Friday, December 25, 2020
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Monday, November 23, 2020
The 'Happiest Season' cast talk to GLAAD
Back in February, GLAAD’s Raina Deerwater had the opportunity to visit the set of the LGBTQ-inclusive holiday romantic comedy Happiest Season (coming to Hulu on November 23) as it was filming in Pittsburgh, PA and talk with the cast and creatives involved in making the film.
Happiest Season follows Abby (Kristen Stewart) who is going to meet her girlfriend Harper’s (Mackenzie Davis) family for the first time over the holidays. However, right before they arrive, Harper reveals that she is not out to her family yet, and that her and Abby will have to hide their relationship through Christmas. The film was co-written by out filmmaker and actor Clea DuVall and comedian Mary Holland, and directed by DuVall. GLAAD also spoke with producer Isaac Klausner and stars Davis, Stewart, Holland, Alison Brie, Victor Garber, Burl Mosely and Mary Steenburgen.
GLAAD also spoke with the cast and crew on set and talk to them about how the film came to life, the experience of working on a queer romantic comedy, and the joy in this particular movie genre!
“I love Christmas movies and I love how they become a part of our lives,” DuVall told GLAAD while taking a break from shooting, “But I had never really seen myself represented in one before. I had this idea for a really long time and I wrote this outline that sat on my computer for years. And I wanted to start working on it, but with comedy it's always so much more fun to work with another person. I met Mary [Holland] on Veep and we really got along and I asked her, ‘do you want to try to work on this thing with me?’ And she said yes. It really came together even more and we fleshed it out and it turned into this.”
Holland, who plays Harper’s sister, Jane, in the film in addition to co-writing the screenplay, provided most of the comic relief in a tense scene that a group of journalists watched film over the course of the day.
“Clea had this idea in her head for many, many years,” Holland told us, “This has been something that she's been mulling over for a long time. We met working on Veep together. We hit it off right away, had a real chemistry together. So we went out to coffee and she described this idea and sent me a rough summary of what the idea was, what the movie would be about. And then we started meeting and talking about it and then just got into writing it. Clea knew from the beginning that she wanted to direct this. She came into it guiding this whole process. She has such an amazing understanding of story structure and character development. The foundation of this script was really in her head. The image I had in my head was, ‘I'm chucking spaghetti at the wall and Clea's deciding what stays on the wall and what doesn't.’”
“My way into this project has everything to do with Clea,” Isaac Klauser, a producer on the film told us, “I got to see her film, The Intervention, which I loved, and it inspired me to reach out and try to get to know her. She was kind enough to sit down [with me] and she mentioned to me that there was this script that she and Mary Holland were working on based on both her love of the holidays and particularly holiday films and her own experiences in the holidays that had never quite been reflected on film. I was lucky enough that she shared an early draft of the script with me and we started talking about it really connecting. I had a very similar love of the genre and for me, as a Jewish man, it's also not often my experience. And yet it's such a way that we think about the spirit of family, sense of community and place and kind of love. And there were so many things that our script was doing that I immediately so deeply related to this experience on so many levels, that I just fell in love with it.”
“I really think Christmas movies are so significant to people,” Holland continued, “They're really formative in a lot of ways for many of us growing up. Those are the movies that became these pillars for us. There was that atmosphere and energy of family and love and what Christmas is all about, what the holidays are all about, which is being with those you love and, and being grateful for who's in your life. And everyone deserves a holiday movie, everyone deserves a Christmas movie and something that celebrates and represents their experience. As a straight cisgender woman myself, I'm really cognizant of the fact that this is a story that needs to be told and has long been overdue in being told. I really feel so honored that Clea asked me to be a part of this process with her, because it's so important to me that all of these people are represented. I'm just very humbled and very grateful to be a part of it and be able to support this story that she's telling.”
“[It’s] really exciting, especially with queer content,” DuVall added, “because at least for me, it's not just watching movies where gay people are tortured by being gay and then they get killed or beaten up or whatever. You can just be like normal people. I'm just a normal person in my life. And I have romantic experiences and sad and happy and all kinds of the spectrum. I think LGBTQ stories are not, are not given the privilege of the spectrum of what the experience really is. And so I really wanted to do that with this movie and I'm happy that other filmmakers and other writers are [too], and other studios are supporting.”
The actors of the film were in agreement about the impact of a queer Christmas romantic comedy.
“It's so exciting,” Alison Brie, who plays Harper’s sister Sloane told us. “This movie to me feels like an amazing leap in the right direction of having mainstream film reflect what actual society is like in current culture, in our nation. So, I think to showcase a same-sex relationship in a mainstream holiday movie, and just kind of de-stigmatize it, if it even is still stigmatized for certain people. I certainly am guilty of being in the liberal bubble. So on first read, I'm just like, ‘Oh, it's so great. What a beautiful love story, so funny.’ And then I take a step back and realize the cultural implications and how important a film like this is. And I feel extreme pride.”
“When I went through and I read the script,” Burl Mosely, who plays the role of Sloane’s husband Eric in the film said, “It actually reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians and everything that that did for the Asian community, taking the rom-com and doing that. And we're sort of doing a similar thing. And as I was reading it, I was like, this is so groundbreaking, but it really shouldn't be, this should be the norm. I was surprised that we've gone this long without this. You know what I mean? It just felt so right and so normal and so awesome. So, I feel really honored to be a part of it.”
“Well, I did Philadelphia,” Mary Steenburgen, who plays Harper’s mom, Tipper, and has a decades-long career in film and television, “and I was the bad guy which was, at the time, very weird for me because my roommate and dear, dear friend died a couple of days before I went there. So, that whole experience was huge. And it was very moving to see what a difference it made to certain people - not so much the choir preaching to the choir - but people who called themselves conservative, who saw that film and felt like they understood their son better because Tom Hanks had this family that loved him and surrounded him. And I got that feedback from people and it was very moving. This is so different. This is a comedy, but often comedies are the things that make change and that put a mirror up there for us to see that families have love. And this is just, this is a family that really truly at the end of the day loves each other.”
“It’s nice that we've come to this place,” Victor Garber, the out actor who plays Harper’s father Ted, and also has an illustrious film career. “It’s nice to be not there anymore. I just did the reboot of Tales of the City, but also I'm doing a new series in Canada. It's a Canadian series with a transgender woman who plays my secretary and that's discussed right away in the very first scenes. It feels so natural. And yes, we've come a long way. We're nowhere near where we have to be, but we're certainly, we've made steps or taking steps.”
The leads only had a few moments to chat with us, but both of them sang the praises of the environment on set.
“When we first started this movie,” Mackenzie Davis told GLAAD, “We were like, I would be so jealous if somebody else was doing this with Kristen and Clea. It's not just because of the social or political import of it, it's really great, and the people making it are really great. Every day is so wonderful and full of laughter and joy. I've never had this much fun making a movie before, so, on a very personal level, it's really wonderful to be a part of positive, non-tragic depictions of queer love, but don't always have to be an incredible struggle to get through and end in tragedy. The struggle is part of the genre [but] it has nothing to do with the queerness, which I think is a relief.”
“It’s so nice to catch that sense of freedom and fun,” Kristen Stewart added. “It's super contagious. I think that the way to spread love is definitely just through giving it. We were saying something before about [how] it feels great to [work on] something sweet and something nice. And it's nice to come to work and feel like I can say anything. I'm not implying that I've had inhibited experiences because of the lack of queerness and other movies that I've done. But in this, we all feel so visible to each other and so understood and therefore allowed. It's so permissive and it feels great.”
“As a filmmaker,” DuVall continued, “It's very important to me to tell universal stories. I want to tell stories that connect with as many people as possible. As a storyteller, my goal is connecting with as many people as I possibly can and having a lot of different kinds of representation. It's really just wanting to feel like I was seeing me in a movie like this, which I had never seen before. And my experience is not unique. I'm not the only one going through it. There have to be a lot of other people who are also feeling underrepresented. The truth is I just wanted to write a movie that I always wanted to watch. So, that's what I did.”
Happiest Season will be available to stream on Hulu on Wednesday, November 25.
These interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Thursday, November 19, 2020
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Kristen at the 'Happiest Season' LA drive-in premiere - 17 November 2020
Monday, November 16, 2020
Kristen and the cast talk 'Happiest Season' with Pride
In February, just before the pandemic shutdowns, PRIDE visited the film set and had one question for the cast and crew of the groundbreaking film: Why does this feel so important?
Stars Mackenzie Davis and Kristen Stewart
MD: I think it's dope.
KS: I think it's sick.
MD: When we first started this movie, we were like, 'I would be so jealous if somebody else was doing this and we weren't the ones that go to do it.' It's not just because of the social and political impact of it, I think it's really great and the people are making it really great and every day is so full of laughter and joy, I've never had this much fun making a movie before. So yeah, on a very personal, not answering your question level, it's fucking sick. It's really wonderful to be a part of positive, non-tragic depictions of queer love that don't always have to be an incredible struggle to get through and end in tragedy. The struggle is a part of the genre, it has nothing to do with the queerness, which I think is a relief.
KS: It's so nice to sort of catch that sense of freedom and fun. It's super contagious. I think the way to spread love is just through giving it. There is an inherent indignance that is a healthy and amazing feeling to express, but it also feels great to gently lead someone sweetly to something nice. It's nice to come to work and feel like I can say anything. I'm not implying that I've had sort of inhibited experiences because of the lack of queerness in other movies that I've done, but in this, it just feels...we all feel so visible to each other and so understood and therefore allowed. It's so permissive and it feels so fucking great.
Stars Mary Steenburgen and Victor Garber
MS: I loved the idea that we've gone this far with holiday movies and we've never had a gay couple at the center. It felt very exciting to be a part, even the part I'm playing, which is someone who needs to grow a little bit and maybe does.
VG: That's the joy of playing these parents
MS: That's right. They got a ways to go.
VG: They learn something from it. And that's what I mean about the sweetness of it. I think it's a great holiday movie.
MS: I was the bad guy on Philadelphia. Which, at the time, was very weird for me because my roommate and dear dear friend died a couple of days before I went there of AIDS. So that whole experience was huge. And it was very moving to see what a difference it made to certain people. Not so much preaching to the choir, but people who called themselves conservative, who saw that film and felt like they understood their son better because Tom Hanks had this family that loved him and surrounded him. I got that feedback from people and it was very moving. This [film] is so different, this is a comedy. But often comedies are the things that make change and put a mirror up there for us to see that family that has love. This is a family that, really, truly at the end of the day, has love for each other.
VG: It's nice that we've come to this place.
Star Alison Brie
It's so exciting! This movie to me feels like an amazing leap in the right direction of having mainstream film reflect what actual society is like in our nation. Just to showcase a same-sex relationship in a mainstream holiday movie and just kinda destigmatize it, if it even is still stigmatized for certain people. I certainly am guilty of being in the liberal bubble so on first read I'm like, huh this is so great, what a beautiful love story, then take a step back and realize the cultural implications and how important this is and I feel extreme pride.
Right now, it's time to sort of redefine what classic films mean. Hopefully, this movie is one of those.
Writer and star Mary Holland
As a straight cisgender woman myself, I'm really cognizant of the fact that this is a story that needs to be told, is long overdue to be told. I really feel so honored that Clea asked me to be a part of this process with her because all these people are represented. I feel like I'm just very humbled and very grateful to be a part of this story that she's telling.
Star Burl Moseley
It feels like such an honor. When I went through and read the script, it actually reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians and everything that did for the Asian community, taking the rom-com, and we're sort of doing a similar thing. As I was reading it, I was like this is so groundbreaking but it really shouldn't be. This should be the norm. I'm surprised we've gone this long without this. It just felt so right and so normal and so awesome so I feel really honored to be a part of it.
Writer and director Clea DuVall
It's really cool. I don't really lead with being a woman, I don't lead with my sexuality, I lead with my humanity. That is what's being embraced by audiences, all different kinds of experiences are being valued in a way that they haven't before and I think that's really exciting, especially with queer content. For me, it's not just watching movies where gay people tortured for being gay and then they get killed and beaten up or whatever. They can just be normal people, I'm just a normal person in my life and I have romantic experiences and I'm sad and I'm happy. I think LGBTQ+ stories are not giving the privilege of the spectrum of what the experience really is and I really wanted to do that with this movie and I'm happy other filmmakers and writers and other studios are doing the same.
DuVall also reveals why this was a story she wanted to tell:
There is something very simple about it, the thing that gets away from you and you're like, 'Ugh, I didn't really think that through.' I've also been in a situation where you're just like pretending to be somebody's roommate. It's hard and you do it and it's so weirdly normal. I think anyone who's been in a same-sex relationship, especially when you're younger and when people are still struggling with coming out. And for me, being an actor and closeted and bringing "my friends" with me all the time and having to live in the ambiguity of what the relationship really was, it just felt like very relatable. I wanted to tell a story that was relatable. For people who have been in that exact situation or the families of people in that situation, I didn't want to make anybody the bad guy. There are definitely very hateful people out there but I think for most people, a lot of people and a lot of families, there's a lack of understanding and a lack of exposure. What's really important to me for this film was to not only the main characters to feel like their struggle was honest and real, but also the family's who aren't bad. There's no judgment. No one's being judged in this film. And I think that's really important. I'm not trying to be like, 'her parents are bad because of XYZ.' There's a lot of fear around that. It can be a very scary thing and you don't know what's going to happen. I think that can be very scary for all of us, the families, the people who are afraid to come out.
Monday, July 27, 2020
Alison Brie talks 'Happiest Season' and mentions Kristen
What can you say about Clea DuVall's Happiest Season, which I'm really looking forward to seeing someday?
(Laughs.) Well, I haven't heard much about Happiest Season, although I feel like it might be on track to still be released this year? I say that with a giant question mark, but what a fun movie. Oh, it was just a blast to shoot, and it has an incredible cast. Mackenzie Davis and Kristen Stewart lead the way. It's like a totally joyful holiday rom-com. And it's about Mackenzie Davis' character bringing her girlfriend, Kristen Stewart's character, home for the holidays, and her family doesn't yet know that she's gay. And it's a holiday rom-com, but it's also a family comedy, holiday movie. It's got a bunch of delicious characters and again, an amazing cast: Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber, Dan Levy, Aubrey Plaza and Mary Holland, who co-wrote the movie with Clea DuVall. Clea is an incredible director, and we really had such a fun time with everybody on set. It was such a joyful experience, and it was really fun for me coming out of shooting The Rental and Horse Girl, which were very dramatic thrillers. It was nice to have that release.
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Monday, February 24, 2020
Friday, January 31, 2020
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Mary Steenburgen, Dan Levy, Alison Brie, Audrey Plaza and Victor Garber and more join the cast of 'Happiest Season"
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| Pic: ET Canada |
As Clea DuVall's Happiest Season — the gay rom-com starring Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis — heads into production in Pittsburgh, the movie has rounded out its supporting cast.
Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber and Schitt's Creek creator and star Dan Levy are joining the TriStar and Entertainment One project, along with GLOW star Alison Brie and Aubrey Plaza.
Happiest Season follows a woman (Stewart) whose plan to propose to her girlfriend (Davis) while at her family’s annual holiday party is upended when she discovers her partner hasn’t yet come out to her conservative parents (Steenburgen and Garber).
Actress-turned-director DuVall will be making her studio directing debut on the feature, which she co-wrote with Mary Holland.
Holland will also appear in the movie, along with Ana Gasteyer (The Goldbergs), Burl Moseley (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Sarayu Blue (Blockers) and Jake McDorman (What We Do in the Shadows).
The project will be produced by Temple Hill's Marty Bowen and Isaac Klausner. Jonathan McCoy and Wyck Godfrey will executive produce.
TriStar will release the film worldwide, with the exception of the United Kingdom and Canada, which will be handled by eOne.
The movie will hit theaters Nov. 20.
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