensibility, and how challenging maintaining that focus has become.
