"Answer This!" is a classic college story about friends who would rather talk girls, drink beer and play pub trivia than figure out what to do with their lives. This flick is Michigan through and through–shot entirely on the University of Michigan campus and is the first movie the university has ever allowed to use its name (not to mention shoot a scene in a live football game at The Big House!).
Yelp Detroit’s Community Manager Annette J recently got to ask a few questions of Chris Gorham, the star of Answer This! (and tv shows such as "Covert Affairs," "Ugly Betty," and "Popular"). She grilled him on his favorite Ann Arbor haunts, favorite eats, and his real life trivia skills (or lack there of). Check out why this delightful gentleman and his family “fell in love” with A2 during their time filming here and see what his director (and Ann Arbor native) Christopher Farah has to say about some of his responses.
Gorham and his costar Arielle Kebbel rollin' through the streets of Ann Arbor's Old West Side
Annette: You recently spent some time in Ann Arbor filming the upcoming film "Answer This!" Can you tell us what you thought of our lovable tree town?
Chris: We, meaning me and my family, absolutely fell in love with the place! We've been back every year, since filming "Answer This!" Ann Arbor has beauty, great coffee, amazing food and football. What else do you need?
A: Not much as far as I'm concerned! Now, in the film you play a trivia virtuoso with the skillz to pay the pub quiz billz. So we have to know–which piece of the Trivial Pursuit pie do you go for first and why?
C: First of all, it's not a pie, it's a playing piece. Second, it's not a piece, it's a wedge. Sheesh. Amateur hour. ;) I can't tell you how many conversations took place on set surrounding Chris Farah trying to explain this to us. I mean, it looks like a pie! Which "wedge" do I go for first? Whichever is closest, I'm horrible at the game.
A: If you were to enter a pub quiz tourney yourself which A2 bar would you want to see that go down in?
C: Well, I'm partial to Ashley's because we spent so much time in there.
[Director's note: that's where we shot most of our pub scenes. The other main bar was the 8 Ball Saloon.]
A: If you could take any Ann Arbor restaurant and transport it back home to Cali with you which one would it be and what would your regular order be?
C: I'd take Zingerman's Deli, put a Comet Coffee inside it and add The Jefferson Market and Cakery's bon bons to the dessert counter. Zingerman's reuben is maybe my favorite sandwich, plus…gulp…there's all that cheese!
A: You've got a lovely wife and 3 kids. Did you guys spend any quality family time exploring the area? If so, what was your favorite adventure?
C: The kids love the Hands-On Museum and, strangely (unless you've been there), the Google offices in Ann Arbor. They also love visiting the 826 Michigan Robot Store and searching the streets for new fairy doors. A bit outside of Ann Arbor is the must-see Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum.
[director's note: we arranged a tour of the Google office for Gorham and his kids, because the kids wanted to see the fairy door there — it's the only fairy door in Ann Arbor not open to the public. Gorham and our other star Arielle Kebbel also talked to the whole Google staff as part of an informational Q&A / brown-bag lunch thing.]
A: What's the one thing you learned about Michigan after having filmed Answer This! in our fine state?
C: One thing? I learned that the cafeteria in U of M's law quad has a secret room! I'm impressed by this kind of thing.
A: Quick! One last thing: Give us a list of some of your must visits in Ann Arbor and around Detroit!
C: Comet Coffee; Jefferson Market & Cakery (best bon bons and pancakes ever); Zingerman's Deli (Reuben still my favorite, also my favorite chocolate cake); Ann-Arbor Hands-On Museum; 826 Michigan Robot Store; Downtown Home & Garden (lot's of hats among other great things); Michigan Theater (!); The Big House; Fairy Doors; Washtenaw Dairy (best donuts and kids love Superman ice cream); Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum (must see!); The Detroit Zoo.
[director's note: Zingerman's created a sandwich for Gorham called "Chris Gorham's Answer This!" during art fair. It was basically a reuben, but with a slice of pickle in it and on sour dough — he really does love that reuben.]
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"Answer This!: was written and directed by Ann Arbor native Christopher Farah. The film stars Christopher Gorham (“Covert Affairs”), Arielle Kebbel (“Vampire Diaries”), Chris Parnell (“30 Rock,” “SNL”), Kip Pardue (“Remember the Titans”) and U-M Professor Ralph Williams. It premieres on Friday, October 14th but you can attend the star-studded world premiere on October 13 at the Emagine Royal Oak Theater. Buy tickets at answerthismovie.com.
Yelp Detroit is also giving away a limited number of tickets to a special Funny Or Die screening at The Michigan Theatre on October 23rd as part of the Yelp Detroit Culture Club! Featuring 10 minutes of exclusive, never-before-seen video clips from FOD and a Q&A with the film’s producer Mike Farah and celebrity guest Chris Parnell ("30 Rock," "Saturday Night Live"). RSVP to win tickets here or buy them yourself at answerthismovie.com.
Annette J, Community Manager Yelp Detroit
