MONROE - Dave McCary claimed he never set out to make movies for a living when he began at a young age with short films, but slowly the habit developed into a career.
McCary made a big impression at the Sundance Film Festival when the movie he directed, "Brigsby Bear," earned joyful reviews and a $5 million purchase deal from Sony Pictures Classics after its premiere on Jan. 23.
Monroe resident Vicki Phillips attended the festival to see her son debut his first feature film.
"It was surreal," she said, noting the film was moved to the largest venue. "When the movie ended, 1,500 people were standing and clapping."
McCary began his film career at Monroe High School. After growing up in both Wisconsin and California due to his parents' divorce, he permanently relocated to Monroe in his teens. For English class, he requested the use of the Monroe Police interrogation room for a 30-minute buddy cop movie. Phillips recalled a time when she came home to find him running in a field, her vehicle sitting in the street with every door open. McCary was honing his skills over time, experimenting with what was available around him.
After graduating from Monroe High School in 2003, he became part of a comedy troupe called Good Neighbor in Los Angeles with friends Kyle Mooney and Beck Bennett in 2006. Phillips said the practice of using the world around them as props continued over the years. At one time, a landlord yelled at the young men for neglecting their yard. Before taking to chores, they created a short video about little people living in the tall grass.
The comedy troupe made skits that received millions of views before the members gained enough attention to be noticed by Lorne Michaels, co-creator of "Saturday Night Live." Eventually the group was hired to work on the show in 2013. Since then McCary has worked as a director and writer for SNL. Mooney and Bennett are currently part of the acting ensemble.
Now in his early 30s, McCary seems to have met a life goal. Phillips said at a young age her son would create tales of fiction at any moment, like when they would drive through a neighborhood and McCary concocted a tale of a fictional character living in a castle-like home who hired him to complete a mission. Phillips said it seemed like McCary had been working toward making films like "Brigsby Bear" for "years and years."
SNL's Mooney and Kevin Costello wrote the story and the script. McCary directed the film. With hopes to finish the editing by mid-February, McCary was thrown into an accelerated schedule when the movie was picked to screen at Sundance in Park City, Utah, in January.
Reviews praised the film as the next cult following and McCary for his performance presenting the film.
"I love that David McCary's direction is energized by the feeling of adventure," Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com writes. "McCary gives us vivid settings with gorgeous moments."
Brigsby Bear is the name of a children's character made up by adults to appease a young man who spends most of his life believing the show to be a popular kids program. But once the protagonist reaches adulthood and finds out the truth about himself and the people he knows as his parents, a new life throws the one he thought he knew out of sync, with plenty of humor along the way.
"It was so sweet and upbeat," Phillips said. "I'm just glad everyone else liked it too."
McCary made a big impression at the Sundance Film Festival when the movie he directed, "Brigsby Bear," earned joyful reviews and a $5 million purchase deal from Sony Pictures Classics after its premiere on Jan. 23.
Monroe resident Vicki Phillips attended the festival to see her son debut his first feature film.
"It was surreal," she said, noting the film was moved to the largest venue. "When the movie ended, 1,500 people were standing and clapping."
McCary began his film career at Monroe High School. After growing up in both Wisconsin and California due to his parents' divorce, he permanently relocated to Monroe in his teens. For English class, he requested the use of the Monroe Police interrogation room for a 30-minute buddy cop movie. Phillips recalled a time when she came home to find him running in a field, her vehicle sitting in the street with every door open. McCary was honing his skills over time, experimenting with what was available around him.
After graduating from Monroe High School in 2003, he became part of a comedy troupe called Good Neighbor in Los Angeles with friends Kyle Mooney and Beck Bennett in 2006. Phillips said the practice of using the world around them as props continued over the years. At one time, a landlord yelled at the young men for neglecting their yard. Before taking to chores, they created a short video about little people living in the tall grass.
The comedy troupe made skits that received millions of views before the members gained enough attention to be noticed by Lorne Michaels, co-creator of "Saturday Night Live." Eventually the group was hired to work on the show in 2013. Since then McCary has worked as a director and writer for SNL. Mooney and Bennett are currently part of the acting ensemble.
Now in his early 30s, McCary seems to have met a life goal. Phillips said at a young age her son would create tales of fiction at any moment, like when they would drive through a neighborhood and McCary concocted a tale of a fictional character living in a castle-like home who hired him to complete a mission. Phillips said it seemed like McCary had been working toward making films like "Brigsby Bear" for "years and years."
SNL's Mooney and Kevin Costello wrote the story and the script. McCary directed the film. With hopes to finish the editing by mid-February, McCary was thrown into an accelerated schedule when the movie was picked to screen at Sundance in Park City, Utah, in January.
Reviews praised the film as the next cult following and McCary for his performance presenting the film.
"I love that David McCary's direction is energized by the feeling of adventure," Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com writes. "McCary gives us vivid settings with gorgeous moments."
Brigsby Bear is the name of a children's character made up by adults to appease a young man who spends most of his life believing the show to be a popular kids program. But once the protagonist reaches adulthood and finds out the truth about himself and the people he knows as his parents, a new life throws the one he thought he knew out of sync, with plenty of humor along the way.
"It was so sweet and upbeat," Phillips said. "I'm just glad everyone else liked it too."