Movie Marketing Madness: Get Low

What do we want people to say about us when we’re dead? Nice things, of course, as we want our friends and family to remember us well. Some of us might hope that whatever the get-together is after we pass is more of a party and less of a traditional wake, with its somber tone and serious nature. Personally I hope everyone cries, not because they’re sad I’m gone but because of what I say on the video-taped rants I’ve instructed be played on a big screen above my casket which identify all the problems I’ve had with people over the years. I’ve striving for catharsis in this life over peace in the next.

Going a different route is Robert Duvall’s character in the new movie Get Low. Set in what appears to be the 1920s or 30s, Duvall plays a hermit of sorts who lives outside a small rural town where he’s burned most of the bridges he once had with the local citizens. But nearing the end of his life he decides he would like to make amends of sorts and so decides to throw a funeral for himself before he dies so he can see just exactly what people think of him. He enlists the town’s funeral director (Bill Murray), who helps him throw what will be a wholly unusual party. As he reconnects with those from his past, he also sees again a woman he used to be in love with played by Sissy Spacek. The two find a spark is still there even in their advanced age and Duvall finds he just might have something to live for.

The Posters

The movie’s poster unfortunately contains little of the charm or character that will be seen in the trailer. Duvall and Murray stand or sit in a field of grass, Murray looking slightly annoyed at Duvall with his long beard. It’s a simple design – aside from the grass the background is otherwise bright, clear blue sky – and seeks to sell the movie apparently based solely on the idea that we’ll be eager to see these two engage in some sort of wacky buddy scenarios. The “A True Tall Tale” copy at the top doesn’t help, making it sound like the movie is going to be some fantastical travel comedy instead of a moving character drama about embracing one’s mortality and making peace with those around you.

The Trailers

The first trailer for the movie is kind of fantastic. It sets up Duvall’s character in a general audience sort of way very well, showing that he’s a lonely old hermit who lives out in the forest and doesn’t take kindly to strangers visiting, talking about him or generally doing anything that’s going to interfere with him being alone. But then he goes and visits Murray’s funeral director and convinces him to help through a funeral party that he can attend while still alive. This leads to a sort of reconnecting with the town’s folks, including Spacek who’s character obviously has a history with Duvall’s.

It’s a nicely paced, gentle and funny trailer that should resonate at least reasonably well with the audience. Duvall obviously shoulders the greatest burden but that’s not a problem for anyone who’s at all familiar with the actor. Murray gets a lot of screentime, likely in an effort to broaden the film’s appeal at least a little but it’s mostly Duvall’s show here and he sells it.

A second trailer, which followed shortly after the release of the official poster, matched that considerably. It spends much of its time focusing on the interplay between Duvall and Murray, with the latter being inquisitive and trying to figure out how to make a unique situation work to his advantage while the former continues to be a stubborn character. It’s not quite as lyrical as the first because it seems to spend less time on Duvall but still works to compliment the previous one and maintains a nice, gentle tone about it.

Online

The official website is laid out pretty nicely, with content areas hanging off of tree branches or on road-side signs.

Under “About the Film” the first section is the Synopsis, which does a good job of laying out what the movie is about in much more detail than is usually found on movie sites, especially lately when the idea of “high concept” is all but extinct. The About the Production section goes in to the story behind the movie, including the historical figure Duvall’s character is based on. That context is fleshed out further in the Archival Article, which is a reprint of a story from the Roanne County Banner about the 1938 event. Casting and Shooting, then, begin to go into the filmmaking process a bit, with Reviews containing excerpts of some reviews (sadly without links) and then Links to cast interviews, historical information and the cast’s IMDB and Wikipedia pages.

There are about 25 sills in the “Photos” section and “Trailer” is exactly what it sounds like.

The “Cast and Crew” section, then, finish the site with background information on the major players in the movie.

The movie’s Facebook pageis pretty good, with plenty of updates on where the cast was appearing on the publicity tour or what articles were being written about the film. There are plenty of photos and other material.

Advertising and Cross-Promotions

Nothing to note here, which is not at all surprising.

Media and Publicity

The first time this movie crossed my radar, almost out of nowhere, when some very positive buzz started emerging from the film’s appearance at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival, where it was making its debut. A lot of people came out screenings of the film with glowing reviews and other positive word-of-mouth about it, almost more than some of the other more highly-anticipated films that were there. The producers followed that up by showing it at 2010′s Sundance Film Festival and then at SXSW, where the cast was greeted rather well and some named honorary Texans.

Murray wound up being the focal point of much of the press, with high-profile interviews in which he unloaded (GQ, 08/10) on what he does or doesn’t watch and how he really feels about being part of Garfield, appearances on late nigh TV where he engaged in a little dumpster diving (New York Times, 7/22/10) and more.

Overall

What a nice little campaign Sony’s put together. For anyone who feels like Sony consistently drops the ball on the marketing for movies that it acquires out of film festivals that have plenty of buzz I think this offers a nice counter-point. While I certainly like some elements better than others there’s nothing – not even the poster that I don’t particularly care for – that I don’t feel speaks well to the target audience for the movie or which sells the movie short in any way. It’s a nice, gentle and charming campaign for what appears to be a nice, gentle and charming movie.

PICKING UP THE SPARE

• 07/23/10 – Duvall got a career overview in the press (New York Times) that while completely worth reading seems very similar to the overviews that are published any time this venerable actor releases a new movie.
• 08/05/10 – Murray’s rather unconventional approach to the press in recent years is the subject of a Time story that is quite funny in and of itself.

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