To say that the concept behind "Ratatouille" is in questionable taste is putting it mildly. The latest animated feature from Disney/Pixar is a comedy about a rat let loose in a Paris kitchen.
"It's not the most appetizing idea for a movie, said producer Brad Lewis. "No one wants to think that a rat has gotten into their food. In fact, I'm getting a little sick just thinking about it."
Yet the challenge of making an entertaining movie from this possibly distasteful subject proved irresistible for Lewis and filmmaker Brad Bird. "I've never been one to back down from a challenge. And this might be the biggest one I've ever taken on," said Bird.
Lewis and Bird, as well as voice actors Patton Oswalt and Janeane Garofalo, were in Salt Lake City, doing interviews in the Grand America Hotel to promote the movie, which opens in theaters today.
"Ratatouille" was, in its initial stages, a troubled production, according to Bird and Lewis.
The concept for the movie came from animator Jan Pinkava, who won an Oscar for his 1997 animated short "Geri's Game." However, after two years of work, Pinkava and his animation/story teams were unable to make any progress and the film was in danger of being scrapped.
Enter Bird, director of "The Incredibles" and "The Iron Giant." He was on vacation, basking in the success of "The Incredibles," when Pixar honchos John Lasseter and Ed Catmull called him to take command of the movie.
"They made me an offer I couldn't refuse ... as if anyone could say no to John and Ed," Bird said with a laugh.
But Bird emphasized that the film was not a "salvage project," saying he was brought aboard to refocus the animators and story team's efforts. (Bird is now listed as the film's screenwriter/director, and Pinkava is credited only as a story contributor.)
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The film follows Remy, a rat with a keen sense of taste, who gets the chance to test his cooking skills when he begins a unique collaboration with a human would-be chef named Linguini (Lou Romano).
Oswalt, from TV's "The King of Queens," provides the voice for Remy, and Garofalo voices Colette, a fellow chef and somewhat unlikely love interest for Linguini.
Garofalo and Oswalt — both talented comedians and comic actors — aren't exactly household names. But their casting follows Pixar's usual strategy of finding appropriate voices rather than "stunt casting."
Oswalt says he's well aware that the Pixar name, not his, is being used to sell the movie. "I really don't mind. Pixar's a huge name. It would be suicidal for Disney to advertise the movie as, 'Hey, its stars that chubby little guy from that one TV show. You think he's kind of funny, don't you?"'
However, there is at least one big name in the cast: Peter O'Toole, who provides the voice for Anton Ego, a food critic with the power to make or break Linguini's bistro. Bird and Lewis dreamed of landing the frequent Oscar nominee, but didn't really believe he'd actually sign on for the project. "I guess we did something right," Lewis said.
However, O'Toole's casting turned out to be one of Oswalt and Garofalo's biggest regrets. Voice work for animation project is usually done one-on-one, with the filmmaker and just one actor at a time.
"It's a little frustrating," Oswalt sighed. "On one hand I can now say that I was in a film with the great Peter O'Toole. But I never actually got to work with him."
In fact, longtime friends Garofalo and Oswalt didn't work together, either — and she claims she only learned they were in the same movie by accident.
"We ran into each other," said Garofalo, "and I told him the news that I'd just gotten cast as a voice in the new Pixar movie. Patton told me, 'Hey, I did, too.' So I asked him, 'What's the name of the movie you're working on? Are you sure you're working for Pixar?"'
But they've enjoyed traveling together for the film's publicity tour. (The two also co-headlined a handful of comedy shows along the way.)
"If nothing else, it gives us a great story to tell our mutual friends," Garofalo said. "I've already told him, 'Well, I hope to not work with you in another movie again soon."'
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com