Exporting Raymond is the 2010 documentary written and directed by Phil Rosenthal, the man who created the long-running and award-winning sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond. The movie follows Rosenthal as he journeys to Moscow and embarks on an aggravating quest to adapt his hit TV show for Russian audiences. This is a recipe for comedy on an international scale and is well worth your time if you have ever wondered what Hollywood is like in Russia.
Rosenthal is initially very excited about this project. Even the suggestion that he get K&R insurance (Kidnapping & Ransom) can't put him off going to Russia. Once he arrives however, he quickly learns just how differently things work in this new environment. Greeted at the airport by a surly chauffeur/bodyguard named Eldar, he is whisked away to his hotel and the next morning makes his way to the studio with cheerful translator, Marina, in tow. The studio looks like an abandoned factory building and at one point Rosenthal stands in a silent hallway and declares, "You can hear the cancer." He soon finds his first nemesis in the costume designer, Elena Starodubtseva, who abhors the idea of dressing Debra as a frumpy housewife and is pushing for having some high fashion on the show. As Rosenthal ineffectually tries to explain that Everybody Loves Raymond (or as it's going to be known in Russia, Everybody Loves Kostya) has to be relatable, she just shakes her head and maintains that it all looks too old-fashioned.
After the costume battle comes casting and at first, none of the actors seem to fit the bill. But once they find the perfect old man to play Frank, the others slot into place. Rosenthal is particularly enthused about Yevgeny Miller, an actor who is perfect for the lead role of Kostya, but this is when he hits his next hurdle. Turns out Russian network executives are just as ridiculous as American ones, and when the exec is told how much everyone wants Miller for the role, he promptly exercises his power and vetoes the actor. So much for that.
Possibly the most aggravating issue is that of the script. The pilot is deemed too strange for Russians - after all, there's no "fruit of the month club" in Russia, so that plot point is inexplicably changed to the "water of the week club." That isn't working (surprise, surprise) so they decide to film a different episode, and once again there are squabbles about translations and difficulties with wrangling writers who all work multiple jobs and seem to show up every day thoroughly unprepared. Eventually, the Russian exec who greenlighted the project is promoted. As a result, the project is temporarily shelved as some showrunner shuffling takes place and Rosenthal returns home.
Six months later, the project is back on, with a new executive who seems much more in tune with American sitcoms and Rosenthal makes the return trip to Russia with more hope. He is greeted with a big hug at the airport by none other than Eldar, his old chauffer/bodyguard, who is the only man Rosenthal seems to have made a real connection with on his previous trip. After all, this is a man who joined the military at 17 but professes a secret love for shells and a wish that he had become a biologist instead of a soldier. Rosenthal almost looks like he would rather make a sitcom about how Everybody Loves Eldar.
Unfortunately, the rest of the trip does not go smoothly. The script has been changed yet again, they still can't get Miller to be their lead, and the new guy they've found is just doing it all wrong. Rosenthal comes off as an incredibly neurotic man, who knows exactly how this should work, but just can't get the Russians to see it. At one point, he has pestered everyone with so many notes that the director takes to just ignoring him completely. But somehow, everything comes together, the pilot is shot, and Rosenthal is flying back home to await the fate of the show.
This is one of those gleefully funny, this-could-only-happen-in-real-life documentaries. Rosenthal's experience is peppered by numerous meltdowns, breakdowns in communication, and culture shocks, but ultimately it all has a happy ending. The lesson is this - good comedy is really hard to pull off, and when you have to do it in another language, it becomes almost impossible. But with time and good grace, all these barriers can be overcome and before you know it, everybody really does love Kostya.
Rosenthal is initially very excited about this project. Even the suggestion that he get K&R insurance (Kidnapping & Ransom) can't put him off going to Russia. Once he arrives however, he quickly learns just how differently things work in this new environment. Greeted at the airport by a surly chauffeur/bodyguard named Eldar, he is whisked away to his hotel and the next morning makes his way to the studio with cheerful translator, Marina, in tow. The studio looks like an abandoned factory building and at one point Rosenthal stands in a silent hallway and declares, "You can hear the cancer." He soon finds his first nemesis in the costume designer, Elena Starodubtseva, who abhors the idea of dressing Debra as a frumpy housewife and is pushing for having some high fashion on the show. As Rosenthal ineffectually tries to explain that Everybody Loves Raymond (or as it's going to be known in Russia, Everybody Loves Kostya) has to be relatable, she just shakes her head and maintains that it all looks too old-fashioned.
After the costume battle comes casting and at first, none of the actors seem to fit the bill. But once they find the perfect old man to play Frank, the others slot into place. Rosenthal is particularly enthused about Yevgeny Miller, an actor who is perfect for the lead role of Kostya, but this is when he hits his next hurdle. Turns out Russian network executives are just as ridiculous as American ones, and when the exec is told how much everyone wants Miller for the role, he promptly exercises his power and vetoes the actor. So much for that.
Possibly the most aggravating issue is that of the script. The pilot is deemed too strange for Russians - after all, there's no "fruit of the month club" in Russia, so that plot point is inexplicably changed to the "water of the week club." That isn't working (surprise, surprise) so they decide to film a different episode, and once again there are squabbles about translations and difficulties with wrangling writers who all work multiple jobs and seem to show up every day thoroughly unprepared. Eventually, the Russian exec who greenlighted the project is promoted. As a result, the project is temporarily shelved as some showrunner shuffling takes place and Rosenthal returns home.
Six months later, the project is back on, with a new executive who seems much more in tune with American sitcoms and Rosenthal makes the return trip to Russia with more hope. He is greeted with a big hug at the airport by none other than Eldar, his old chauffer/bodyguard, who is the only man Rosenthal seems to have made a real connection with on his previous trip. After all, this is a man who joined the military at 17 but professes a secret love for shells and a wish that he had become a biologist instead of a soldier. Rosenthal almost looks like he would rather make a sitcom about how Everybody Loves Eldar.
Unfortunately, the rest of the trip does not go smoothly. The script has been changed yet again, they still can't get Miller to be their lead, and the new guy they've found is just doing it all wrong. Rosenthal comes off as an incredibly neurotic man, who knows exactly how this should work, but just can't get the Russians to see it. At one point, he has pestered everyone with so many notes that the director takes to just ignoring him completely. But somehow, everything comes together, the pilot is shot, and Rosenthal is flying back home to await the fate of the show.
This is one of those gleefully funny, this-could-only-happen-in-real-life documentaries. Rosenthal's experience is peppered by numerous meltdowns, breakdowns in communication, and culture shocks, but ultimately it all has a happy ending. The lesson is this - good comedy is really hard to pull off, and when you have to do it in another language, it becomes almost impossible. But with time and good grace, all these barriers can be overcome and before you know it, everybody really does love Kostya.
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