A new comedy movie featuring the members of Schadenfreude, Eden Court, was screened recently at the AMC 21. The movie stars Reno 911's Thomas Lennon, Second City vet and MadTV star Stephnie Weir, and Father of the Bride star Kimberly Williams-Paisley.

Sounds (and looks) like the Schadenfreude folks (including Kate James, Justin Kaufmann, Adam Witt and Sandy Marshall) had good fun playing some extra trashy white trash characters. Hey! Now we know what to get them for their next anniversary - a copy of White Trash Cooking!

As reported earlier by our Big Poppa the Apiary, "Based on a screenplay written by Murphy Guyer, and originally produced for the stage in New York and other cities, Eden Court is a coming of age comedy. The film centers on minor league baseball and tells the story of Shroeder Duncan (Lennon), who searches for a more meaningful life than his current trailer park existence has to offer."

The Bastion spoke to the film's director, Paul Leuer, who shared this: "From the outset of the film, I knew I wanted to do everything here in Chicago. The shooting of Eden Court took place in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Having grown up in the area, I felt it was important to film close to home. I wanted to work with some of the best professionals in the business, and the film crews in Chicago are exceptional. Local support is important in a project such as this. Without the support and cooperation of local actors, crews, and production partners this film simply would not have been possible.

"Eden Court's lead actors have Chicago roots as well. Thomas Lennon is an Oak Park native. Lennon was featured in the movie Reno 911; Miami. He is the executive producer, writer, and star of Comedy Central’s Reno 911. Kimberly Williams-Paisley is a graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, and played alongside Steve Martin in the Father of the Bride series of movies, and stars in ABC’s According to Jim. Stephnie Weir performed at Chicago’s Second City and Improv Olympic and can be seen on Fox’s MadTV.

"I have know Schadenfreude for ten years. I have always been a huge fan and have been cheering for them since day one. They are not only brilliant writers but brilliant actors as well which is what you see on the screen in Eden Court. When I optioned the screenplay, I already knew which characters I wanted Schadenfreude to play. All of them have numerous scene stealing moments in the film."

Schadenfreude prankster Justin Kaufmann offered us these thoughts on his gang's participation in the movie: "We shot it in the summer of 2005. Paul Leuer is a local director who we knew from our days up at the Heartland. He adapted an off-Broadway play, 'Eden Court,' and teamed up with a local producer Carl Amari. They got Thomas Lennon from Reno 911 involved, and Stephnie Weir, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley as well. They shot it in Schaumburg of all places. A lot of the scenes were in a trailer park in Melrose Park. Kate, Sandy, Adam and myself are all in it. I play the dirtbag ex-husband of Stephnie Weir. It was a great experience and it was awesome to see it play out on the screen. Also, Mike North from the Score is in it! Paul shot the movie in seventeen days, which is fast! And he worked around everyone’s schedule. He kicked ass. Sandy played one of the coaches at the minor league field and Kate was the girl who cut the lawn at the trailer park. She actually gets her toe cut off in a very funny scene with Stephnie Weir. She gets rushed to the hospital and everything. Super hectic funny."

The trailer park trailer can be seen here.

Photos of Justin Kaufmann with Amber Lake and Kate James by Eden Court costume designer Lin Sanders.

- Elizabeth McQuern