Ricky Gervais makes British Rebel film

Apr 10, 2010, 9:30 GMT

Ricky Gervais wants 'Cemetery Junction' to be a "British 'Rebel Without A Cause'".

The 'Invention of Lying' actor and comedy writer has tried to capture the essence of a number of classic movies in his latest effort, and believes the final result has both "glamour" and is "cool".

Ricky told The Guardian newspaper: "In this one, we've left irony behind. It's straight down the line. We're trying to do a British 'Rebel Without A Cause', 'Saturday Night Fever', with some funny bits, 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' set in Berkshire, that sort of thing. There's a glamour to it, there's a cool to it. It doesn't have to be depressing to be real."

His co-writer Stephen Merchant also claimed the film - a coming-of-age comedy drama about three friends growing up and trying to outgrow the small town they were born in - reflects their own experiences and resonates with their lives when they were advised by teachers not to pursue comedy writing.

He added: "We aren't fighting political injustice. We weren't raised in a brothel with a crack addiction. The thing that unites us is the upper-working-class/lower-middle-class world we come from, which was about keeping up with the Joneses, either making something of your life or growing old with a sense of resentment.

"That was what we saw around us, from family members unhappy with their lot to schoolteachers saying, 'What makes you think you can make it in comedy? You'd be better off working at the bank.' "