Comedian actor and “Saturday Night Live” alum Rob Schneider donned three creative hats for his latest film, “Daddy Daughter Trip,” which premieres exclusively at Harkins Theaters on Friday, September 30. As a director, star, and producer, he also showcased our state in fine manners.
“Daddy Daughter Trip” was filmed entirely in Arizona. “I love it,” Schneider says. “I had no idea of the various potential filmmaking opportunities the state offers and what a wonderful place it is to raise a family. Forget making movies. How about making a happy family?
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Schneider and his wife Patricia Schneider, who co-wrote “Daddy Daughter Trip,” moved to Arizona during the pandemic when they decided they wanted a better life for their children. “We wanted them to grow up in a place where they could enjoy their childhood in a clean place, and we have beautiful, beautiful opportunities to enjoy the snow and the trees in Flagstaff. I also think it’s a free state. It really is. I think the freedoms here… People don’t take them for granted. I just feel like I can breathe any way I can.
Schneider had wanted to make this movie eight years ago, but the requirement of millions of dollars, hundreds of cast and crew, and faith in making a good movie that could turn a profit was a task. hard. “There’s a short line of people who will say, ‘I’m going to do this!’ says Schneider. “By the time we thought we’d finish the script, my daughter was old enough to play the lead role.” His daughter was the natural choice for the film and landed the lead role.
Miranda Scarlett Schneider plays Meara Buble, whose father, Larry Buble (Rob Schneider), takes his daughter on spring break. Although there is no budget for a vacation, Larry tries to make the most of it. When the duo meet a couple of famous travel bloggers, father and daughter’s vacation turns around and they have a vacation that provides a lifetime of unforgettable memories.
Schneider’s daughter grew up on the set of the reality show “Real Rob”, which followed the life of the Schneider family. “Her first words, two words that I remember her saying, were ‘Action!’ and ‘Cut!’ “On set, she saw her dad jump out of his director’s chair and say those words all the time. She also had her own little director’s chair and was just following her dad’s lead.
In “Daddy Daughter Trip”, Schneider is most proud of one particular scene where he and his daughter are outside under the stars. Father and daughter have a conversation about all the different ways they love each other. “It’s beautiful and I’m so proud of her,” says Schneider. “We worked on it every night before she went to bed and we just talked about how much we love each other. When it came time to shoot it, we teased each other. He says it’s the most nice scene from the movie.
“The film is really about hope and clinging to your dreams when you can’t afford to pay anything,” says Schneider. “You have to. It’s about faith. I’m very proud of how it all worked out.
The film was shot during the pandemic and Schneider notes that it was a very safe setting, and he was happy everyone was careful, and the film was shot without being shut down. Filming locations in Arizona included Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Park, Bearizona, Butterfly Wonderland, Arizona Boardwalk, Basha’s, Changing Hands Bookstore, and Agritopia.
“There’s a thank you at the end of the movie for the people of Arizona,” Schneider gushed. “Never in my career have I been involved in a film that had more help and more people willing to help us in all facets of filmmaking. The outpouring of generosity and generosity of spirit that we received people of Arizona… I was just overwhelmed by it. I’m grateful to the people of Arizona. For me, the movie is very meaningful because it’s my “thank you” to the people of Arizona and a map post office for state beauty.
Daddy Daughter Trip co-stars include Jackie Sandler and Emmy and BAFTA winner John Cleese of “Monty Python” fame, Michael Bublé and Schneider’s eldest daughter, singer Elle King.
