(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
In feel-good romantic dramedy The High Note, Tracee Ellis Ross plays a larger-than-life pop diva who, at first glance, might bear more than a passing resemblance to her own mom, Diana. But Ross makes an impression all her own as Grace Davis, the singer who, after years of “greatest hits” albums and tours, yearns to make something fresh… and who can’t help but torture assistant Maggie (Dakota Johnson) with her celebrity neediness and diva antics. It’s The Devil Wears Prada with more music and more sun – the film is like a travelogue of L.A.’s finest vistas – and critics are applauding Ross’s wicked take on the boss from hell, who may just have a heart of gold.
The film was originally set to hit the big screen but will instead premiere on video on-demand following the COVID-19 outbreak. Ahead of its release, Rotten Tomatoes caught up with Ross to talk about her favorite movies, stepping into Grace’s diva shoes, and what it was like to release her first song.
Let’s start with Love Jones, which is just a classic. One of the first times I saw myself reflected on screen in a way – just a beautiful story, a love story that felt textured and layered and interesting and beautifully shot, with Black people in the lead positions. The music, all of it, just touched a deep place in my soul and was fantastic.
We will switch gears completely, and I will say the original Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn, which really influenced my style. Just driving up with her trunks of luggage on the back of the car… it was just such a beautiful film. The clothing, I just was like, whoa. The elegance of it, the time period, the black-and-whiteness of it, the cast. It’s just one of those classic films that kind of etched a place in my aesthetics of style and elegance.
Is it a film that you rewatch often?
You know, I’m not a person who really rewatches movies or television shows. It’s really hard for me to watch things twice. I get really anxious. Isn’t that bizarre? I get anxious because I know what’s going to happen. And for some reason, it’s really weird. As a result, I am not a person who can recite lines from movies and dialogue and scenes. Like, I’ve never been able to do that. It’s so funny. I will look back through magazines, but I don’t reread books. I reread I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and The Bluest Eye recently, but yeah, I don’t rewatch. Couldn’t you tell you why. The closest I can get to it is that it’s hard for me when I know what’s going to happen, but I don’t know.
Yes, I have a close relationship to the lead of that film. But it was really the style and, again, seeing an all Black cast, and the beauty, the fashion in that film just blew me away. Blew me away.
Did you watch it as a kid? Or do you remember the first time seeing it?
No, I was much older when I finally watched it. I wasn’t a kid. It was not a kid’s movie. So I think I was in my twenties when I watched it. I’m sure I’ve seen it more than once, but I couldn’t tell you how many times.
Also I was in her belly and her character’s name was Tracy Chambers. I don’t know if that means anything. It’s like fate.
I’ve never seen such a beautifully shot film. I think it was maybe one of the first “artsy” films I had ever seen. And to see this kind of story told so beautifully. I remember loving that film.
Again, such a beautiful film. To see Blackness shared in this manner with such care and love and beauty, and the vulnerability in this film was just a sight to behold. I was so moved by how love was explored through this film.
Do you have a particular scene or moment from Moonlight that lingers with you the most?
There are two scenes. When he’s a teenager and he’s on the beach with his friend. That moment was just so beautiful, the way they sat there and talked to each other. And then towards the end when they connect again in that house; the way that love is expressed and the tangle of all of the societal ideas that are placed on Black men. To see that kind of strength and vulnerability at the same time was somewhat life-altering, actually.
Joel Meares for Rotten Tomatoes: You shared a video on Instagram of you listening to “Love Myself,” your song from The High Note – and you seemed completely overjoyed and moved by hearing the song and sharing it with people. Why does it mean so much to you right now to be releasing a song?
Tracee Ellis Ross: I think there’s lots of pieces to it. Number one, this is a childhood dream that, somewhere along the way, turned into my biggest fear. And I faced that fear and walked through it. And although I had already done the recording and obviously had heard the song before, this was the moment that I was sharing it with people that don’t know me.
I think it’s really important in our lives to celebrate big and small moments. And this felt like a big one for me. Somehow that Instagram Live felt incredibly intimate and also like a party. And I could have never expected that I would feel like that. I’ve never really done an Instagram – I mean, I’ve gone live for 10 seconds trying to figure out what Live means, but I’ve never advertised and planned, you know, a live party and a sharing of something. And it felt so connected and wonderful. There were 10,000 people in there, but it was really special.
I also think, in this very real time we’re in, where there is so much heaviness, so much loss, so much grief, the loss of livelihoods, the loss of lives, all of this is going on… a heaviness that my heart feels like so many other people, it felt really special to have a moment of lightness, a moment of joy, a moment of freedom, and a moment of sharing and connection. Although, in a different way than we are used to, it seemed to really be a moment of light in the middle of that.
Then there’s the fact that the message of the song is exactly a tonic for the times right now. And I feel like, put down your phone; it doesn’t matter what other people think. It’s like, what do you think of yourself? Love yourself. And that’s the message of the movie. And it felt really special to share that. You know, the message being that no matter the time, no matter the age, the phase, the stage you are at your life, no matter your circumstances, or even people telling you to stay in your lane, it’s never too late to go after what you want. It’s never too late to be who you are, and it’s always worth pursuing that.
Rotten Tomatoes: I’m sure there is some disappointment that this isn’t hitting movie theaters as expected, but it’s also a movie that is going to bring joy into people’s homes. Is this a movie that’s in some ways right for the moment we’re in?
Ross: You know, I can’t really determine that. I think that’s for everybody else to decide, but I do hope that this film brings them joy. It’s a feel-good movie. It’s not a heavy movie. It’s a really feel-good empowering movie. And we know music reaches into our hearts. You know, we all thought it was going to be a movie theater theatrical release, but I think this movie is perfectly suited for being in your home. I think it can be shared with your loved ones or watched by yourself. I think people can make an event of it and get themselves a cocktail or put some lemonade in a stemmed glass. I feel like it’s one of those movies that makes you go through all the emotions. There’s laughter. There’s tears. There’s joy. And there’s music. I mean, what more can you ask for? And there’s fashion, by the way, which also is very helpful.
Rotten Tomatoes: There was some very good fashion. There is a memorable scene where Grace is trying to clean out her closet, but can’t part with anything. Are you like that in real life? Do you struggle to get rid of some of your favorite outfits, or are you a total Marie Kondo?
Ross: I am. I am. I’m not like Grace in a lot of ways – most ways. I don’t share a lot with her. It was really fun to take on the persona of somebody who was larger-than-life like that. And I mean, one of my favorite moments of the movie, by the way, is when Maggie tells Grace that she’s dating someone or something and she’s like, “Does he know about me?” That killed me. I was like, wow, way to turn a moment in the wrong direction! So I am not at all like Grace, but I am in that way. It’s hard for me to let go of my clothing. I love holding onto stuff. It’s hard for me to say goodbye to it.
Rotten Tomatoes: Finally, you’ve grown up with musicians: Was there anyone who you turned to for advice on playing this role when you got it?
Ross: I didn’t. You know, the role was so beautifully written from its first incarnation. When I first read that first draft of the script, it didn’t require a lot of research to look elsewhere. Also, it’s a world I come from, to a certain extent. There was a lot for me to draw on that just lives within my own experience. But the support that I got mostly came in the studio and in the recording process, which was one of the main places that I started to find who Grace was. And how to find her voice, which was combined with my voice. Rodney Jerkins, who is the producer – a very experienced and well-known producer – was my touchstone. He made me feel so safe and so supported, I was able to walk through my fear and get really comfortable.
Then of course I leaned towards friends in moments that I was having panic attacks. I was afraid about what I was doing. I called my sister and my brother who are both singers. And I have a friend that’s a manager in the industry, and I called him at one point. But mostly our director, Nisha [Ganatra], was wonderful, and the script was there, so I didn’t really have to call on anyone. It was all built into the process.
The High Note is available to rent or buy on demand May 29, 2020.
71%
Thumbnail image: Amy Sussman/Getty Images, Everett Collection, David Bornfriend/©A24, ©October Films, ©New Line Cinema, Everett Collection
(Photo by Courtesy the Everett Collection)
Our new Classic Film Catch-Up feature connects you with classic films to put on your watchlist – beloved favorites and hidden gems alike. With more time at home, there’s no better opportunity to finally watch these titles that helped define cinema as we know it.
The current situation of social distancing has many of us thinking of ways to maximize the time we spend at home. We’re also eating several times a day and annoying our pets, but being productive does cross our minds from time to time. Puzzles, long-abandoned books, craft projects, and New Year’s resolutions have suddenly jumped to the top of our to-do lists. In the RT comments, many of you have shared how you’re catching up on classic films, and here at RT, we happen to agree that now is the perfect time to increase your classic film viewing.
Concentrating on films released before 1980 (both well-known titles and hidden gems), we’re producing new guides to essential classic films curated by theme, filmmaker, actor, genre, or style – all for your classic catch-up needs. Want to see our picks for the best French farces? How about a curated list of Fresh picks from Alfred Hitchcock, Peter Sellers, or Billy Wilder? As well as curating watchlists, we’re breaking down the films, telling you where you can watch them, and giving you some more recent and/or well-known films the classics might remind you of so you can gauge which movies are right for you.
And the movies are more accessible than ever. Turner Classic Movies may have had to cancel their annual classic film festival this year, and 2018 saw the demise of their classic film app, FilmStruck, but between the newly launched The Criterion Channel streaming app and other streaming services, movie fans still have access to thousands of old Hollywood masterworks.
Read below for our list of seminal classic quirky romantic comedies you need to see or revisit. More than simple boy-meets-girl tales, these love stories go far beyond the typical “meet-cute” and in many cases reflect unique moments in film history.
Got other quirky rom-coms you’d add to our list? Have a suggestion for a future theme or classic film to feature in the column? Let us know in the comments.
(Photo by Courtesy of Columbia Pictures)
What is it? Married couple Bob (Robert Culp) and Carol (Natalie Wood) attend a life-changing workshop and swiftly adopt the practices they learned, much to the distress of their best friends Ted (Elliott Gould) and Alice (Dyan Cannon). The workshop and its aftermath profoundly change the couples’ marriages and their feelings for one another.
Why you need to see it: Prior to the repeal of the Hays Code – the moral production code that regulated what could be shown on screen – most films could not overtly reference sex. This need to edit out the explicit content was one driver of the tongue-in-cheek sexual innuendo of 1940s and 1950s romantic comedies. After the Hays Code was officially abandoned in 1968, a new wave of sexually explicit comedies flooded cinemas. Bob & Carol Ted & Alice is one of the first sex comedies and one of the best. No longer did screenwriters have to dance around the subject; director and co-writer Paul Mazursky could, in fact, address the elephant in the room. Funnily enough, having your first film score four Oscar nods and make bank at the box office ruins Hollywood, according to Mazursky; the director joked later that the film was almost too perfect, and therefore its success could never be replicated.
Watch it if you like: Obvious Child, Seems Like Old Times, Chances Are, Chasing Amy
Where to watch: Stream now on The Criterion Channel app, or rent or buy at FandangoNOW, Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, and Vudu.
What is it? An heiress on the run (Claudette Colbert) joins forces with a man she meets, but little does she know he is actually a reporter in need of a story.
Why you need to see it: One of only three films to ever pull a clean sweep of the five major Oscar categories (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress), It Happened One Night is one of the truly great romantic comedies. The movie combines Clark Gable’s undeniable charm, Claudette Colbert’s comedic timing, and the feel-good filmmaking of Frank Capra. Our only question is, what has taken you so long to see it?
Watch it if you like: Roman Holiday, Almost Famous, The Proposal, Annie Hall, You’ve Got Mail, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Working Girl
Where to watch: Rent or buy at FandangoNOW, Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, and Vudu.
What is it? Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn) is a lovestruck chauffeur’s daughter who nurses an impossible crush for David (William Holden), the youngest son of the family that employs her father. When Sabrina returns home after years in Paris, the newly engaged David is suddenly ready to romance her and dump his fiancée – something that David’s older brother Linus (Humphrey Bogart) is determined to prevent.
Why you need to see it: This is a must-watch because of Bogie, Hepburn, Holden, and writer-director Billy Wilder. Audrey Hepburn was the perfect choice for the stylish Cinderella love interest and rightfully earned the Best Actress nomination she received for the film. Nominated for six Oscars and taking home the prize for Best Costumes, Sabrina is an early example of a film whose cast was fleshed out with A-list talent and Oscar winners. Bogart, who replaced Wilder’s first choice of Cary Grant, was arguably one of the biggest stars on the planet, and here he was cast alongside Hepburn and Holden, both of whom had taken home Best Acting Oscars in 1953. This was the kind of dream-team casting not often replicated. Bogart was never sure he was the right choice for Linus, but his put-off posturing both on and off set served his performance well.
Watch it if you like: While You Were Sleeping, Pretty Woman, Some Like it Hot, She’s All That, The Princess Diaries, Roman Holiday
Where to watch: Available to stream on Crackle, or buy or rent it at FandangoNOW, Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, and Vudu.
What is it? Marriage-minded interior decorator Jan Morrow (Doris Day) must share a phone line with her playboy neighbor, Brad Allen (Rock Hudson). When Brad sees the beauty on the other end of his line he decides to woo Jan under a false identity and inadvertently falls in love during the process.
Why you need to see it: Pillow Talk was a risqué project for the squeaky clean Doris Day and Rock Hudson, but turned out to be the first of several successful films the pair made together. The clever innuendos peppered throughout the Oscar-winning script were, in fact, scandalous by 1950s film standards; it was testament to the large screenwriting team that they got past the censor board with the hilarity still intact. Compare it to Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, and you can acutely appreciate how much progress was made in just one decade. Watching it with a modern eye is a bit like watching classic anti-drug films like Reefer Madness.
Watch it if you like: 40 days and 40 Nights, Two Weeks Notice, Never Been Kissed, 10 Things I Hate About You
Where to watch: Streaming now for free on Hoopla Digital, or rent or boy it at FandangoNOW, Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, and Vudu.
(Photo by Courtesy of Columbia Pictures)
What is it? A playboy hairdresser (Warren Beatty) enlists the husband of one of his rich female lovers/clients when he seeks a loan for his salon. A series of events then ensue that places the hairdresser at a party with his girlfriend, her husband, and several ex-lovers – including “the one that got away.”
Why you need to see it: The Owl and the Pussycat and Bob & Carole & Ted & Alice loosened the cap off cinematic sexual oppression, but after the success of X-rated films like Deep Throat and Midnight Cowboy, the initial “shock of sex” had lost its luster by the 1970s. In 1975, a fresh approach was needed to wow audiences, and Warren Beatty provided it with his satirical sex comedy Shampoo – though many at the time did not appreciate it. A sex comedy where nothing happens and *spoiler alert* no one falls in love? It is easy to understand why audiences and many contemporary critics dismissed the film. “The laughs are tempered by bleakness and the film ends up saddened by its characters’ awkwardness,” wrote Time Out London. However, on a second look, you can appreciate how George’s womanizing ways were a direct product of the 1960s’ free love movement, and the film offered a clever depiction of the 1970s hangover that much of America was suffering after all of that ’60s excess. Beatty’s script, which he co-wrote with Robert Towne, acutely understood the character of George and his sexual apathy.
Watch it if you like: American Pie, Three’s Company, Wedding Crashers, The Birdcage, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Don Jon, Trainwreck.
Where to watch: Stream now on The Criterion Channel, or rent or buy at FandangoNOW, Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, and Vudu.
What is it? No-nonsense news editor Walter Burns (Cary Grant) has only a few hours to prevent his star reporter – and ex-wife – Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) from quitting the paper to marry a simple-minded insurance salesman she met on vacation. After a convicted murderer escapes from jail, Burns is thrust into a race against time to stop Hildy – and secure the exclusive story.
Why you need to see it: If Capra’s It Happened One Night firmly established the fast-talking screwball comedy, His Girl Friday might have perfected it. It Happened One Night is a near-perfect romantic comedy, but director Howard Hawks took over-talking and quick dialogue to new heights with His Girl Friday, establishing a style that has been replicated everywhere from the Gilmore Girls to Glengarry Glen Ross. “You don’t know whether you have been laughing or having your ears boxed,” wrote New York Times film critic Frank S. Nugent at the time of its release.
Watch it if you like: Gilmore Girls, Obvious Child, Silver Linings Playbook, Raising Arizona, The Newsroom, Moonlighting
Where to watch: Streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Vudu, available to rent or buy from FandangoNOW, Google Play, and iTunes.
(Photo by Courtesy of Criterion Collection.)
What is it? An exotic dancer wants a child and her current lover is not willing – but his best friend might be tempted to fill in for him.
Why you need to see it: We could go on and on about how A Woman is a Woman is a clever rebuttal to the American musical comedy. We could talk about Jean-Luc Godard and his visionary camera work and shooting style. We could talk about French New Wave or French sex comedies. But the best reason to see the film is a woman, and that woman is the incomparable Anna Karina. Just gaze into her eyes and let her performance hypnotize you.
Watch it if you like: The Love Witch, Bridget Jones’ Diary, She’s the One, Cleo from 5 to 7, Easy A
Where to watch: Now streaming on the Starz app, or rent or buy from Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, and Vudu.
What is it? A conservative attorney (Robert Redford) rushes into marriage with a carefree woman (Jane Fonda). Realizing they are very different people, the young couple struggle to stay in love and avoid divorce.
Why you need to see it: It would be criminal not include a Neil Simon film on any list of great classic romantic comedies. Writer of The Goodbye Girl, The Heartbreak Kid, and Seems Like Old Times, Simon was a master of opposites-attract love stories. Jane Fonda plays the free-spirited Corie to seductive perfection, and Robert Redford manages to stifle all his natural charms to embody the stuffed shirt, Paul. It’s a love story where the question is never, “Will these two fall in love?” The only question in Barefoot in Park is, “Can they stay together?” The film was not universally loved upon release, but we tend to agree with Time Magazine, which wrote at the time: “Simon has taken a plot as bland as a potato, sliced it into thin bits – and made it as hard to resist as potato chips.”
Watch it if you like: Dharma & Greg, My Fair Lady, Shakespeare in Love, Pretty Woman, Moonstruck, The Way We Were
Where to watch: Now streaming on the Starz app, or rent or purchase on Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, iTunes, and Vudu.
Looking for more movies and shows to watch? Check out our new section, Binge Central.
This week on streaming video, we’ve got some popular television, a few contemporary favorites, a few iconic classics, and more. Read on for the full list:
The CW’s sci-fi drama follows a group of imprisoned teens who are returned to Earth from a space station, years after the planet has been devastated by nuclear war. The season three premiere is now streamable on Hulu.
Available now on: Hulu
AMC’s Certified Fresh spinoff from its popular series focuses on a dysfunctional family’s attempts to survive the early days of the zombie apocalypse. The season one pilot is available to watch on RT now, and the entire season is on Hulu.
Available now on: Hulu
Mulder and Scully are back! The new six-episode arc of The X-Files reunites the two former partners to investigate new conspiracies. The season ten premiere is online now and available to stream.
Available now on: Hulu
The Coen brothers’ Certified Fresh Best Picture winner — which inspired the acclaimed TV series of the same name — stars William H. Macy as a put-upon car salesman whose ill-advised plot to have his wife kidnapped goes woefully awry.
Available now on: Amazon Prime
Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and William Holden star in this Billy Wilder classic about a pair of brothers who compete for the affections for their chauffeur’s daughter.
Available now on: Amazon Prime
Will Smith stars in this drama about a young con man who inserts himself into the lives of an aging wealthy couple by posing as close friend of their children.
Available now on: Amazon Prime
Josh Radnor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead star in PBS’s period drama about a pair of Civil War nurses who must learn to put their loyalties aside when they’re forced to work together in a makeshift hospital during the war.
Available now on: Amazon Prime
This documentary explores the ethics of drone warfare from the perspectives of the pilots and those on the ground who have experienced the effects firsthand.
Available now on: Netflix
Set in an alternate universe’s post-apocalyptic 1997, this Certified Fresh throwback to cheesy 1980s action films follows a BMX-riding teen who teams up with an odd, abandoned young woman to take down a local crime lord.
Available now on: Netflix
Based on the Robert Rodriguez film of the same name, this supernatural El Rey Network action series follows a pair of fugitives who cross the border into Mexico and find themselves trapped in a strip club populated by vampires.
Available now on: Netflix
Akira Kurosawa’s influential masterpiece tells the story of a handful of rōnin samurai who are hired by a small town to protect them from pillaging bandits.
Available now on: Fandor
Henri-Georges Clouzot’s drama follows four men of varying nationalities who are stuck in Mexico and answer an oil company’s call for drivers to transport dangerous chemicals across a hazardous terrain.
Available now on: Fandor
Andrei Tarkovsky’s sci-fi drama centers on a psychologist who is sent to a remote space station to investigate a mysterious death and the deteriorating mental states of the remaining crew, only to discover something more ominous.
Available now on: Fandor
Ingmar Bergman’s dark, moralistic drama centers on a group of thugs who rape a young woman in the woods, then continue on their way and unknowingly arrive at her home, where they face the wrath of her father.
Available now on: Fandor
Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain star in Guillermo Del Toro’s visually impressive gothic supernatural drama about an aspiring American writer who is whisked away by a dashing baronet to a creaky old English mansion, where specters begin to appear to her.
Jennifer Lawrence’s latest collabo with director David O. Russell has the 25-year old actress starring as Joy Mangano, a single mother and entrepreneur who invents the Miracle Mop. The movie is aptly called Joy and (see if you can follow us on this one) inspires this week’s 24 Frames gallery: all the single female titles that we think you might enjoy watching.
Lily Collins was born into fame — her dad, Phil, could bang a drum and write a hit tune or two — but she found her own way into an acting career, performing in stage productions as a kid before working as a teenage Hollywood reporter and scoring small roles in movies like The Blind Side. This week she steps into the limelight as the star of Mirror Mirror, director Tarsem’s visually energetic remix of the Snow White fairytale — the first, and likely funniest, of this year’s adaptations of the classic story. As the fairest of them all, Collins dazzles in the late, great Eiko Ishioka’s exquisite costumes, while getting to put Julia Roberts’ evil queen in her place and sharing her first kiss with Prince Winkelvoss, er, Charming, played with a degree of good sportsmanship by Armie Hammer.
We sat down with the English-born Collins recently in her adopted home of Los Angeles, where she talked about the movie, working with Tarsem and her thoughts on Kristen Stewart’s not-really-a-rival take on Snow. First up, she talked us through her five favorite films.
Love Actually (Richard Curtis, 2003; 63% Tomatometer)
These are so raw — this is who I am, these movies. [Laughs] They’re very girly. In no particular order… Love Actually. Most of these movies have British accents in them, because, being from England, there’s something about films that I watch that have a British accent that I just feel so at home with. That film I can watch any day and it makes me smile; and I love Christmas, so it kind of matches perfectly.
Pride and Prejudice. I love sweeping British drama period pieces and I hope that one day I can do one just like that, because, to me, I love old English literature. And I’m a big Keira Knightley fan. It’s just so beautiful aesthetically and in terms of story.
Harry Potter. All of them. [Laughs]
That’s cheating. Do you have a particular favorite?
Is it cheating? [Laughs] It’s hard to pick. I wouldn’t necessarily know which. I mean, I love the Goblet of Fire. I don’t know. Maybe the Goblet of Fire. I read those books so quickly when I was a kid, because that whole world was so, like… it took me out of my reality. And I just love magic and I loved that whole world, the creatures, and just how you felt so friendly with all the characters. The way they translated that into movies, I thought was genius. You know when they take a book, and they make it a movie, and you hope that it’s gonna be everything that you hope for and more? To me they just succeeded. I don’t know, I just love them so much. Every time I’m sick I’ll watch a marathon of them and I can repeat all the words.
Hopefully you’re sick for a while… I mean, so you can watch them all.
[Laughs] I know, they’re so long. I just had laryngitis, so…
Breakfast Club. I was actually having trouble because I would say Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles and Breakfast Club, but that would be three. Of all three, Breakfast Club is my favorite. But those John Hughes films, with Molly Ringwald and the Brat Pack, those are my favorite grouped films. They’re just so… they’re timeless. I feel like, even when you’re watching them now, they’re so modern, and the characters are so real. They’re just so appealing to me. I watched them with my mom when I was really young. I always would watch things with my mom that maybe other moms wouldn’t allow their kids to watch. I associated with them right away. I just really, really love John Hughes.
Who’s your favorite character in the movie?
I love Molly Ringwald. But I also love the basket case, Ally Sheedy — you know, with the pixie sticks and the crunching of the sandwich. She’s so fantastic.
Sabrina, with Audrey Hepburn. I actually spent my New Year’s this year watching Sabrina, and as it turned midnight I paused it and it was just her face on screen, smiling. I was like, “What a cool way to start the New Year.” She is just someone I’ve always admired. She says so much without saying anything at all. And back then they didn’t do such fast cuts in films; they stayed on a character’s face long enough for them to go from one emotion to another, and for the audience to really feel the emotion with each character — and she in that movie just goes from so many endearing moments to moments of sadness and laughter. It’s just such a classic, and I love black and white. So, that’s my list!
Next, Collins on playing Snow White in Mirror Mirror, what she thinks of Kristen Stewart’s take, and her favorite song by her dad.
I noticed you’re nostalgic for a kind of idealized English home, but you moved here when you were quite young, right?
Lily Collins: Yeah, I moved here when I was about six.
So you went back and forth between LA and England?
I did. I used to go for every summer, for like two-and-a-half to three months. The last two summers I haven’t been able to because I’ve been working — no complaining — but I haven’t been able to go in the summer. But I’ve been going at Christmas time. And I can put the accent on. I auditioned for this film, Mirror Mirror, with an English accent, but they went in a different directions. I mean, I did it in both accents. I can turn it on really quickly. There’s something at times that feels more just, natural when I have a British accent. It just feels very me.
Your mom is American?
Yeah, my mom is here and my dad, obviously, is English. I pick up things when I go back, and I still say things like “the car boot,” or “the loo,” or “the bin.” It’s just so beautiful over there. It’s something, like — ’cause I go out in the countryside, so it’s not the hustle and bustle of London. And LA compared to the countryside, I just relax right away. I just love going out in the garden and walking and reading and not answering my phone; just being and talking to people. You know, it’s like all these revolutionary ideas that you just don’t do in the big city. It’s a slower pace way of life. I love it. [Pauses to look out over the Santa Monica beach] I say that as we’re here with the lovely ocean — you don’t get that out in London. [Laughs]
Let’s talk about Mirror Mirror. Were you worried at all about playing an icon like Snow White?
I was more excited, I think, than anything. I was one of those little girls that created their own fairy tales in their head, growing up, and I know that every young girl has their own version of what a fairy tale princess is and should be. So I wasn’t really worried about making sure that I felt like I was everyone’s version of a Snow White — I just wanted to be a young girl that people, you know, that young girls as well as adult women could relate to. I felt like everyone has a little bit of Snow in them. So I wanted to be someone that people thought, “She could be a friend of mine.” Not a caricature of a fairy tale princess, because the [Disney] cartoon does enough justice. The cartoon is the cartoon, and the animation does what it does; it serves its purpose and it’s amazing. You don’t wanna just take that and make it a real-live person. You wanna take something different about it and modernize it and make it more real. My concern is that I wanted to make sure that she was a real girl.
You’ve worked with Sandra Bullock and now Julia Roberts — two of “America’s sweethearts” — and yet, in this movie, Julia is so awful to you.
She was horrible!
I trust she was more civil between takes.
Oh, she’s so cool. The second they yelled “cut” she’s all apologizing, and so sweet.
Is it true that she ripped some of your hair out?
Yes! In one of the scenes, because my shoe got caught in my dress, and I wasn’t as close to her as I was in the rehearsal. But we didn’t stop shooting, because my dress was so big and no one knew, and I wasn’t about to stop the scene. She leans over to do the hair pull, and had to pull me a bit further and harder, and so she pulled my hair out. I was like, “Okay, I’m not gonna react because they’ll probably use this,” and they ended up using that take in the movie, where she ripped it. They yelled “cut” and she goes “I’m so sorry!” So she totally was cool, when we weren’t filming. Even when we were filming, I was having so many moments in my head where I’m looking at her being mean to me and I’m beaming inside and so excited, but I’m not supposed to be smiling — so it taught me a lot about how to mute out everything else you’re thinking but what’s in the scene. If I was showing what I was feeling, Snow White would have been smiling from the get-go.
And yet she’s smiling at you, even while she’s spitting out the nastiest remarks.
I know, right? It’s like in high school when someone’s saying, “Oh I just love your sweater, it’s so cute…”
And they’re really thinking, “I’m gonna kill you…”
Exactly. It’s scary. You don’t know if you love her or hate her.
Have you talked to Kristen Stewart about her Snow White, and is there any competition between you two?
It’s funny, we’ve actually laughed about the fact that we’re apparently rivals — because we’re so not.
So you’re friends?
Yeah. She’s so cool, and I’m very excited for the other film. It could not be more different. They’re polar opposites. I think the advertising campaigns prove to everyone how different they are: everything from the tone to the rating to the costumes; everything. She and I, we’re very, very different characters and we just have laughed about it. I’m happy for her, she’s happy for me. I think there’s definitely room for both.
Tell me about working with Tarsem. He seems pretty out there, in a good way.
[Laughs] He’s so cool. He’s lovely. He’s definitely got an interesting sense of humor: you either understand it or you don’t. I totally get it, but things can be taken out of context. But he is — visually, he’s a visionary genius. He’s so… he’s a wizard when it comes to the aesthetic of a film. And also, when it comes to actors, he is all about, “Do you feel comfortable, do you feel confident? How are you feeling? What do you think? Let’s collaborate.” It’s so nice to work with somebody that truly has your best interests at heart and wants you to forget about all the nonsense or politics and just really focus in on your moment: “This is now, here — how do you feel, and let’s work on this together.” It was a really nice environment to be in when you’re taking on this kind of a role; when you’re fighting and you’re hot and you’re tired but you have a director who really believes in you. And from day one he really believed in me, and he never made me feel any different.
I’m compelled to ask this, because I’m an idiot: Does your dad sing “Lily, don’t you lose my number” to you?
[Laughs] Well he used to sing to me all the time.
Do you have a favorite song?
A favorite of my dad’s songs? It’s funny because everyone will probably go, “Really? Not one of the classics?” But I think, because of the sentimentality of it, the song from Tarzan: “You’ll Be In My Heart.” I was there throughout that entire process of creating Tarzan and the songs and everything. I was there for the process of each song, and the animation. Part of that song was written as a lullaby to me, so it’s such a personal song. I just see him as dad. Obviously I know everything he’s accomplished, but when I think of his songs I think of what touches me the most — and that song for sure is one of them.
Mirror Mirror opens in theaters this week.
Dakota Fanning is carving out quite the career for herself. She’ll follow up the controversial Sundance flick "Hounddog" (you know, the "Dakota Fanning Rape Movie") by playing one half of a real-life duo of disabled girls; younger sister Elle will also star.
The eleven-year-old Fanning (who turns a mature 12 this month) made headlines last month by playing an Elvis-loving rape victim in Deborah Kampmeier‘s "Hounddog," though critics mostly agreed that the scene in question wasn’t all that scandalous. Conservatives didn’t care, calling for a block of the movie and the arrest of the adults involved. Even state officials threw their opinions into the mix.
Fanning, making right wingers uncomfortable in "Hounddog"
Now Fanning is planning another controversial role with "Hurricane Mary," the true story about a mother’s fight to give her disabled twins a public school education. Fanning will star alongside Patricia Clarkson, Chris Cooper, William H. Macy, and Laura San Giacomo in the pic, while her look-alike eight-year-old sister Elle ("Babel") will play her twin sister.
Set to direct is Tony award-winning director Arvin Brown, who also has an extensive career in television ("Picket Fences," "Ally McBeal," "The Closer"). The script is written by actress Marianne Leone, who is married to Chris Cooper.
Production on the film (listed in IMDB under the title "Conquistadora") begins in New York in September; the 2008 film seems likely to debut on the festival circuit once completed.
The screen vet in lighter, more family-friendly fare…
The ever-busy elder Fanning’s also got a few more juicy roles on her plate (whoever manages this girl is a project-picking genius), including the title role in Henry Selick‘s ("The Nightmare Before Christmas") "Coraline," from the Neil Gaiman book, and the still-in-development book adaptation "The Secret Life of Bees." Oh, and come Oscar time, she’ll be busy — she is the youngest member of the Academy (unless voters this month go for the two-years-younger Abigail Breslin).
Veteran screenwriter / producer Ernest Lehman passed away on July 2nd after a lengthy illness. Mr. Lehman was nominated for a half-dozen Oscars over the course of his illustrious career, but the only one he ever brought home was a 2001 Honorary Oscar "in appreciation of a body of varied and enduring work."
Probably best known for his screenplays "North By Northwest," "Sabrina," "The Sound of Music," and "West Side Story," Mr. Lehman’s 30-year career also yielded films like "Hello, Dolly!," "Sweet Smell of Success," "Black Sunday," and "Portnoy’s Complaint" (a film which marked his only trip to the director’s chair.)
Writer’s Guild President Daniel Petrie Jr. said of Ernest Lehman: "A creative giant among writers and within the industry, Ernest possessed one of the most distinctive voices of the last half-century."
Mr. Lehman is survived by three sons and two grandchildren. He was 89 years old.
