Jim Carrey, Kate Hudson And Jennifer Garner To Carve Up Some ‘Butter’

You can learn some pretty neat things by way of movie news. For instance, I knew nothing about butter sculptures until reading about a new film titled "Butter," which is set in this world of dairy art, an American tradition going back at least to the 19th century. According to Variety, Jennifer Garner, who is also producing the comedy, will co-star as an ambitious butter sculptress from the Midwest who goes up against a 12-year-old newbie carver in a local contest.

The young African-American challenger has not yet been cast, but Vulture has learned both Jim Carrey and Kate Hudson are in talks to join the film. Carrey would reportedly play Garner's character's husband, described as a "philandering, Bill Clinton-esque repeat sculpting champion." Oh yeah, and that Presidential comparison fits because apparently "Butter" is really about the 2008 primary race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Hudson's role would be that of a kind of Monica Lewinsky "paramour."

The script for "Butter" was on the 2008 Black List, which spotlights the year's best unproduced screenplays. It is also already an award-winner, having garnered writer Jason A. Micallef a Nichols Fellowship. Yet while it seems like a clever concept on paper, I'm not sure The Weinstein Co. will sell the film on its metaphoric genius. Not even the Variety report mentions the plot parallels.

So there are sure to be plenty of red state moviegoers who simply see the movie because they're fans of the art of butter carving. It's not like Carrey will be as obvious a Clinton figure as John Travolta's Jack Stanton in "Primary Colors" or as literal as Dennis Quaid's Bill Clinton in the upcoming film The Special Relationship."

"She's Out of My League" director Jim Field Smith will be at the helm of "Butter" when the movie begins shooting next month in Louisiana.

Will you be seeing "Butter" for the sculpting or the subtext? Does the knowledge that it's a political metaphor make you any less interested in the film?

Tags Butter, jennifer garner, jim carrey, kate hudson