'Christmas Eve In Miller's Point' Director, Cast In Cannes Studio

What kind of Christmas movie do you get when your director’s inspirations are early-90s Nickelodeon live-action shows and 1960s European cinema? In Tyler Taormina‘s case, the answer is Christmas Eve In Miller’s Point.

The movie sees four generations of the Balsano family get together for what, it transpires, may be their last annual Christmas party. With celebrations underway, two of the clan’s younger members sneak out in an act of teenage rebellion, which plays out against a backdrop of wintery and suburban Long Island.

The film is Taormina’s follow-up to the well-received indie pic Ham on Rye. He co-wrote the script with Eric Berger. Michael Cera is a producer and part of an ensemble cast that includes Elsie Fisher, Maria Dizzia, Francesca Scorsese, Ben Shenkman, Gregg Turkington, Sawyer Spielberg and newcomer Matilda Fleming.

Taormina and the cast of his new movie dropped by the Deadline studio to talk about the picture, which plays in Director’s Fortnight, the Cannes parallel section.

“This film is straight out of life,” Taormina told Deadline about a film inspired by his boisterous Italian American family’s season celebration. “It is the story of my family’s tradition on Christmas Eve.”

Speaking about his role, Sawyer Spielberg said his character, Splint, “was pretty far away from me and different from who I am, so I wanted the challenge as an actor to take that on and do something different and kinda weird and wild.”

Matilda Fleming was in full Halloween clown garb when she first met Taormina to talk about the film, complete with full make-up. Evidently, they hit it off and she said her character, Emily, is the “troubled Santa Claus” of the piece.

“I immediately felt very familiar with everyone,” said Elsie Fisher of the relaxed working atmosphere Taormina created. “Most of my scenes were part of the celebration and it was very joyful and fun on set,” Maria Dizzia added.

“Taormina’s Magical, Freewheeling Indie Captures The Holiday Spirit” declared Deadline critic Damon Wise in his Cannes review.

The cast namechecked Carey Grant movie The Bishop’s Wife, It’s A Wonderful Life, Bell, Book and Candle, Scrooged and Elf when quizzed about the film they always put on at Christmas. Check out the full conversation above.

The Deadline Studio is presented by Neom.