I saw The Oranges at the Toronto Film Festival last year and enjoyed it very much. ATO Pictures ended up picking it up out of the fest and is finally doing something with it, but unfortunately their marketing strategy appears to be a plan of depending on online traffic to bolster interest in the film’s future as they have now released a red band trailer for the film that, unfortunately, no one is talking about.
Whenever I see red band trailers I immediately think either a) the film sucks and the studio is trying anything they can to get people in the theaters or b) the film is good and the studio doesn’t know how to market it. Obviously, since I like the film, I have to believe ATO is in the “b” column, but it may also be the fact they just don’t have enough money to market it to a wide audience.
ATO is a relatively new outlet that started with Casino Jack in 2010 (still their highest grossing film to date with just over $1 million domestically), one film last year and already four small releases this year. Their largest opening was 53 theaters and by the sounds of it The Oranges isn’t going to be going out too wide on October 5 either.
The film is a very funny comedy that centers on two West Orange, New Jersey families. The Ostroff’s (Oliver Platt, Alison Janney and Leighton Meester) and the Walling’s (Hugh Laurie, Catherine Keener, Alia Shawkat and Adam Brody). Best friends and across-the-street neighbors for as long as they can remember, things take a bit of a turn when the Walling patriarch (Laurie) falls for the Ostroff’s daughter (Meester). A funny and sometimes dramatic comedy plays out.
Now I will admit, watching this red band trailer I wouldn’t want to watch this movie. It looks predictable and obvious and, for the most part, it probably is, but the performances and script make it quite the funny film. All I’m saying is give it a chance. You can read my review here, but it was a review of an early cut as I’m sure some of the kinks have been worked out since.
