film producer Ian EbrightAn excellent directorial debut, the way we speakStar Patrick Fabian As writer Simon and his cancer-stricken wife (Diana Coconoub), went to a meeting to debate an old friend. But when the friend suffered a heart attack, the organizers replaced Sarah with him, (Kelly Rhodes), best-selling Christian author. Fabian starred in ” Better call Saul, Bringing his wealth of expertise to the project, Rhodes and Coco Nubo deliver stellar performances in their first major film roles.
In this interview, the cast and director talk about the film and their experience working with Albright. They involve intense debate scenes, actor preparation, and the organic development of characters. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Ian, this is your first work. How did this happen?
Ian Ebright: I mean, I have to say, it’s a lot of noteworthy firsts, so thank you for recognizing me. This was also our DP AJ Marson’s first DP. We had an experienced guy that we were lucky enough to have on board, Patrick, and then on the opposite end of the spectrum, this was Kelly’s first major movie role, and Diana had certainly done something, but Diana, am I right, This is also your first collaboration – starring in a feature?
Diana Coconoub: Yes, correct. Yes.
Did you take this within 18 days?
Ian Ebright: Yes, the official three days is too short. I mean, it’s stupid. There’s never enough money for an independent film, so you feel the budget, but having these actors and the rapport we had as a team not only saved the film in terms of capturing something effective and great, but it helped us make a good living because we There isn’t the time we need.
Even though I consider myself writing about recurring locations, we still have a dozen or so, so we’re pretty much spread across the city. So, we move quickly.
Patrick, I assume you’re used to shooting things quickly after doing a lot of TV, but do you have any rehearsal time?
Patrick Fabian: Rehearsal itself is not like you think, “Oh, we’re going to take five days off and do theater games together.” No. They were playing a game like this, with a movie like this, with this writing, this speed and this budget, which is very important because they came in with their homework, right? When you do that, you can play, and as you play, you’ll suddenly discover something, the script may not look like it has. Then Ian can say, “I like this, but that’s what’s percolating, let’s push it down, let’s do this and do that.” That’s the exciting part of it.
The least exciting part was poor UPM, saying over Ian’s shoulder: “It’s great that you’re creating magic in the cup, but we have to finish before midnight.” That’s the challenge.
But the fun part is doing it, and I think all of us, and I’ll speak for all of us, I think, yeah, we’re tired and the days go by long and fast, but when that happens, when the juice is Flow, that’s what you signed up for.
I want to ask about those debate scenes. They’re an integral part of the movie’s story, but I’ve seen scenes like this before where you’re like, “Okay, let’s get on with the story.” But here, I really enjoyed the back-and-forth between you and Kelly . How did you find the right tone for these scenes?
Kelly Rhodes: The gold medal went to editing. We said there, and I was like, “This is like a lot, this is a lot.” And then the editing was, like, back and forth, to the beat of your heart. Your heart beats faster because the editing changes and it’s really beautifully done.
I had the privilege of seeing it in the theater for the first time, and I was completely mesmerized by those scenes, and I agree with you, I was like, “I’m not sure how that’s going to play,” and it was powerful. marvelous.
Diana, you’re in that final scene, when you’re telling him off. I expected you to fly into a rage, but you were so calm and measured, which made your anger all the more powerful. How did you decide to keep it that way rather than ruin the scenery?
Diana Coconoub: I think it was probably Ian’s help and figuring out where Claire was really coming from, her thought process, and what she was willing to fight for, and maybe just understanding what she wasn’t willing to fight for. Personally, I would have probably been more aggressive, but I guess, at the time, it felt right.
I think modeling each other, really listening… As actors, we’re always taught to really listen, just listen. What do you get? What do you hear? what are they doing? How do you feel? I’m actually going through this right now. I could probably lie and say, “Oh, it’s all very planned and strategic,” and of course I’ve done the work, but the choices kind of happened organically.
Patrick, same issue as Diane, but when you argue with Kelly and say those horrible things to her, you might as well just yell and go bankrupt. But according to you, it had a deeper, more horrific impact.
Patrick Fabian: Well, I think that’s a revelation about his power. He felt like he could release it without actually having any consequences. There was no need for him to shout. Moreover, he was simply stating a fact. “Don’t you all get it? I mean, I know this might offend some people, but obviously, right?” I think he still had the mentality of, “No, no, after saying that people Will stand by me.” I think that was a bit of a shock to him. This is decoration above all else.
And then there’s the post scene about this, “I’m not interested in apologizing, I can’t even say the word other than perfunctory. You know what I’m saying, just because I have to in order to move on and get what I want Stuff. I still have my eye on the prize. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing, so I don’t have to scream because it’s just a fact,” and I think that’s what Simon has built into this kind of thing. It’s devastating.
Same respect, back to Diana and me, she conveyed this to me, it was terrible. This sucks because it’s just there as an immutable fact. What he does with it is what he does with it, but being on the receiving end of it is scary.
Ian, this is a dialogue-heavy movie. Are you someone who stands by these words?
Ian Ebright: No. For me, that’s the equivalent of 50-60 drafts. So, there was a point where I was too close to it. and i am not David Mamet. I adore David Mamet. I like Aaron Sorkin. But I don’t know. The real fun for me is…the editing, the music, and the biggest thing I enjoy most is working with the actors. So, if I came in, I would stiffly say, “This is gospel, I came down from the mountain. Here are two tablets, just ingest, people…” I mean, this was my first minister film, I have Patrick Fabian.
If I didn’t invite them in, there would obviously be something missing, and in my limited experience, I felt like the actors were really genuine… You get to know the characters better very quickly than I do, and that’s the best kind of humility. cake. I’ve been working on this stupid thing for three years and they come in and just see these things that are obvious to them.
It’s exciting because I feel like I’m not on my feet yet, but you know it’s improving instantly. When you’re with someone you trust… We found that to be true because the four of us were talking all the time and I think personality and taste became the elephant in the room in a good way. This is a strange analogy. But it’s like, there’s no such thing as territory. I guess I might lie to you and answer your question differently if I felt like I had to really go to war with some people, but with these people I always feel like we’re serving the same thing and we’re everything It all points in the right direction, which speaks to ability, character, and taste, as well as some weird shorthand, even though you’re basically strangers.
Patrick, how did you come up with this role?
Patrick Fabian: Well, Ian has seen some of my other work. he is Better call Saulwhich I’ve watched for several seasons now.
I’ve heard about that show.
Patrick Fabian: I think he told me that when he saw Howard in a scene or two, he was like, “Oh my gosh, that could be Simon.” He gave me the script and I read it and I thought, ” Oh, I’m interested in that.” We got on the phone and hit it off, “Let’s go.”
It’s that old adage: work begets work. That’s why I almost never turn down any audition that you say “yes” to because you show up, because you don’t know who you’re going to meet, or who you’re going to meet and where that’s going to lead. I wouldn’t have had the experience of filming “The Way We Talk.” If I hadn’t said “yes” to the audition and gotten a job, I wouldn’t have had the experience of making Ian’s first film, working with Kelly and Diana.
These are those crooked lines that all actors have to say, “Okay, how did this happen overnight?” But it doesn’t. It happens with all these wonderful serendipities. Now, the good news is, this project connects us all. It keeps us moving forward together through the embers, and I love that.
