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For Filmmaker, The Boss Baby Took Sibling Rivalry to Extremes

Growing up with an older brother, the filmmaker recalled the uncertainty that his sibling faced when he arrived and commanded all the attention.
By Todd Jorgenson |
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When Tom McGrath first saw the children’s picture book The Boss Baby, the image of a newborn in a business suit practically gave him a flashback.

Growing up with an older brother, the filmmaker recalled the uncertainty that his sibling faced when he arrived and commanded all the attention. And it helped to shape his animated big-screen adaptation.

“I was the Boss Baby who tortured him. We were very competitive, and we came out the other side as best friends,” McGrath said during a recent stop in Dallas. “I found myself putting a lot of my childhood into the movie. It was like a love letter to my brother.”

McGrath (Madagascar) knew the concept could appeal to children and parents alike, and could prompt a lighthearted tribute to the power of imagination and an exploration of shifting family dynamics.

“It’s a charming metaphor. When a baby comes into your life, it takes over the house and becomes the boss,” he said. “Seeing a baby in a suit was really kind of a launching point for what we could do.”

The story is told from the perspective of 7-year-old Tim (voiced by Miles Bakshi), an only child who’s not clamoring for a baby brother, especially one wearing a suit and tie, and speaking in a condescending tone toward his new sibling.

The new baby earns the indiscriminate affection of his parents (Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow), but Tim is more suspicious, eventually learning that the precocious newcomer is working undercover for a company known as Babycorp, and his mission is to infiltrate a family to help stop rival Puppyco from stealing the attention of infants everywhere.

In order to fight corporations right and left, Tim and Boss Baby — who remains otherwise nameless — must put aside their differences and form a sibling bond.

“I thought it would be great to tell the story from the point of view of this kid getting a younger sibling. A bossy baby would completely turn this kid’s world upside down,” McGrath said. “It allowed us to explore these themes about family and about love, and whether there’s enough love to go around. It also celebrated the imagination of a 7-year-old kid.”

The screenplay by Michael McCullers (Baby Mama) also resonated with producer Ramsey Naito, whose children were born seven years apart — just like those in the film.

“When Tom sent me the script, I read it and literally thought it was about my life,” Naito said. “They were so jealous, but I loved the outcome. In the end, they fell in love with each other and learned something about one another and what a family was.”

McGrath, 52, said he pictured only one person’s voice coming from the baby’s sophisticated mouth. That would be Baldwin, who previously worked with him on one of the Madagascar sequels.

“Having Alec was like the linchpin of the movie,” McGrath said. “He was our singular casting choice. He immersed himself into the character.”

With the bar raised in recent years for animated storytelling on the big screen, McGrath said it’s important for projects to amuse moviegoers of all ages, and not just youngsters. His strategy relies partially on instinct.

“The only thing you can do as a filmmaker is entertain yourself, and find the things you think are funny,” he said. What makes you laugh tends to make other people laugh, so you just have to go with your gut, and not try to project what you think a kid would think is funny.”

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