In a world where 3 hour movies run rampant across our theaters, it’s important to remember that a short film can still pack a punch. Running just over 10 minutes long, Morgan Gruer’s Fire At Will premiering at Tribeca Film Festival is the exact kind of film that reminds you it’s not the length of the piece, but the heart within it that counts.
“Fire At Will” Premise and Background
Written and directed by Gruer, the film gathers you around the dinner table, as a mother and father sit down with their adult children to discuss their will.
The discussion around the family will takes a darkly humorous turn, reminiscent of the themes in ‘Fire At Will’.
“I have decided to surprise your father with a trip to Africa for his 60th birthday,” says mother Debbie Greenberg (Amy Stiller) in the film.
Around the table are her husband Seth Greenberg (Scott Cohen), and their four children, Maggie, Daisy, Timmy and Heather.
This exploration of family dynamics is a central theme in ‘Fire At Will’.
Maggie (Rebecca Gever), the creative of the family is one of three triplets alongside Timmy (Lucas Zelnick) and and Heather (Ellie Sachs). When she is left out as an executor of the will, family dynamics begin to creep out and rear their head within this short yet potent film.
As tensions rise, the film captures the essence of conversations that often happen around the dinner table, similar to those depicted in ‘Fire At Will’.
Basically, imagine the most stressful conversation with your family, but everyone speaking is quick on their feet, darkly funny, and somewhat anxiety inducing. The film is based off of Gruer’s real life experiences, with Maggie’s character representing her role in the family.
Exclusive Interview with “Fire At Will” Director Morgan Gruer
“The film was started when my parents gathered my siblings and I together for a family meeting to discuss the family will,” She said, speaking exclusively with Popviewers over zoom.
She said that while the real life meeting was a zoom call, the gist of the plot rings true. “They decided to gather us all together, my siblings and I, to solidify the family will. They never travel. And so this was a really big deal,” she said. “And I don’t know, I guess they thought maybe they’ll get eaten by a lion. But they wanted to get the family will together.”
The blend of humor and drama in the script is a hallmark of ‘Fire At Will’.
And just as in the film, Morgan was a triplet in real life – and was really not tapped to be an executor of the will alongside her brother and sister. “She is sort of the stand-in for Morgan,” said Gever, who spoke with Popviewers ahead of the film’s premiere. “She’s the triplet who, in so many ways has really built a really full life for herself.”
In conclusion, the film ‘Fire At Will’ captures the complexities of familial relationships with humor and heart.
The film explores the idea of how we see the creatives in our lives – and do we judge the arts as a less serious pursuit (It’s mentioned that Maggie is a graphic designer. “She has her own business, she’s in a really rich relationship. And then she’s coming home, making time out of her busy life to come to see her family. And then she received this news that she has not been included in this pretty major decision. Even though, for so many reasons, it seems like she would be extremely capable.”
Ultimately, ‘Fire At Will’ serves as a reminder of the emotional weight carried in family discussions. The film is somewhat of a pressure cooker, as tensions rise and dramatics are abound – but the comedy-laced script serves as a throughline, breaking up the tensions with funny lines and some signature jewish humor.
The film is personal to Gruer – not only in inspiration, but also in visuals. The entire short was shot in her childhood home in New Jersey.
“So at first, I was really against shooting in the home,” she said. “We went back and forth, it was a free location. I didn’t know how much that would affect my ability to direct and be the person who’s gone off to like, grow and be her own person. And then like, go back and be in a place where there’s like, like middle school photos of me with braces hanging on the wall.”
In many ways that process mimicked the themes of the movie: of coming back to our childhood spaces and having those early dynamics show up.
Gruer’s journey and personal connection to the story makes ‘Fire At Will’ resonate deeply.
“In the end, it was actually really perfect for what we needed,” she said. “We wanted a kitchen that really had a lot of character, had a lot of warmth, texture wasn’t sterile, and also had depth.”
She said that emotionally – the filming location ended up being perfect as well. “I felt like it was a really good exercise for me to really let go of trying to be a version of myself. And I felt like bringing everybody to my childhood home was like showing up on a stage in your underpants in the way that there was nothing to hide. This was just the truest version of me.”
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