Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler’s upcoming film, The House, isn’t just a hilarious romp featuring the two comedy legends. It also highlights the significant societal issue of exorbitant tuition fees that families have to pay to send their children to college. Ferrell and Poehler play the roles of suburban parents who, having destroyed their daughter’s college fund, team up with their neighbors to start an illegal underground casino. Desperate to make the money to pay for her education, they go to the most extreme lengths to earn what they need.
Director Andrew Jay Cohen, who also co-wrote the script, has lavished praise on the star duo, dubbing them the ‘King and Queen of Comedy’. He said that it was pure joy to watch them work together, and audiences will be eager to see them appear for the first time in leading roles on the same film. Will Ferrell, 49, and 45-year-old Amy Poehler both achieved their early fame on ‘Saturday Night Live’. Ferrell went on to star in a number of iconic comedies such as ‘Old School’, ‘Anchorman’ and ‘Elf’, while Poehler won a Golden Globe for her starring role in hit television series ‘Parks and Recreation’.
The House is sure to tickle the funny bone with its cast of comedic actors, but the the more serious underlying message will also certainly hit home with viewers. As co-writer Brendan O’Brien says, the cost of attending college today is so high, that families are going bankrupt and taking loans that they end up paying for the rest of their lives. Actor Ryan Simpkins, who plays the daughter, said that the story reflects some of her own life experience, as she got her admission to UC Berkeley during the filming of the movie.
Rated R, The House releases in the US on June 30, 2017. Watch the official movie trailer –
