A large number of the people who are fired in the film are not actors but people who were recently laid off. The filmmakers put out ads in St. Louis and Detroit posing as a documentary crew looking to document the effect of the recession. When people showed up, they were instructed to treat the camera like the person who fired them and respond as they did, or use the opportunity to say what they wished they had. A way to discern the actors from the real people is that the real people do not have dialogue with George Clooney or Anna Kendrick, as they were shot separately. Jason Reitman did this intentionally, feeling that the real people would freak out Clooney and Kendrick.
Vera Farmiga used a body double for her nude scene. In an interview she stated she has no problem being naked in a film, but she had recently given birth and "The breast milk running down would have been inappropriate."
Jason Reitman began writing the screenplay in 2002, when the economy was booming, and planned to make it as his first feature. The opportunity to make Merci de fumer (2005) and Juno (2007) presented themselves, and he put this off until 2009; meanwhile, America plummeted into an economic recession. He said the film's tone changed completely in response to the real world crisis and worked much better as a topical piece than it would have a decade previously. The delays in its realization were therefore fortuitous.
Ryan's card, which Alex is so impressed with, is the American Airlines invitation-only Concierge Key. Started in 2007, it helps members arrange for reservation changes, upgrades, and even airport meetings. After the film was completed, Jason Reitman was invited into the program. It is sent to selected customers, and since it is not advertised, some travelers consider it a rumor.
Walter Kirn: The author of the novel sits to the left of Ryan Bingham during Natalie's introduction.