David Wain directs 'Role Models'

In the film, happy-go-lucky party boy Wheeler (Seann William Scott) and acerbic sad-sack Danny (Paul Rudd) are co-workers and unlikely friends. After a seriously bad day lands them facing a choice between jail time or community service, they find themselves involved in a mentoring program called Sturdy Wings. Wheeler is paired with a foul-mouthed 10-year-old named Ronnie (Bobb'e J. Thompson), while Danny is placed with a shy teenager (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) who only really comes alive when involved with his fantasy-role-playing group.

That setup could go a lot of different ways, from schmaltz to lowbrow raunch. In the hands of Wain it becomes something else entirely, a deftly freewheeling vehicle for anything-goes humor. His first brush with studio filmmaking, Wain initially had his doubts about even taking the job.

"I wasn't sure it was something I would want to do," Wain said. "I had a lot of preconceived notions about what the experience would be like, many of which were not what happened."

A member of the influential comedy troupe the State and later its offshoot Stella, Wain's credentials in comedy circles are impeccable. His first feature, the small, 2001 summer-camp spoof "Wet Hot American Summer," has gone on to genuine cult status. His follow-up "The Ten" featured performers such as Winona Ryder, Gretchen Mol and Oliver Platt in an irreverent series of short films on the Ten Commandments. His recent Web series "Wainy Days" -- which he worked on concurrently with shooting "Role Models" -- has also grabbed an audience online.

Wain's particular brand of humor relies on absurdist twists and a nervous self-consciousness. This makes him an even unlikelier choice to be helming a broad-appeal, mainstream comedy like "Role Models."

The project was already relatively far along when Wain was brought on by producers Mary Parent and Scott Stuber, with Rudd and Scott already cast and the script several drafts (and writers) along. Wain went to work with Rudd (a longtime friend) and frequent collaborator and State alum Ken Marino to rewrite the script. (The screenplay credit goes to Rudd, Wain, Marino and Timothy Dowling with story credit to Dowling and William Blake Herron.)

Wain said he came to the project and fell into production so quickly that it still felt in many ways for him like an indie-style scramble. The feeling put him at least partially at ease.