VIDEO Chief of the <em>Mad Men</em>, Matthew Weiner, Talks About <em>Are You Here</em>

Amy Poehler, Joel Gretsch, Owen Wilson, and Zach Galifianakis in a scene from Matthew Weiners's ARE YOU HERE. Courtesy of Millennium Entertainment

You may not know this, but Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner began his career as a sitcom writer on shows like Becker and Andy Richter Controls the Universe. From there he wrote the moved on to The Sopranos but also wrote the script for Are You Here, the film he is releasing this Friday.

It took years to get it made, but ultimately Owen Wilson and Zach Galifianakis play childhood friends as alienated from society and as self-anesthetizing as any of Weiner's characters on Mad Men. As different as the projects are -- Are You Here is basically a comedy -- it's interesting to see Weiner's core concerns play themselves out here, as well. Where does man fit in modern society? How can one feel natural within it?

As part of the Day for Night series, I hosted a screening and Q&A with Weiner where he seems to surprise himself with where he found some of his answers. For any interested in the man's work, his remarks are fascinating.

Are You Here opens in theaters this Friday.

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