In The Family Plan, Mark Wahlberg plays an assassin-turned-car salesman. Michelle Monaghan plays his wife who's completely unaware of this.
That leads Wahlberg's character to take his family on a road trip across the country to Las Vegas. There, he can retrieve new identities and a new life for them. But along the way, he faces several adversaries.
It's a much more fun film than anticipated. Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan both have time to kick butt in the film, and there are also some touching family moments throughout the film.
ClutchPoints had the chance to talk to Wahlberg and Monaghan at the press junket for The Family Plan. Unlike some on-screen couples, the two had a fun rapport as they would ramble back and forth to each other.
During our chat, Monaghan spoke about having Maggie Q as a dance partner of sorts in the film's action sequences. Mark Wahlberg also (convincingly) pitched the film as a car salesman, just as his character is in the film, and teased his mustache demands for Uncharted 2 and his other idea for a film with Tom Holland.
Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan The Family Plan interview
ClutchPoints: Michelle, I'll start with a question for you. I know you've done some action before in movies, and I'm just curious if you could kind of compare those experiences with working with Maggie Q as you do in this film.
Michelle Monaghan: Yeah, thanks so much. [smiles] I love doing action. This was a different kind of version of it, because I've done kind of traditional action — which has been very kind of dramatic — but this had some comedy laced to it.
And so that was fun for me to get to play that. And I got to work with Maggie [Q], who I consider a friend, and we worked really hard together. And it was a big deal, that final sequence. We had a great time doing it.
Mark Wahlberg: Maggie is also the highest level there is when it comes [to action]. She sets the bar when it comes to martial arts, talent, athleticism, physicality, and this one [points to Monaghan], she just wanted to jump right in and see where she stood [with] no fear, and they did all of it themselves.
It was remarkable to see.
MM: It was cool. I needed an ice bath afterwards, though. I probably should have had one of those.
I felt it for a couple of days, believe me! [laughs]
MW: Yeah, the next day, I told you to chill out!
MM: I was like, “There are not enough Epsom salts for this feeling right now.” [laughs]
MW: That was the one day where you weren't, like, full Captain Fun.
MM: Yeah, that's true. I wasn't full Captain Fun. I was feeling it. I was on Struggle Street that day.
MW: You weren't Colonel Cranky, but you weren't your usual self.
MM: [I was] moving a little slower. [laughs].
CP: So your character in the film, at least at the beginning, is a car salesman. So I was wondering if you could kind of give a car sales pitch for The Family Plan.
MW: I have sold many a used car, my friend, and many a new car. But what I can guarantee you [is] that the entire family will not only enjoy this movie, they will relate and they will love it to the point where they're gonna wanna watch it over and over and over again before that holiday comes.
So if you buy it once on Apple TV, you can continue to go back to the well and share that fun. And every time you watch it, you're gonna find and discover something new. It's like all those little buttons that you didn't know what they did. And then when you finally get used to that beautiful new car, you realize, Oh my God, is there anything better?
And who makes anything better than Apple? Technology-wise, nobody. So, you will enjoy The Family Plan over and over again. [smiles]
MM: Wow, can I just say, you just sold me. Again, and again, and again. That's so impressive. [points to Wahlberg] He's so good!
CP: Of course, Mark and Van [Crosby] got to go laser tagging in the film. Did you get to participate in that at all?
MM: In the laser tag?
MW: No, they weren't invited on the set.
MM: No, but I will tell you that my son for his 10th birthday a couple of months ago had a laser tag birthday party, which I also didn't participate in. [laughs]
I went in that room thinking I was going to, and then it was like 25 10-year-old kids running around like crazy [and] I was like, This is not for me.
MW: You guys gotta do the escape room.
MM: I would love to do [that]! That's a great idea. I would love to do the escape room.
MW: When you come to Vegas [for the premiere]—
MM: Let's do that, that'd be fun. I love that.
MW: Let's see if you can get out.
CP: Mark, I know yesterday you spoke about the Uncharted 2 script, which I know you can't talk about. So I just had a two-part question here—
MW: I could talk about [it], I haven't seen it. I mean, I'll tell you what I know!
CP: Well, lemme just ask you — is there anything that you personally wanna do with your character in the upcoming Uncharted film? And a follow-up question to that is you and Tom Holland have a great relationship in the film. I was curious if there's any other dream projects you'd like to do with him personally.
MW: Yeah, I would imagine there's lots of things in the father-son realm that we could do together.
There's also an amazing war film about some men on a battleship that I think he would be fantastic in as a young soldier.
But with Uncharted this time, I just want to wear the mustache from the very beginning and use my real mustache. Not the fake mustache that, you know, prevents you from actually being able to talk and move your face around.
I kind of got a feel for what Botox would be like. I'm like, “Okay, I can't do that.”
I need to be able to express myself. So no fake mustache. But I think now that we introduced the mustache at the end of the film, we're on the right track. So it was a cool way to kind of introduce Sully.
CP: Congratulations on the film once again, both of you guys. And Mark, I do love Wahlburgers — they're my favorite burgers.
MM: They're my favorite burgers, too! I appreciate it. See you guys.
MW: [smiles] Thank you so much! I appreciate that so much.
The Family Plan will be released on December 15 on Apple TV+.
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