Brendan Fraser stars in “Rental Family,” a film about Phillip Vanderploeg, an American actor in Japan struggling to find consistent work. His life takes an interesting turn when he lands a surprising new job.
Fraser gives a brilliant performance as Phillip, a man who takes a job with a bizarre company. They offer a unique service: they provide actors to pose as family and friends for people who need them – it sounds unbelievable, but it’s real.
That’s the heart of the movie. It explores whether it’s blending fantasy with reality, or if our strong beliefs create reality, leaving anything unclear as the true conflict. These are the challenges each character faces.
So, is there any truth to the service and the tale of Fraser’s character?
Is a rental family a real service?
I recently learned something fascinating! Back in the 90s, Japan started a really unique service. It’s basically hiring actors to be your friends or family at events. Imagine needing someone to play the role of a loved one at a wedding – that’s what they offer! It’s often called a professional stand-in service, and I think it’s a clever solution for people who might be facing social situations alone.
The first company to offer this type of service was Japan Efficiency Corporation. They provided actors to offer empathetic support and connection – essentially, a human touch for businesses.
The idea of renting a family for the holidays—or other occasions—has appeared in movies and TV shows, like the 2004 film Surviving Christmas with Ben Affleck.
Is Rental Family based on a true story?
The story of Rental Family is fictionalised, even though the service itself is based in reality.
From my experience, even when you’re working with someone new and different – perhaps from a different culture – you can still build a real connection if you’re open to it. It’s about being receptive to what might happen and trusting the process. I wanted to explore that idea with Phillip and see where it led.
That was basically the kind of film I envisioned. I then added the concept of a rental family and explored how that would play out. We went through many drafts of the script before finally settling on this version.
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Rental Family is released in UK cinemas on Friday 16th January 2025.
Authors
I really enjoy following Katelyn Mensah’s work at TopMob. She’s the Senior Entertainment Writer there and keeps me up-to-date on everything – from the biggest shows and reality TV to those really impactful documentaries. I knew she had a great eye for entertainment even when she was writing for The Tab, focusing on reality TV and celebrity news. It makes sense she’s doing so well, as she has a degree in Journalism!
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2026-01-16 11:04