[Published at Film Inquiry] Andrew Fleming has built a diverse career in both film and television, having worked steadily in the two mediums over the past three decades. He is, perhaps, most well-known for co-writing and directing the cult classic The Craft, but the filmmaker has also directed Threesome, Dick, The In-Laws, Barefoot, and Hamlet 2, which united the director with Steve Coogan for the first time. Fleming‘s latest film, Ideal Home, is based on parts of his own life. It reunites him with Coogan after ten years, and the duo haven’t missed a comedic beat.

Ideal Home tells the story of Erasmus (Coogan) and Paul (Paul Rudd), an upperclass, constantly quarreling and drinking gay couple living in Santa Fe, who receive the surprising news that they must raise Erasmus’s ten-year-old grandchild, Bill (Jack Gore) after his son is arrested for possession of illegal drugs. Unaccustomed to a lifestyle with children, Erasmus and Paul must figure out how to tolerate each other while providing a nurturing environment for Bill. Drawing from the world around him, it is one of Fleming‘s most personal films. A passion project nearly ten years in the making, Ideal Home, a gay romantic comedy, is a film that Fleming has wanted to see as an audience member for a long time.

Coogan & Rudd’s Chemistry

In Ideal Home, Coogan‘s Erasmus is a famous TV chef who has his own home cooking show, for which Rudd‘s Paul is a director. Erasmus is confident and slightly carefree, while Paul is more neurotic and uptight. Working on Erasmus’s show together adds tension in their relationship. Once the child is added into the mixture, it has the ingredients for a potential recipe for disaster, as Erasmus and Paul’s relationship is already strained. Coogan and Rudd are considerably natural in their roles, and they play against their “typecast” (Rudd usually plays a more confident character, while Coogan typically plays the more anxious character).

According to Fleming, the only reason that Ideal Home got made in the first place is because Coogan and Ruddwere attached to it. Once Fleming sought Coogan for the role of Erasmus, they collectively decided on asking Rudd to star opposite Coogan for the role of Paul. They were on screen together briefly in Our Idiot Brother, and are big mutual fans of each other, so it worked out better than anyone could have imagined.

“They had the best time working together.” Fleming told me in an interview.” In between setups, they would not retreat to their trailers and text their assistants or whatever, like actors normally do, they would just sit off to the side of the set and talk and make each other laugh. If they weren’t the two straightest guys I know, I would’ve thought they were having an affair or something.”

Indeed, having that kind of chemistry off of the screen certainly translates onto the screen. Not only did Cooganand Rudd contribute to the script, but they also improvised a few lines. It was, very much, a collaborative on-set environment on Ideal Home.

A Wonderful Addition To LGBTQ Cinema

One of Ideal Home‘s producers, Clark Peterson, underscored the importance of its themes: “Ideal Home is about how a seemingly unconventional family can come together and support one another. This is not a family that would have even been possible in many parts of the country even a few years ago, and the fight for equality isn’t over yet.”

As many know, progress is rarely linear. There is legislation still today that aims to continue to oppress LGBTQrights; as recently as 2018 in the state of Georgia, legislation was passed that allowed discrimination against parents in same-sex relationships. Fleming, having co-parented a child with another man, wanted to make a movie that was thematically relevant that celebrated LGBTQ progress and challenged its opponents, and also one that remained fun, playful, and comedic.

Fleming‘s script shows a couple struggling to adjust to parenthood, and a child struggling to accept his new life. At first, Bill (named Angel when he initially arrives) is homophobic towards Erasmus and Paul, but they quickly put to rest his fears. Ideal Home is a heartwarming ode to acceptance and finding family in the most unlikely places.

Santa Fe & Self-Reinvention

Throughout Ideal Home, there is a theme of reinventing one’s self. What better place to do such a thing than in Santa Fe, New Mexico? The character of Erasmus moved from England to Santa Fe to reinvent himself. He may not have been as revered in England as he is in Santa Fe. Similarly when Angel first moves to Santa Fe, he decides to make a drastic change – he changes his name from Angel to Bill. At first, he only eats Taco Bell, but as he spends time with Erasmus his palate grows to accommodate for more gourmet food.

With Paul, one can assume that he moved to Santa Fe to reinvent himself as well. However, he isn’t as attached to the setting as Erasmus is. He constantly threatens to leave the city and take a job with rival celebrity chef Rachael Ray. Aside from the theme of self-reinvention and Santa Fe, the city itself is like another character in the film, with its enchanting landscapes gracing every frame.

“I liked this idea that these men came from other parts of the world and decided to create an existence there,” Fleming explained, “because there were a lot of people like that there who come from England or the East Coast or California. But there is something truly magical about Santa Fe it’s. It’s that elevation that’s at about 6,000 feet.

“So, the sky is this dark, dark blue, and there are thundershowers over there every afternoon. And the light just feels different there, and it’s also the most ancient city in the country and has the oldest house in the country. It feels like you could be in South America or something. It’s called the Land of Enchantment for a reason.”

From the pueblo architecture, to the desert backdrops, to the vibrant skies, Santa Fe is well-represented. Even the city’s mayor, Javier Gonzales, has a cameo in Ideal Home. Watching the film truly makes one want to visit Santa Fe.

Ideal Home: An Ideal Rom-Com

Fleming, Coogan, and Rudd have made a charming little film (made on an estimated $10 million) with Ideal Home. You can see the care that was put into each character, the input that the respective actor put into their character. Most of the jokes land, and, without appearing to cloying, the film is an endearing portrait of parenthood. I could have watched Coogan and Rudd bicker at each other for another two hours. Using Fleming‘s sharp, quick-witted, and layered script, Coogan and Rudd shine as the wealthy, dysfunctional couple Erasmus and Paul, making Ideal Home a thoroughly entertaining viewing.

What is your Favorite Andrew Fleming film? Are you a fan of Coogan and Rudd’s respective work? Are you excited to see them as an arguing couple in Ideal Home? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Ideal Home screened at Frameline42 on June 23, 2018. It opens in the U.S. to limited theatrical release on June 29, 2018. For more information about its release, click here.