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Jackie

The Power of Forgiveness: 1on1 with Mickey Liddell

January 19, 2018 by Steve Norton

https://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1on1-with-Mickey-Liddell-producer-FOREVER-MY-GIRL.mp3

 

Produced by Mickey Liddell (Risen, Zookeeper?s Wife), Forever My Girl tells the story of Liam Page (Alex Roe), a superstar country singer who can?t shake the hurts of his past. When the death of a high school friend brings him back to his home town, he encounters Josie (Jessica Rothe), his ex-fiance for the first time since he left her at the altar. Though she isn?t interested in reconnecting with Liam, Josie does tell him that he has a daughter, Billie (Abby Ryder Fortson), from their previous relationship. As a result, Liam decides to stay longer in his home town to get to know his child and, potentially, rediscover himself as well.

Having produced a number of intense films over the years, ranging from the Oscar-nominated Jackie to the dark comedy, Killer Joe, Liddell and his team felt that the time was right to release a film that was lighter in tone.

?We found the book, turned it into a script and were excited about it,? he recalls. ?But, I think it?s one of those [moments where] we had told several true-life, dark, hard stories from Risen to Jackie to Zookeeper?s Wife to Megan?Leavey?and I think the entire company? were ready to do something light and fun. We?d been working on it for a while and we?d just come back from Europe. We all said ?Let?s just make something small-town that?s fun and has romance and comedy.? It kind of came out that place and it kind of shows. It?s a fun ride for everybody.?

In light of this, when asked what draws him to a script, Liddell simply states that much of his interest lies in his own life at that particular time.

?I can look back at films we did 10-15 years ago and I can tell you why I made that movie at that time,? he begins. ?I can look back at 2011 and The Grey and say ?that?s a movie about survival and loss? and I had stuff like that in my life. So, I knew that was a story I wanted to tell. I can do that and have some perspective now. It?s harder when you?re right in the middle of it to say ?why are we choosing this?? But, I think we chose this film for the idea of forgiveness. I don?t know if we knew at the time how much forgiveness we?re going to need at this time in our history. We must?ve at some level known that we wanted to release a film at this time of the year about everyone coming together. There?s a family and community. They?re loving and supporting you and there?s forgiveness. It was something that we probably needed as much as audiences need it now.?

With this in mind, Liddell further details that the theme of forgiveness also presents itself to various degrees within the film as well. For example, he believes that, in Forever My Girl, each character is in a different emotional place based on how effectively they can grapple with a variety of traumas from their past.

?I think we have a lot of great examples [of forgiveness] in the movie,? he explains. ?We talked about this more than anything is where people are in the movie on the scale of being able to forgive things that have happened in their lives, whether or not they?ve had it done to them by somebody else, a loss has happened or whether they could forgive themselves. I think one of the best characters?and she?s so likeable?is Josie. Josie was left at the alter and has a lot of loss in her life. She decided that, instead of being mad and holding on to everything (which, you know, was well deserved). She said, I have a child to raise? how great Billie is, how happy she is and how happy Josie is [with] the life she?s created. She?s so wonderful to Liam and everyone around her. That?s what forgiveness looks like.?

?Now, Liam had a lot of loss and he didn?t forgive himself for all the things he?s done and his father had not forgiven his son. So,

there?s a lot of people in there that hadn?t. But I loved the idea that, when you?ve got a job in hand, like the important part of raising a daughter is to be there and not to be someone who?s angry and holding onto the past. I love to see that in a character. I think that shows she?s really strong in who she is.?

Interestingly, many of Liddell?s films have included conversations around faith (or faith-related issues, such as forgiveness) yet have remained outside the bubble of the ?faith-based? film market. When asked if he believes there?s a division between the two worlds, Liddell argues that the difference is not one of content but of quality.

?For me, there?s really not a distinction?,? he contests. ?I think great stories were told in the 50s and 60s, like The Ten Commandments and Ben Hur? I grew up on watching certain movies that were just great movies. I think something happened in the 70s and 80s where it just became uncool to tell ?faith-based? movies, whether it?s actors, directors or whatever. When they came back around, the quality wasn?t that good? I think now, it?s come around again to the point where it?s like ?let?s just make a great movie?. If it has faith-based elements, that?s incredible! But we?re trying to change things to the point where people just want to make a great movie. We?re starting to see that… You?re seeing these young and up-and-coming actors who want to be a part of it because they?re just great stories to tell. Faith is a part of every movie.?

Given the film?s setting in the world of country music, casting was essential, especially for the role of superstar Liam Page, whose character requires a certain level of authenticity to be believable. When asked how they found their Liam Page, Liddell says that they were drawn to Roe as soon as they met him, even if he managed to fool them in the process.

?When we were making the film, we [said] we?d make it if we could find the right guy,? he muses. ?Literally, I remember [thinking] that we?re not going to make this film because he?s not out there. He?s gotta have a southern accent, he?s gotta be able to sing, he?s gotta be charming, he?s gotta be a leading man, play the guitar, have that charisma? that sort of thing happens once every ten years. You can?t find that. Then, Alex came in and he had the accent down?at the time, I didn?t know he couldn?t play guitar and had never sang in front of people?but he just sort of played around with the guitar and sang a little bit of a song and I said ?Who is this?? We really thought it was a country star from Nashville who could act. He?s the real deal. [It] turns out he was British and never sang before, couldn?t play guitar and, when we hired him, we found all that out. He worked really hard, played in different clubs around town in Nashville and sang in front of people to get more comfortable. So, by the time, we were shooting it, he felt like he?d been on stage for a long time.?

Of course, one would expect that, in a film focused on the country music industry, the music itself would play a key role. In Forever My Girl, however, the music becomes almost a character unto itself. According to Liddell, it was always their hope that music would help bring Liam Page to life by providing insight into the deepest emotions and feelings of a character who has trouble expressing himself otherwise.

?I think that this movie, because the main character isn?t really in touch with his emotions and he can?t really communicate that to his fianc? or his father, we really use music as a way for us to tell you where he was and we were tracking him emotionally,? he clarifies. ?The songs are playing exactly where they?re supposed to be and they were written for that point in the movie. We?re sort of tracking where he was. You feel it. When he?s travelling around the world and he?s feeling lost, you feel it. When he?s out of control at the beginning, you feel it. Music was so important for his character and for us to get into his interior life.?

Though he knows that Forever My Girl is primarily a light, fun romance, Liddell also hopes that families sense a calling to a deeper sense of community from the film as well.

Says Liddell, ?I love the idea of communities and families coming together in a way. They all help raise Billie. They all came together in a way that we don?t get to see on film a lot. Families struggle all the time? This is a great movie that for all ages 8-80 and everyone will get the same themes of forgiving each other more or coming together as a community more. That?s a lofty thing to get from this but I would love that if people would get that. But, if they don?t, I hope they have fun because it?s a really fun movie.?

 

Forever My Girl is in theatres now.

January 19, 2018 by Steve Norton Filed Under: Film, Interviews, Podcast Tagged With: Abby Ryder Fortson, Alex Roe, CMAs, country music, faith-based films, Forever My Girl, Jackie, Jessica Rothe, Megan Leavey, Mickey Liddell, Nashville, Risen, The Grey, The Zookeeper's Wife

Yes, One Last Top Ten List

February 26, 2017 by Steve Norton

Yes, tonight is Oscar night

Yes, it’s the end of February.

Still, I wanted to wait until I’d seen enough of last year’s films to truly give a proper ‘Top Ten’ list… and that takes time. ?While there were many films that could have been on here, I felt that these were my picks as the ten most engaging film experiences I had in 2016. ?Do you agree? ?What would be on yours?

10) Doctor Strange – I admit it. ?Over the last two years, I’ve grown tired of Marvel’s overall repetitiveness. ?While they often?create interesting characters, they often lack in bringing anything particularly new. ?Doctor Strange was the exception to the rule. ?By introducing magic into the MCU, director Scott Derrickson also introduced a heart of spirituality that has often been lacking from the franchise. ?It would take a lot for me to enter a Marvel film into my Top 10 but I couldn’t deny this pleasant surprise from an appearance.

9) Sing Street – This little rock n’ roll film film from the director of Once is pure joy. ?The film moves along at a solid pace and the characters fit well with the world in which they exist. ?Despite their youth, they struggle with the effects of poverty and tensions within 1980s Ireland but they find hope as the come together in their music. ?Also, it’s a ton of fun. ?And ‘Drive It Like You Stole It’ will stick in your head all day.

8) Kubo and the Two Strings – While this likely won’t win?Best Animated Feature tonight, it really should. ?This surprise is all about the power of our stories and how they drive us. ?The animation is simply beautiful–given to look like paper themselves, re-emphasizing the story motif–and the film is simply amazing. ?See it.

7) Birth of a Nation?- Yes, it has it’s issue. ?Yes, it’s controversial… but there’s a lot of good in this?Braveheart-style film (which was, incidentally, ‘mentored’ by an uncredited Gibson. ?Much of the backlash towards the film was related to writer/director Nate Parker but the film itself is focused and has much to say. ?The story of Nat Turner is one that Parker wants you to experience and feel, and personally, I felt he accomplished this. ?In addition, the film has lots to talk about who owns the Scripture, which I found very interesting.

6) Silence?- This film breaks my heart–not because of the torture scenes of Christians but actually due to the lack of support it received from the Evangelical community. ?Seen as one of the biggest bombs of Scorcese’s career, it really is only because people didn’t show up. ?The quality of the film is superb and provides a riveting challenge to faith while also demonstrating the value of it. ?Frankly, the church missed out on an amazing opportunity. ?This film was brilliant.

5) Jackie – To me, this was undoubtedly one of the best scripts of the year. ?Following Jackie Onassis on the week after JFK’s assassination, this character study was a fascinating exploration of the relationship between fame and politics. ?Portman’s performance is, in my mind, the best lead actress of the year (though she likely won’t win the Oscar). ?She plays Jackie O with ferocity and fragility and it’s truly something to see.

4) Hail, Caesar! – Clooney arguing the Communist dialectic. ?Channing Tatum tap dancing on a table. ?”Would that it t’were so simple?” ?This Coen brother’s comedy is hilarious in its absurdity but also an interesting look at Hollywood’s connection with faith-based culture. ?I laughed. ?A lot. ?And it earned them. ?Definitely one of my favourites of the year.

3) Arrival – I love thoughtful sci-fi… and Denis Villeneuve… but this film earns the position based on it’s own merits as well. ?While not truly a ‘twist’ ending, the film’s finale does bring everything together in an engaging and thought-provoking matter. ?Plus, I found the exploration of language and suffering is moving. ?I’d say more but the less you know before you see, the better.

2)?La La Land – Yes, it’s good. ?I’ll admit it. ?I simply don’t get the emerging backlash against the film. ?It’s fun, the music is wonderful and the performances engaging. ?Chazelle proves yet again that his direction is something to be noticed and the set design is eye popping. ?More importantly though, the story does have something to say by talking about the tension between nostalgia and moving forward. ?Does it deserve 14 nominations? ?I struggle with that… but it’s a worth Best Picture film should it take gold tonight.

1) Moonlight – No other picture surprised me as much as this film did this year. ?Moving and powerful,?Moonlight explores sexuality and masculinity in an urban African-American setting that is rarely explored. ?The slow, panning camera let you feel each?moment as Little grows to Chiron and transforms to Black. ?In the end, this film simply gave me more to think about than any other film this year.

February 26, 2017 by Steve Norton Filed Under: Film, TIFF Tagged With: Academy Awards, Amy Adams, Arrival, Birth of a Nation, Caesar!, Dr. Strange, Hail, Jackie, kubo and the two strings, La La Land, Moonlight, Oscars, Silence

tiff16: JACKIE

September 19, 2016 by Steve Norton

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Focusing on the week?following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, JACKIE follows?on the life?of former First Lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis (Natalie Portman) as she is forced to simultaneously grapple with her husband’s death, the demands of her position and the eyes of the public. ?Framed around an interview with Jackie, the narrative form allows for an exploration of not only her character but also the public perception of her.

Directed by Pablo Lorrain, this film is?intent on examining?Jackie’s character from multiple angles. ?By making use of her famed?Emmy-winning tour of the White House on Christmas Eve in 1961, the film?provides an interesting contrast to her behaviour behind the scenes as well. ?Her image carefully crafted for her public persona, she also demonstrates an emotional courage and depth that most pundits had dismissed?due to her fame and beauty. ?Despite the temptation to divert attention to either the President or the drama surrounding his death, Lorrain wisely keeps the camera?on Portman, who owns absolutely every moment of the film. ?In what is easily her most gripping?performance to date, Portman makes a strong case for her second Best Actress award come Oscar time, portraying Jackie as both?vulnerable and ferocious.

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Thematically, the film wrestles with the challenges of constructing a legacy while?Jackie fights tirelessly to spin the narrative surrounding her late husband. ?This is best exemplified through her desire for his funeral to mimic that of Lincoln, as opposed to ‘lesser’ presidents. ?In doing so, Jackie?attempts to create a mystique around?Kennedy’s presidential legacy, directly?linking?his battle for civil rights with the abolition of slavery. ?In a world gripped by fear, Onassis wants the country to bear witness to the greatness of JFK’s leadership as opposed to remembering him for the Cuban missile crisis or his extramarital affairs. ?(Ironically, she also remarks that her desire to create this perfect image “was not for him but for [her] and, in that moment, [she] became a Kennedy”.)

Interestingly though, the film is also wants to explore Jackie’s?raw emotion and spiritual quest as well. ?Yes, she may be the First Lady but she is also a grieving widow and mother. ?In a fascinating side narrative, Jackie meets frequently with a priest?to discuss how God could let this happen. ?Caught in one of the most devastating moments in American history, Jackie recognizes the importance of her role at this time and desperately seeks spiritual guidance. ?(Incidentally, the fact that I saw this film on the 15th anniversary of 9/11 also added appropriateness to the film at this level.) ?Nevertheless, even the priest seems at a loss for words. ?”One of the hardest parts of anyone’s life is when they realize that there are no answers,” he claims. ?While I obviously disagree with the theology behind this statement, it does?accurately reflect the most common arguments for dealing with global tragedies.

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It’s this tension between harsh reality and proud image that gives JACKIE its most poignant moments. ?How does someone lead a public persona in a time when millions of people are suffering? ?By the end, the film refuses to submit to ‘easy answers’ and allows the viewer to recognize the tension between pain and glory and the burden of leadership that requires.

Even so, despite the tragedies to which we bear witness, JACKIE reminds us that all we really want is Camelot.

September 19, 2016 by Steve Norton Filed Under: Film, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Jackie, Jackie Onassis, JFK, LBJ, Lyndon Johnson, Natalie Portman, Oscars, Pablo Lorrain, TIFF, TIFF16

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