Public Servant Lifestyle

In which Billy Connolly wears a python, Meryl Streep gets nervous, Jim Carrey menaces - and two children prove to be more than a match for him.

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events

You’ll be extremely alarmed to learn that two-time Golden Globe winner Jim Carrey (Man In The Moon, Bruce Almighty, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Liar Liar), stars as Count Olaf, an outrageously diabolical actor and master of disguise who is determined to swindle the Baudelaire orphans out of their family fortune in the new feature Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.

The film also stars no less than two-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep as the children’s overanxious Aunt Josephine and two-time Oscar nominee Jude Law Sky Captain & The World of Tommorrow,Alfie) as the voice of Lemony Snicket himself. The result is a dreadful spectacle, a phrase that here means, “it will stir the imagination of the entire family as it shatters the mould of adventure stories and evokes the magic of truly classic entertainment.”

Alongside Jim Carrey, the film is chock full of talent, both established and new: Jude Law as the voice of Lemony Snicket, Liam Aiken, Emily Browning, Timothy Spall, Catherine O’Hara, Billy Connolly, Cedric the Entertainer and Meryl Streep. Directed by Brad Silberling from a screenplay by Robert Gordon, the film is produced by Laurie MacDonald, Walter F. Parkes and Jim Van Wyck, and executive-produced by Scott Rudin, Barry Sonnenfeld, Julia Pistor and Albie Hecht. If you know anything at all about any of these people, you know they are all suspiciously successful, successfully suspicious, or both….

The Startling Story

From the fairytales of the Brothers Grimm, to Victorian-era moralistic fables, to the twisted works of Roald Dahl, there is a long tradition in children’s literature of absurdly awful things happening to perfectly nice children. The eleven books written and narrated by the mysterious Lemony Snicket – whom some accuse of being the same person as 34-year-old author Daniel Handler – take that tradition to new heights...and drop it off a cliff.

In a perplexing sign of the state of children and evil Counts today, Mr. Snicket’s novels have won widespread critical praise and popular acclaim. They were the first books to knock the Harry Potter series off the top of the New York Times children’s bestseller list, and since then, the books in the series have been on that list for more than 600 weeks combined. With rave reviews from respected publications including the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly and U.S. News and World Report, Mr. Snicket’s books have sold more than 27 million copies worldwide – in spite of the author’s repeated pleas to “read something else!”

Now, a major motion picture adaptation directed by Brad Silberling, the film employs the same subversive humour, peril, whimsy, imagination, heartfelt emotion, quirky style and man-eating leeches that make ‘Mr. Snicket’s’ books so unique.

“I begged them not to do it. I begged them not to get a good director. I begged them not to cast anyone talented. I begged them not to base the movie on any of my books, and they chose three of them!” exclaims the otherwordly Mr. Snicket, speaking from an undisclosed hole in the ground or luxury mansion. “My last hope is that hordes of volunteers will read this quote, buy every movie ticket available, and then not go see the film. Lemony Snicket is one of the most original voices out there,” says Mr. Carrey, ignoring Mr. Snicket’s feelings entirely. “His demented little journey into these kids’ lives is both wonderful and frightening.”

Smarter Than The Adults

Ms. Streep, whose daughter was “wild about the project,” couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be in the film. “What’s so appealing about the story is that it shows how independent kids can be,” observes Ms. Streep. “It plays out their fantasies of being completely responsible for themselves, and in the case of the Baudelaire children, being smarter than any adult in the room.” The actress did not comment, however, on the fact that one of the children in the film is forced to dress as a camel, albeit briefly.

Actor Jude Law, who voices Lemony Snicket, learned about Mr. Snicket’s books when his son excitedly brought one of them home from school, despite the fact that no one appeared to be chasing him.

“The Lemony Snicket books attract the attention of both children and their parents in a very unique way,” observes Mr. Law, who says that his narrator, though faceless, has an emotional attachment to the children and watches them from afar. “Unlike most literature aimed at young people, this series has a rather sinister quality to it, which people of all ages seem to find intriguing.”

Count Olaf

Sinister is a word which here probably means 'Count Olaf,' a terrible villain and a worse actor played by Mr. Carrey. Time and again, the children are forced to rely on their own keen intelligence and unique talents to escape Olaf’s clutches. Some believe Count Olaf is a source of great comic relief. Others believe he smells odd and has only one eyebrow. Still others think he is one of the most frightening movie villains since Joan Crawford.

To director Brad Silberling, the books give children credit for having a sense of humour, and they don’t play down to anyone. He says that’s how he approached directing the film. “The books are rebellious; they take chances, and so does the movie.” It should be noted, however, that Mr. Silberling is not the one taking the chance when a stunt child is required to hang from a cliff.

Building on the theme that adults often don’t listen to children when many times they should, the story, according to Mr. Silberling, is one of survival and perseverance. It reinforces the power that kids can have when they rely on their own ingenuity – especially in a world that can be unfamiliar, unkind and filled with itchy clothing.

“Lemony Snicket’s world is a collision of tenses, which manages to marry computers and cobblestones, and these kids have to use their wits in this very odd environment,” observes Mr. Silberling. “It’s just a wonderful story with a texture that can feel like it’s part of another time, but technologically it’s very contemporary and so are the issues it explores.” Such issues may include community-based justice, hook-handed henchpersons and refrigerators.

Executive producer Julia Pistor, who is also the senior vice president of Nickelodeon Movies, remembers when the team at Nick Movies first discovered Lemony Snicket in 1999, shortly before The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room and The Wide Window – the first three instalments of the series, and the books upon which the film is based – were published.

Slyly Subversive

“We read the books in manuscript form and snapped up the rights as fast as we could because we loved the slyly subversive humour,” recalls Ms. Pistor. “It was completely new to children’s literature and the story of these remarkable children constantly outwitting the adults fit perfectly within the Nickelodeon oeuvre.” Oeuvre is a word which here probably means either “goat cheese omelette” or “body of work,” depending on how it is pronounced.

Producer Walter F. Parkes notes that the film is not only an adventure story about three clever siblings, but also the story of Lemony Snicket himself, who relates to each of the characters – young and old – in very specific ways.

“In fact,” says Mr. Parkes, “by the end of the film you have a sense that Lemony is going to follow everyone’s lives because their stories must continue to be told.” Mr. Parkes then put on a pair of dark glasses and a fake moustache, saying it was entirely possible Mr. Snicket was following him, too.

Children’s Books

Producer Laurie MacDonald agrees, adding that she had never read children’s books that were so sophisticated and funny, and simultaneously had something important to say. “Despite its irreverent comic tone, the movie, like the books, deals with survival,” observes Ms. MacDonald. “The fact is, the Baudelaire children seem to actually know how to overcome all their misfortunes with their resourcefulness, while the adults remain rather blind to all that’s going on around them.” Ms. MacDonald then bumped into an angry mob while attempting to exit the room.

Yet another person convincingly disguised as a producer of the film, Jim Van Wyck agrees, adding, “This is a wonderfully intelligent and unpredictable story founded on the strength of family and the resiliency of children.”

Executive producer Ms. Pistor concludes that the ingenuity of the Baudelaire children is nothing short of inspirational. “This film doesn’t insult the intelligence of kids, it celebrates it,” says Ms. Pistor, who was prompted by a suspicious 12-year-old 'assistant'. “I just love how the Baudelaires can see right through Count Olaf and outsmart him every time.”

Casting The Cast

Lemony Snicket’s hysterically woeful account begins when the three Baudelaire siblings are bluntly told that their parents have just died in a fire that destroyed their home. Producer Walter F. Parkes says that Lemony Snicket’s tale follows the tradition of literature dating back to the classics and carrying through to literature and film today.

“From the Brothers Grimm to Dickens, from Bambi to Finding Nemo, the idea of being orphaned is a central theme of family literature,” observes Parkes. “Ironically, it often provides the foundation for the most hopeful and empowering of stories because it deals in a magnified way with the challenge that all children eventually face: growing up and dealing successfully with the adult world.”

“These stories are classic because they allow children to deal with certain unavoidable fears in a safe context,” adds producer Laurie MacDonald. “They also instil the feeling that no matter what happens, things will turn out all right.”

Megalomaniac

In fact, things do turn out all right time and again in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, but not until the Baudelaire children are sent to live with a series of abominable guardians. The first is Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), who follows them to each of their new homes in a relentless campaign to trick the orphans out of their vast inheritance.

To Mr. Carrey, Count Olaf was a role he had to play because it allowed him to be so many characters within a character. “This guy is everything that’s negative about a human being,” laughs Mr. Carrey, whose character dons a series of outrageous disguises in the course of the film, including dressing up as a salty peg-legged sailor and a deranged lab assistant. “He’s a megalomaniac. He’s a sociopath. He’s a complete façade who’s insecure about everything from his acting ability to his hairline – though he’d never let anyone know that – and best of all, he allowed me to make fun of acting!” Suspiciously, Mr. Carrey denies being a terrible villain himself, despite the fact that he has amassed an enormous fortune.

“To Count Olaf, the Baudelaire children are the door to his future – nothing more,” continues Mr. Carrey. “You’ll like him even though you’re supposed to hate him.” The interview concluded, Mr. Carrey then returned to reading the thespian classic “Despicable Characters and the Fans Who Love Them.”

Meryl Streep

Another caretaker of the children is their Aunt Josephine (Meryl Streep), a nervous widow who never turns on the radiator for fear it might explode, avoids her refrigerator because it might fall and crush her, and doesn’t use her telephone because of the danger of electrocution. Frightened of just about everything except grammar, Aunt Josephine lives in an old house perched precariously on a cliff high above Lake Lachrymose, a long and complicated description which here means “not a very good idea, especially because it is about to be hit by a hurricane.”

“Aunt Josephine is a great tremulous little bird of a person who was an adventurer in her youth until something spooked her,” says Ms. Streep. “I just fell in love with this character who is terrified of absolutely everything, because at a certain level, so am I…so are we all,” she concludes, peeking out from behind a false bookcase.

More intuitive and insightful than any of the adults in charge of them, Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire must employ every ounce of intelligence, ingenuity and courage to endure a series of fantastical misadventures that include an Incredibly Deadly Viper, a swarm of hungry leeches and dishwashing.

Violet (Emily Browning) is the eldest of the siblings and one of the finest 14-year-old inventors the world has ever known, having invented such contraptions as a bed that makes itself, an automatic harmonica player and a device that can retrieve a rock after it has been skipped in to the ocean. Violet’s inventiveness serves the children well in their struggles, except perhaps during the incident involving the speeding train.

The Responsible One?

“I just loved the books. Right from the start when Lemony Snicket says you won’t want to read them – then of course you totally do,” says Ms. Browning. “My character is sort of the responsible one, and she feels that since her parents are gone, she’s the one in charge. She’s really a great kid – smart, caring and she throws an optimistic spin on all the horrible things that keep happening.” The poor young actress then burst into tears.

Violet’s younger brother Klaus (Liam Aiken) is an avid reader, having read more books at 12 years of age than most people read in their entire lives. That passion for knowledge helps him and his siblings survive a number of unfortunate events, although it doesn’t do much good when he is hanging off the side of a very tall tower.

“There are a lot of things in this movie that you’ll have to think twice about,” observes Aiken. “It has some seriousness to it, but basically it’s really very funny.” Clearly, the up-and-coming actor still has difficulty coming to terms with his experience on the film.

Finally, their younger sister Sunny (played by twins Kara and Shelby Hoffman) is an adorable toddler who speaks in a series of shrieks only Violet and Klaus can understand. With her unusually sharp teeth, Sunny has a peculiar affinity for biting things.

Peter Sellers

“The only thing you know for sure about Sunny is that if she bites you hard, she doesn’t like you,” laughs Aiken, rubbing his ankle. “And if she bites you softly she does!”

Trying to steer the conversation away from the alarming conspiracy, director Silberling says he was thrilled with his entire cast – from the headline stars to the children who performed like veteran actors. “First of all, I think of Jim Carrey as sort of an odd cousin to Peter Sellers,” says Mr. Silberling, who has no genealogical evidence to back up his claim.

“He’s a remarkable character actor – beyond being a fantastic comedian – and he can absolutely disappear into roles. The truth is, you can’t find a greater chameleon to slip in and out of a number of characters, keep the comedy going, but also keep up a keen sense of mystery. He was my first choice for Count Olaf and he really runs with the role.”

Meryl Streep was also the director’s first choice to portray Aunt Josephine. “After all, she’s like the ‘Walter Cronkite’ of living actresses – somebody you look up to as a bastion of stability and well-roundedness, so the irony of choosing her to portray this completely unstable character was just irresistible!”

Mr. Silberling acknowledges that the search for the right children to play the Baudelaire orphans was necessarily broader, at least partly because very few children would choose to subject themselves to a string of disasters, tragedies, misfortunes and inappropriate catering. But he feels very fortunate to have found such wonderful young actors to portray Violet, Klaus and Sunny.

“Casting Emily Browning as Violet was a no-brainer,” recalls Mr. Silberling. “I saw a spirit in her that was timeless, yet utterly contemporary, which is also a perfect description of the world of Lemony Snicket. And Liam is one of the oldest souls I’ve ever met under the age of 14. He’s a remarkable young actor, and just like Klaus, he’s three steps ahead of everybody around him. Then there are the Hoffman twins, who together portray Sunny. It’s remarkable how well they performed. They far exceeded my expectations.”

Uncle Monty

Rounding out the cast is an extraordinary group of actors that includes Timothy Spall, Catherine O’Hara, Billy Connolly, Cedric the Entertainer, Luis Guzmán, Jennifer Coolidge, Craig Ferguson and Jane Adams, to name just a few. This eclectic troupe, along with a few surprising cameos, shows just how many people can be tricked into participating in a project this disturbing.

“The story is full of twists right from the beginning all the way through to the end,” observes Mr. Spall, who portrays Mr. Poe, the bumbling executor of the Baudelaire estate. “For example, the narrator begins by describing these wonderful, clever children and you think it’s going to be a pleasant tale about them. Then my character Mr. Poe shows up on the beach – a dry banker who’s as out of place in the scene as a dolphin in a phone booth – and I inform the children their parents have perished in a fire. It’s rather stunning.” Stunning is a word which here means, “you’d better bring tissues.”

“Unique – that’s what this film is!” laughs Billy Connolly, whose character Uncle Monty, a herpetologist, often wears an eight-foot long albino Burmese python around his neck. “I grew very fond of that python. It used to breath heavily in my ear, make a wee moan and sort of a hiss as though it were whispering to me.” The python had no comment.

Nonhuman Cast

In fact, the film features the services of over 100 supporting cast members of the nonhuman variety, a complicated expression which here means 'animals'. All were under the supervision of renowned Hollywood animal coordinator Jules Sylvester.

“The Reptile Room sequences often called for as many as 70 snakes and reptiles, including highly venomous cobras, Egyptian cobras, vipers, rattlesnakes, green tree pythons, jungle carpets, iguanas, scorpions, water moccasins and a 200-pound tortoise,” says Mr. Sylvester. “They were even given their own green room, which Tank the tortoise found delicious. He ate through one of the walls!” Like those made by other actors, Tank’s attempt to escape the set proved unsuccessful.

With its considerable cast of great actors, unwitting accomplices, fearless children and dangerous creatures, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events is an unforgettable experience that will leave families everywhere severely shaken, hopefully with laughter.

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events - the film is out on DVD now. Everywhere. Enjoy. Rated PG.

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