I Love My Dad: James Morosini opens up about Patton Oswalt’s kissing scene

I Love My Dad director, writer and star James Morosini kisses and shares how he prepared for his bizarre make-out scenes with co-star Patton Oswalt.

“We made out a lot beforehand,” said Morosini, who plays Oswalt’s son, Franklin diversity jokingly at the premiere of “I Love My Dad” at the Largo at the Coronet on Thursday night. “He’s a phenomenal kisser. I hope everyone gets a chance to make out with Patton Oswalt.”

Based on Morosini’s own true-life experience of being fished by his father, new indie comedy stars Patton Oswalt as Chuck, a father desperately trying to keep in touch with his estranged son by posing online as a woman named Becca ( Claudia Sulewski). During a scene where Franklin (Morosini) asks “Becca” if he can pretend to kiss her through her messages, Chuck imagines the disturbing scenario where his son is actually making out with him instead of his online persona . Amy Landecker, Lil Rel Howery and Rachel Dratch also star.

“The fact that something so absurd and perfect could happen to a writer-director-actor of his caliber is such a perfect marriage,” said Landecker, who plays Morosini’s mother, Diane. “He had the perfect story and all the skills to make a movie out of it.”

I Love My Dad is Morosini’s second directorial effort, following his 2018 indie film Threesomething.

“He doesn’t have a lot of preconceived notions or expectations about, ‘Well, the audience wants to see this, this, and this,'” Oswalt said of his director and co-star. “All of his recordings and all of his techniques were so fresh and unprecedented. It’s really fun to watch.”

The film is also YouTube star Sulewski’s second film role after 2019’s indie horror Deadcon. “I felt like an impostor surrounded by such professionals and comedic geniuses,” she said of her first day on set , on which she played Morosini’s imaginary love interest, Becca.

“But really, everyone was nice enough to be here,” Sulewski continued. “And especially to watch Patton act out such intense and emotional scenes and how he would add so much ease to the space between those takes – even though what he was going through with Chuck was so intense – it was very cool to see his spirit.” Come on set and make sure we’re all comfortable.”

Although Sulewski has never created a fake social media profile herself, she has “let people use it [her] Catfish fishing photos.” “Essentially, [I’ve] lived that movie too,” she said, laughing.

The guest list for the premiere included Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell, Jesse Rutherford, Chloe Cherry, Ava Capri, Rebecca Black and Bob Odenkirk.

I Love My Dad hits theaters August 5th.