Are You Here

Are You Here
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Matthew Weiner
Produced by	Gary Gilbert Jordan Horowitz Matthew Weiner Scott Hornbacher
Written by	Matthew Weiner
Starring	Owen Wilson Zach Galifianakis Amy Poehler Laura Ramsey
Music by	David Carbonara
Cinematography	Chris Manley
Edited by	Christopher Gay
Production company	Gilbert Films
Distributed by	Millennium Entertainment
Release dates	September 7, 2013 (2013-09-07) (TIFF) August 22, 2014 (2014-08-22) (United States)
Running time	112 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$41,824 (Foreign)[1]

Are You Here is a 2013 American comedy film directed by Matthew Weiner. The film stars Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis and Amy Poehler.

Synopsis

The film opens as Steve Dallas (Owen Wilson) runs the same routine on a series of different women that he is seducing. Throughout the montage, his credit cards keep getting declined. He explains that he makes a lot of money, but his cards are maxed out. After a prostitute leaves his apartment because his card will not work, Steve notices a woman undressing in an apartment across the street from him. His view is obstructed by an oak tree.

Steve decides to visit his friend Ben Baker (Zack Galifianakis), who attacks Steve when he walks through the door. Steve sleeps on his couch while Ben spends the night getting stoned and doing random things around the apartment. Since Steve pays for Ben's lifestyle, he borrows some money until his next paycheck. The two smoke weed, and Steve shows up high to his job as a weather reporter at an Annapolis TV station. Though he is clearly stoned, he is charming and good-looking enough that the station manager only reprimands Steve for his behavior. He explains that 90% of Steve's job is just showing up on time, and the manager begs Steve to do at least that much.

Ben shows up at the TV station in a wild panic. He explains to Steve that his father died. Steve drives Ben up to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where his father owned a large farm and a grocery store. On the way up, Ben buys 3.5 pounds of crawfish for $100, in order to save them from being used as live bait. At the funeral, Ben's sister Terry (Amy Poehler), is disgusted by the sight of their father's second wife, who is younger than both of them. Their stepmother Angela (Laura Ramsey) is genuinely mourning the loss of her husband, however.

Angela inherits nothing from the estate, as per her wishes. Terry and her husband are given $350,000 in cash and bonds. The rest of the $2.85 million estate, including the store and the farm, are given entirely to Ben. As Ben struggles to comprehend his father's decision, Steve flirts relentlessly with Angela while holding Ben's enormous bong. Angela is charmed, but she recommends that Steve try living sober.

Ben decides that he will use his inheritance to start a non-profit collective. He scribbles a Platonic manifesto in his notebook. It becomes clear that Steve not only pays for Ben's needs, but maintains a close watch on his mental health. Steve returns to Annapolis, but when he is in the middle of yet another seduction, Angela calls to inform him that Terry is contesting the will by challenging Ben's competence. That night, Ben climbs out his bedroom window and starts running through a field while he strips. The next day, Steve drives back to find a naked Ben at an Amish homestead. He gathers Ben up and scolds Terry for provoking the episode. Ben sees a court-ordered psychiatrist who diagnoses him with bipolar disorder, but since Ben is not incompetent, he retains the estate.

Steve confesses his growing affection for Angela. She admits to similar feelings but is wary of Steve's sincerity. At a bar, Ben hallucinates that a patron is insulting him. He attacks the man with a pool cue and is arrested. Back at the psychiatrist, Ben is prescribed medication, which he decides to take.

At the farm, Angela convinces Steve to kill a chicken for supper, as a way of sobering up. When he returns to Annapolis, everyone at the station is stunned by his new sense of purpose and responsibility. Meanwhile, Angela sleeps with Ben. The next day, Ben reconciles with Terry. At the TV station, Steve grows weary of the inanity of his work. He walks off the job and returns to Lancaster County.

Steve is horrified to learn of Terry and Ben's plan to turn the grocery store into an Amish market, and he is deeply hurt to find out that Ben slept with Angela. Ben sticks to his longstanding plan of signing over the farm to Steve out of gratitude for all his support. Steve continues in his caretaker role for Ben, finding him a new apartment to live in, but he orders Angela to leave the farm in a week.

Steve goes on a bender and shows up at the station while intoxicated. Instead of being fired for leaving, he is promoted to anchorman, because so many viewers were worried about him. Back at home, he finally sees his naked neighbor because he has convinced the complex manager to chop down the oak tree that obstructed his view. Seeing the stump of the giant tree is one last wake up call for Steve. He reconciles with Ben and returns to the farm, where he kisses Angela as a much-needed rainstorm that he had been predicting finally arrives. The film ends as Ben and his neighbor wait for the rain to stop at a grocery store. As her son rides a mechanical horse, Ben contemplates the difference between it and the horse that is pulling a passing Amish carriage.

Cast

• Owen Wilson as Steve Dallas
• Zach Galifianakis as Ben Baker
• Amy Poehler as Terry Coulter
• Laura Ramsey as Angela Baker
• Alana De La Garza as Victoria Riolobos
• Lauren Lapkus as Delia Shepard
• Paul Schulze as Dave Harken
• Greg Cromer as Kyle Robertson
• Edward Herrmann as Dr. Vincent
• Jenna Fischer as Alli
• David Selby as Karl Stevens
• Peter Bogdanovich as Judge Harlan Plath
• Melissa Rauch as Marie
• Melanie Ratcliff as Attractive Neighbor

Production

Filming began on May 7, 2012, in Yadkinville, North Carolina.^[2] On April 11, 2014, it was announced that Millennium Entertainment is near to close the distribution deal of the film.^[3]

Marketing

A poster for the film was revealed on June 4, 2014,^[4] followed by an official trailer of the film on June 5, 2014.^[5]

Release

The film premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival in September.^[6] It has been selected to be screened in the Berlinale Special Galas section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2015.^[7]

Reception

Are You Here has been met with extremely negative reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a rating of 7%, based on 44 reviews, with an average rating of 3.5/10. The site's general consensus reads: "Given the amount of talent assembled on both sides of the camera, Are You Here falls bewilderingly flat."^[8] On Metacritic, the film earned a score of 37 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".^[9]

The film received a grade C from A.V. Club writer Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, who commented on its bland stylistic choices but praises Weiner's ability to get good performances from his actors.^[10]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to You Are Here (2013 film).

• Are You Here at the Internet Movie Database