To Seth Green (“The Italian Job,” “Scooby-Doo 2,” “Austin Powers in Goldmember”), who plays the neurotic but loveable Dr. Dan Mott, the script and the character were just too funny to pass up. “Dan is the guy who’s just shy of being a wet blanket on the entire thing,” laughs Green. “He’s so concerned about health and with the way things are supposed to happen that he’s not very adventurous or carefree. Everything has to be neatly planned out for Dan, which of course, their trip isn’t!”
Matthew Lillard (“Scooby-Doo”), who portrays Jerry Conlaine, a success in his business but failing in his relationship with his girlfriend, sees his character as the catalyst for all the catastrophes the trio gets into. “I’m the guy who leads the charge out into the wilderness and gets us lost in the middle of nowhere,” observes Lillard. “On the positive side, I’m also the one who holds onto the spirit of our childhood, which is a wonderful theme throughout this film.”
Portraying freewheeling Tom Marshall, who has a penchant for making his life up because he hasn’t grown up yet, Dax Shepard appears in his first feature film starring role. His character, observes Shepard, is a bit of an improviser. "Tom’s the kind of guy who’s not been able to find direction in life,” says Shepard. “He often fabricates things as he goes along, so Steven Brill’s directorial style — letting us improvise a little — has been right on target for the character and for the kind of acting I do best.”
In a masterstroke of casting that strengthens the film’s homage to “Deliverance,” director Steven Brill and Producer Donald Dc Line cast Burt Reynolds as Del Knox, an eccentric old man who has been living in the mountains for 30 years.
For Reynolds, the idea of portraying someone who has been holed up for three decades and who jsn ‘t crazy was intriguing. The veteran actor was also attracted to the film’s grand scope and the young talent with whom he’d be able to work.
“I’ve done a lot of ensemble pictures before and it’s always a nice surprise when you can have as much fun as we all did making this film,” says Reynolds. “Even before we began filming, I knew this was a project I wanted to be a part of because my son — who is 15 — was so excited when he heard I’d be working with Seth, Matthew and Dax. I mean, he couldn’t care less that I’ve worked with Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart, but he’s thrilled that I’m in a film with these guys.. .and frankly, so am I.”
As for how Brill feels about Reynolds and his three young stars, the director admits that the casting process was painstaking but well worth it. “First of all, we needed three actors who could handle both the comedy side of the film as well as all the action side of it,” says Brill. “On top of that, the guys we cast had to infuse a lot of heart into their performances because there’s a strong emotional side to the story as well. Truthfully, I’m delighted with Seth, Matthew and Dax. Their individual performances and their performance as a team are simply wonderful. And of course, having Burt aboard as a wink to the audience has been great fun. His addition to the cast is invaluable.”
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