Tag: Andra Day

• Movie Review: ‘Is This Thing On?’

  

  In Theaters on December 19 via Searchlight Pictures is ‘Is This Thing On?’ the new movie directed by Bradley Cooper, and loosely based on the life experiences of British comedian and actor John Bishop.

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  The new movie stars Will Arnett (‘Arrested Development’), Laura Dern (‘Marriage Story’), Andra Day (‘Marshall’), Sean Hayes (‘Will & Grace’) and Cooper.

  Related Article: Bradley Cooper in Talks to Star With Margot Robbie in ‘Oceans’ Prequel

  Initial Thoughts

  

  Since the Oscar-winning success of ‘A Star is Born’, Bradley Cooper has been taking big swings, such as composer biopic ‘Maestro’.

  His latest co-writing/directing (and in this case acting in a small but memorable supporting role) is a swing in a different direction –– it’s a more relatable, down-to-earth story but one that might still have some issues finding an audience, since it’s a largely downbeat story of a couple going through the machinations of a split with the unusual angle of the man involved finding something new in his life.

  Script and Direction

  

  Cooper, writing here with Will Arnett and Mark Chappell, takes the story of UK comic John Bishop (who himself got into stand-up later in life after his marriage collapsed) and transposes it to the States.

  Naturally, the focus is on Arnett’s character, but there is enough space for Dern’s to have her own storyline, while Cooper’s is more comic relief, but with an emotional undercurrent.

  The various comics whom Arnett meets are well drawn enough given limited screen time.

  Directorially, Cooper keeps things low key to match the story, and finds a good groove with his cast. The comedy isn’t exactly the best you’ve ever heard, but then that’s kind of the point.

  Cast and Performances

  

  Arnett’s Alex Novak is a careworn type, who feels like life has somewhat drained from him. Still, the actor gives him enough energy so as not to be a depressing chore.

  Dern’s Tess, meanwhile, feels like an equally rounded character in her own right, and while most of the other characters drift in and out, the likes of Cooper and Andra Day’s do make an impact.

  Final Thoughts

  

  ‘Is This Thing On?’ seems unlikely to find the sort of rapturous response as ‘A Star is Born,’ and it may still have trouble succeeding at the box office (since there are other, better examples of relationship and life dramas this awards season), but it’s got a certain something that works.

  ‘Is This Thing On?’ receives 75 out of 100.

  

  What’s the story of ‘Is This Thing On?’?

  As their marriage quietly unravels, Alex (Will Arnett) faces middle age and an impending divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene while Tess (Laura Dern) confronts the sacrifices she made for their family — forcing them to navigate co-parenting, identity, and whether love can take a new form.

  Who is in the cast of ‘Is This Thing On?’?

  • Will Arnett as Alex Novak
  • Laura Dern as Tess Novak
  • Andra Day as Christine
  • Bradley Cooper as Balls
  • Sean Hayes as Stephen
  • Christine Ebersole as Marilyn
  • Ciarán Hinds as Jan
  • Scott Icenogle as Geoffrey

  

  List of Movies directed by Bradley Cooper:

  • ‘A Star Is Born‘ (2018)
  • ‘Maestro‘ (2023)
  • ‘Is This Thing On?‘ (2025)

  Buy Bradley Cooper Movies on Amazon

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  December 20, 2025

• ‘Is This Thing On?’ Interview: Will Arnett and Laura Dern

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  Opening in theaters on December 19th is the new comedy-drama ‘Is This Thing On?‘, which was directed by Bradley Cooper (‘A Star is Born’) and based on a script written by Cooper, Mark Chappell (‘See How They Run’), and Will Arnett (‘The Lego Batman Movie’).

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  In addition to Arnett and Cooper, the movie also stars Oscar winner Laura Dern (‘Marriage Story’), Andra Day (‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’), Amy Sedaris (‘Chef’), Sean Hayes (‘Will & Grace’), Christine Ebersole (‘Licorice Pizza’), Ciarán Hinds (‘Belfast), and NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.

  

  Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Will Arnett and Laura Dern about their work on ‘Is This Thing On?’, how Arnett got the idea for the film and developing the screenplay with Bradley Cooper and Mark Chappell, Dern’s first reaction to the screenplay and her experience working with Arnett.

  You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.

  Related Article: Adam Sandler and Laura Dern Talk ‘Jay Kelly’ Starring George Clooney

  

  MF: To begin with, Will, can you talk about how you got the idea for this movie and the process of developing the screenplay with Bradley Cooper and Mark Chappell?

  Will Arnett: I became aware of John Bishop‘s story, the great comedian, John Bishop. I had a chance to meet him, and he told me the story of how he became a stand-up and what it did for him and at that point of his life. He was going through a divorce, and he had no connection to stand-up and how going up and speaking in front of audiences transformed him as a person and really helped reshape his relationship with his soon to be ex-wife. That really stuck with me. So, I was like, “Oh, this is a great story that needs to be told”, and I talked about with Mark Chappel, my writing partner, and we started writing it. Then we got to a place where we were kind of at a fork in the road. Bradley stepped in and said, “I think the movie should go here.” So, he started writing it with us, and then he said, “I think that Laura would maybe do this”, and she jumped in and starred in it for me. So, it was almost like those videos of people building a barn and everybody comes and helps. It was kind of like that. It was like one guy said, “I think we need a barn,” and somebody’s like, “Yeah, I’m going to help you.” Then this person, and another person comes in and says, “The roof needs to be a little bit better.” That’s how we did it.

  

  MF: Finally, Laura, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay, the relationship between these two characters and exploring that relationship with Will on screen?

  Laura Dern: Well, when I read it, it reminded me of building a barn. You know, I had never seen an attempt at capturing what it feels like to fight for a relationship, dismantle a relationship, long for a relationship, without the writer manipulating language as if we people know what the hell we’re feeling or how to talk about it. No matter how much therapy anyone has ever had, it’s not a language many of us know when we are in the middle of it. They captured it so beautifully. They allowed us as characters simultaneously with the audience to not know how we got here, not know what happened before, not know who we are in context anymore to the marriage and must find our way toward ourselves to figure out if there is a marriage to save. That felt so real, unfortunately, so incredibly relatable and profound. As an actor, there is a beauty to lyrical, incredible language. You get to do a Shakespeare play for the first time when you’re studying, and you feel lucky and blessed. The good fortune of dialogue written where you feel a character not knowing how to find words for themselves, is so deep and beautiful, and takes such skill in the writing. To then do that and be with Will in that and his incredibly deeply honest, broken open eyes, I mean, that was just the best gift ever.

  

  What is the plot of ‘Is This Thing On?’?

  After many years together, Alex (Will Arnett) and Tess (Laura Dern) have reached an amicable end to their marriage, thus beginning the awkward stage of figuring out how to live separately while raising two boys and maintaining their friendships. Alex discovers a new hobby and, in the process, learns more about himself and his relationship.

  Who is in the cast of ‘Is This Thing On?’?

  • Will Arnett as Alex Novak
  • Laura Dern as Tess Novak
  • Andra Day as Christine
  • Bradley Cooper as Balls
  • Amy Sedaris as Kemp
  • Sean Hayes as Stephen
  • Christine Ebersole as Marilyn
  • Ciarán Hinds as Jan
  • Scott Icenogle as Geoffrey
  • Chloe Radcliffe as Nina
  • Jordan Jensen as Jill
  • Peyton Manning as Laird
  • Reggie Conquest as Dan
  • James Tom as Rolo
  • Gabe Fazio as Gabe the Bouncer
  • Blake Kane as Felix
  • Calvin Knegten as Jude

  

  List of Movies directed by Bradley Cooper:

  • ‘A Star Is Born‘ (2018)
  • ‘Maestro‘ (2023)
  • ‘Is This Thing On?‘ (2025)

  Buy Tickets: ‘Is This Thing On?’ Movie Showtimes

  Buy Bradley Cooper Movies on Amazon

  December 17, 2025

• ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’ Exclusive Interview: Andra Day

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  Opening in theaters on October 18th is the new family drama ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’, which marks the directorial debut of painter and artist Titus Kaphar. The film stars André Holland (‘Moonlight’), Andra Day (‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’), John Earl Jelks (‘Miracle at St. Anna’), and Oscar-nominee Aunjanue Ellis- Taylor (‘King Richard’).

  Related Article: Director Ava DuVernay and Actress Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Talk ‘Origin’

  

  Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Andra Day about her work on ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’, her first reaction the screenplay, why she wanted to be part of the project, working with first time filmmaker Titus Kaphar, and how her character supports her husband through his emotional journey.

  You can watch the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Day, André Holland, John Earl Jelks, and director Titus Kaphar.

  

  Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction the screenplay and why you personally wanted to be a part of this project?

  Andra Day: I mean, my first reaction was that I knew this was going to be a beautiful story. Before even going into details with him, I could tell by reading it, that it was a personal story. You know what I mean? I think you always want to be very careful with subject matter. I wanted to be a part of this project because of Titus Kaphar. I was a huge fan of his painting. So, I remember he was like, “Oh, I can’t believe you agreed to do this.” I was like, “If you would’ve cast me as the janitor for seven seconds, I would have agreed to do this movie.” I knew I wanted to be a part of this project, just because the story is so important. I think it doesn’t necessarily even have to be your family dynamic for you to relate to it. The beauty of it, the way he was going to paint and tell this story, I just thought, “This seems groundbreaking and beautiful, and I want to be a part of that.” The cast that he put with this was unbelievable. So, everything was a factor for me, for sure.

  

  MF: What was it like working with artist Titus Kaphar on his directorial debut and watching him execute his vision for this film on set?

  AD: I think Titus was finding his way through the space, maybe the first two or three days. By the second week, he was in the space. By the second week, he had learned the process and he landed on it very quickly. He also learned in ways where he would take more time, certain things that he needed to get done. So, he settled into it. I watched him settle into the role of director very quickly. You know what I mean? But I think what it was like was like watching a visionary. When people go, “Oh, it’s your first time directing.” I’m like, “It’s his directorial debut. It is not his first time directing in life.” So, when it comes to his artwork, when it comes to the content that he puts out, when it comes to how he puts out the art, the schools that he puts together, anytime he does that, he’s directing things. So, I think that this is just his first foray into traditional film. But he’s a visionary. I think people like him, if they are passionate about what they’re doing, if they care about what they’re doing, it will always be great. Because if you have the vision, I think everything else falls into place.

  

  MF: Finally, can you talk about Aisha and Tarrell’s relationship and how she supports her husband through his journey to overcome his past?

  AD: It’s very interesting. I think Aisha loves her husband and I think that she also comes from a family of trauma. I don’t think this is unfamiliar to her. I think we decided that was also her life and that her and Tarrell have decided together to have a peaceful environment for their son. So, I think they are healing together, which I think you can do with love. But I think there’s also parts of trauma that do not involve a partner and that deal with forgiveness of the person that you need forgiveness from, or you need to forgive. So, I think that she supports him in a very interesting way. She supports him by trying to encourage him to reconcile and to heal. She supports him, also, by protecting him because she sees how this affects him. But I think she also supports him by standing her ground in her own life and making sure they keep the promises they made to each other. Those promises weren’t just, “Hey, I’ll be a great mother to our child, and you’ll be a great father to our child. We’ll be a great husband and wife.” I will give you the space and support you in your career in painting and in the art world, but you must give me the space and support me in my career in the music world. So, I think that she also supports him and helps him through this process by being an anchor point and keeping them adhering to the promises that they made to each other. Which can be very uncomfortable and can be contentious at times but is necessary.

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  What is the plot of ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’?

  Utilizing his paintings to find freedom from his past, a Black artist (André Holland) on the path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father (John Earl Jelks), a recovering addict desperate to reconcile. Together, they learn that forgetting might be a greater challenge than forgiving.

  Who is in the cast of ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’?

  • André Holland as Tarrell
  • Andra Day as Aisha
  • Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Joyce
  • John Earl Jelks as La’Ron
  • Ian Foreman as Young Tarrell
  • Daniel Michael Barriere as Jermaine
  • Matthew Elam as Quentin
  • Jaime Ray Newman as Janine

  

  Other Andra Day Movies and TV Shows:

  • ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race‘ (2009 – 2024)
  • ‘Cars 3‘ (2017)
  • ‘Marshall‘ (2018)
  • ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday‘ (2021)
  • ‘We the People‘ (2021)
  • ‘The Deliverance‘ (2024)

  Buy Tickets: ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness‘ Movie Showtimes

  Buy Andra Day Movies on Amazon

   

  October 16, 2024

• 

  2021 Oscar Nominations

  

  Early in the morning on March 15th, Nick Jonas and Prianka Chopra-Jonas announced the nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards. Here are the nominees for this years’ awards:

  BEST PICTURE

  ‘The Father’
  ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
  ‘Mank’
  ‘Minari’
  ‘Nomadland’
  ‘Promising Young Woman’
  ‘Sound of Metal’
  ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’

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  DIRECTOR

  Thomas Vinterberg, ‘Another Round’
  David Fincher, ‘Mank’
  Lee Isaac Chung, ‘Minari’
  Chloe Zhao, ‘Nomadland’
  Emerald Fennell, ‘Promising Young Woman’

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ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Riz Ahmed, ‘Sound of Metal’
Chadwick Boseman, ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
Anthony Hopkins, ‘The Father’
Gary Oldman, ‘Mank’
Steven Yeun, ‘Minari’

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ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Viola Davis, ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
Andra Day, ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’
Vanessa Kirby, ‘Pieces of a Woman’
Frances McDormand, ‘Nomadland’
Carey Mulligan, ‘Promising Young Woman’

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ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Maria Bakalova, ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’
Glenn Close, ‘Hillbilly Elegy’
Olivia Colman, ‘The Father’
Amanda Seyfried, ‘Mank’
Youn Yuh-jung, ‘Minari’

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ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Sacha Baron Cohen, ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’
Daniel Kaluuya, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
Leslie Odom Jr., ‘One Night in Miami’
Paul Raci, ‘Sound of Metal’
Lakeith Stanfield, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’

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ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

‘Onward’
‘Over the Moon’
‘A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon’
‘Soul’
‘Wolfwalkers’

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ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

‘Borat Subsequent MovieFilm’
‘The Father’
‘Nomadland’
‘One Night in Miami’
‘The White Tiger’

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ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
‘Minari’
‘Promising Young Woman’
‘Sound of Metal’
‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’

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FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

‘Another Round’ – Denmark
‘Better Days’ – Hong Kong
‘Collective’ – Romania
‘The Man Who Sold His Skin’ – Tunisia
‘Quo Vadis, Aida?’ – Bosnia and Herzegovina

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DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

‘Collective’
‘Crip Camp’
‘The Mole Agent’
‘My Octopus Teacher’
‘Time’

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PRODUCTION DESIGN

‘The Father’
‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
‘Mank’
‘News of the World’
‘Tenet’

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CINEMATOGRAPHY

Sean Bobbitt, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
Erik Messerschmidt, ‘Mank’
Dariusz Wolski, ‘News of the World’
Joshua James Richards, ‘Nomadland’
Phedon Papamichael , ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’

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COSTUME DESIGN

‘Emma’
‘Ma Rainey’s Blackbottom’
‘Mank’
‘Mulan’
‘Pinocchio’

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MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

‘Emma’
‘Hillbilly Elegy’
‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
‘Mank’
‘Pinocchio’

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FILM EDITING

‘The Father’
‘Nomadland’
‘Promising Young Woman’
‘Sound of Metal’
‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’

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ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

‘Greyhound’
‘Mank’
‘News of the World’
‘Soul’
‘Sound of Metal’

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VISUAL EFFECTS

‘Love and Monsters’
‘The Midnight Sky’
‘Mulan’
‘The One and Only Ivan’
‘Tenet’

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LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

‘Feeling Through’
‘The Letter Room’
‘The Present’
‘Two Distant Strangers’
‘White Eye’

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ANIMATED SHORT FILM

‘Burrow’
‘Genius Loci’
‘If Anything Happens I Love You’
‘Opera’
‘Yes-People’

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DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)

‘Colette’
‘A Concerto Is a Conversation’
‘Do Not Split’
‘Hunger Ward’
‘A Love Song For Latasha’

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ORIGINAL SONG

‘Fight For You’ from ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
‘Hear My Voice’ from ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’
‘Husavik’ from ‘Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga’
‘lo Sì (Seen)’ from ‘The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)’
‘Speak Now’ from ‘One Night in Miami…’

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ORIGINAL SCORE

‘Da 5 Bloods’
‘Mank’
‘Minari’
‘News of the World’
‘Soul’

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Delayed by the pandemic, the Oscars ceremony will be on Sunday, April 25 on ABC.