Overview
- Searchlight rolls the film into nationwide theaters on Jan. 9 after a limited late‑December engagement.
- Will Arnett’s dramatic turn and Laura Dern’s supporting work draw broad praise, even as some reviews call the domestic scenes uneven.
- Matthew Libatique’s cinematography evokes a 1970s Manhattan vibe, with Comedy Cellar sequences shot for authenticity with real comics.
- The screenplay by Cooper, Arnett, and Mark Chappell stems from a real episode in comedian John Bishop’s life, for which he receives a story credit.
- Recent interviews highlight on‑set rewriting and improvisation, plus Cooper’s personal relationships informing the film’s hopeful tone.