Will Arnett, Laura Dern Struggle in Post-Marriage Lives in New ‘Is This Thing On?’ Trailer

Will Arnett works through the end of his marriage and pending divorce by tackling New York’s comedy scene as a newbie stand-up comic in the latest trailer for Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On?

Arnett plays Alex Novak, who is splitting from wife Tess (Laura Dern) as she in turn confronts the sacrifices she made for their family. “You knew I was struggling. And you left me alone,” Tess tells Alex at one point in the trailer.

“I left you alone? You checked out!” he shouts back as both struggle to co-parent, forge new identities for themselves and possibly find new love as they deal with mid-life frustrations.

Cooper directed Is This Thing On? based on a script he co-wrote with Arnett and Mark Chappell. The life of British comedian John Bishop inspired the movie’s story.

The Hollywood Reporter film critic David Rooney writes of the comic…