By Savannah Treleven, Staff Writer
At the New Yorker Festival, Mitchell Hurwitz, creator of “Arrested Development,” announced Oct. 2 that producers, writers, actors and creators of the television show are going to release a feature-length film based off the episodes of the first three seasons.
Dr. Gregory Thornbury, professor of philosophy and dean of the School of Theology and Missions, said the show “succeeds where other comedies fail.”
He said it was unobvious and ironic, which are a couple reasons why the show was cancelled in 2005. The show does not include a laugh track, which leaves more time for plot development because the conversation between the characters moves at a steady speed.
Haaken Magnuson, freshman biology major, said, “It’s not your typical comedy show – you are watching this family from a bird’s-eye view.”
The show is narrated throughout, so the audience is looking in from the outside.
Before the movie is released, a series of 9 or 10 new episodes will be aired to help the audience understand where the plot is. According to leading actor, Jason Bateman who plays Michael Bluth, they will shoot the episodes together for release in early 2013.
The story revolves around the Bluth family in which the dad is discovered to have stole money from the family company, leaving the company and the family without money. The family then has to pull together even though they do not want to.
The movie reflects American culture today in that it portrays the laziness of humankind and the love of money that characterizes Western Civilization.
“If they find a way to wrap up the characterization of each character, then I will be completely satisfied,” Magnuson said. “The most important thing about ending anything like a movie or TV show is to have character resolutions.”
Thornbury added that creators would be “victorious if it makes people more thoughtful and maybe develop the sophistication level of humor in American society.”
“Very often, people underestimate the adaptation from TV to film. It doesn’t always happen well, but I am pulling for this one,” Thornbury said.
