You couldn’t imagine a more ideal setting for “The Debut” than Alice Tully Hall on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where it had its New York premiere Wednesday night as part of the New York Film Festival.
Writer-director Jesse Eisenberg’s third feature film and the sequel to the Oscar-winning “A Real Pain,” the film is set in 1990 and follows Mona Friedman (Julianne Moore), a shy, starry-eyed housewife in Central Jersey who breaks her mind-blowing routine by auditioning for the role of a doorman in a community theater production of the musical “Nosy Neighbors.” There, he finds community among his co-stars (among them Halle Bailey and Colton Ryan) and clashes with his domineering director (the incomparable Paul Giamatti) as he gets deeper and deeper into character. Eisenberg’s film drew considerable laughter and applause from the moviegoing crowd at its starry NYFF screening, which was attended by Eisenberg, the cast, producer Emma Stone and even Claire Danes.
Eisenberg was born in Queens and raised in East Brunswick, New Jersey, and said during a post-screening Q&A that Mona’s journey was modeled after “the community I found” making local theater and that “shows always took a backseat to family behind the scenes.”
“I’ve worked in community theater where the talent is as good as the Broadway talent, but they don’t feel that personal passion to be center stage,” he explained, making it “much sweeter than what we do.”
But Eisenberg admitted that the “tonally strange” film is, first and foremost, a monument to Moore, who also starred in Eisenberg’s directorial debut. He wrote the role especially for her and sang the Oscar-winning actress’ praises to a crowd in New York.
“If you didn’t know that before, I guess you can tell me now,” he suggested. “Has there ever been a more perfect performance?”
Moore, who made a lot of noise at the Oscars with her limitless performance, said that she wanted to do another musical after “Dear Evan Hansen”, an experience she “loved” because it was “scary and fun”. He was also impressed by the script and the idea of living in Eisenberg.
“I’m actually her avatar, and the way she puts her experience into the body of a middle-aged woman is extraordinary,” Moore confirmed.
He continued: “A person who finds himself unable to adapt to his life, who is on the verge of change… What does it mean to step into something just because you have this desire? So where do you go from here?”
Moore said Eisenberg’s script made Mona relatable to everyone because “it brings this very human emotion to life.” to want something and not knowing what it is.”