Director Richard Lagravanese Talks 'A Family Affair'

Gayety

The director sat down to chat with Gayety about the new romantic comedy, 'A Family Affair'

Transcript

00:00It's wonderful to see you. Yes, pride. Happy Pride Month. Thank you. Thank you

00:06So I just kind of wanted to start off on that note

00:08I read earlier that you kind of were drawn to this script because of the telling of you know

00:13A second chance at life

00:15So could you just kind of elaborate why you resonated with that and how you hope others will take away as you know?

00:20Something from that as well. Well at the time I was I

00:25Was coming out for the first well after that actually for the second time but it was coming out

00:30And I had a new

00:33life a new a sort of a second chance at being

00:37myself for the first time in my adult life and I saw

00:42The Nicole character as also going through that part in her life

00:46And I think it's true for those of us that are our age. You get a chance to

00:51Ref

00:52See who you are and say, okay. I've been a lot of things for other people. I've survived. I've succeeded

00:57I've done all these things. I said I was gonna do but who am I really and

01:01What was I that? I forgot I was what did I forget that?

01:04I wanted or what I've been what have I been hiding and not feeling and

01:09I I felt that the Nicole character could resonate in those in those terms

01:14Absolutely, and I mean she plays the role so beautifully. I love her and Zach as well

01:19Was that a dream come true for you or just like a happy coincidence? No, it's a dream come true their chemistry

01:26They all of them. They all had amazing chemistry with each other, but Zach and Nicole from the very first day. We started rehearsals

01:33Just well like old friends and they just fell into each other like a warm

01:37Blanket and just you know with Nicole

01:40I mean we you know in the queer community see her as a queer icon just she's wonderful. We love powerful women

01:46So yeah, can you just kind of speak a little bit more about her character and working with her she is iconic and she is

01:53She is incandescent. I remember we were doing

01:56You know you do makeup tests and and camera tests and everybody was doing their thing and everything and then she got in front of

02:03The camera and I remember the photographer on set going

02:05What is it?

02:06You know suddenly everybody was looking and there was this glow from her that you just like yeah, there it is

02:12It's like she has this this incandescence

02:16That's just extraordinary and she's so

02:19Talented and smart and cares. So she's a great partner. She's like a co-filmmaker with you

02:26I just love her. I can see that through the screen

02:29Honestly, like it really she just shines perfectly and I also love how meta this movie really is

02:35I loved seeing all the Hollywood spots. I've only lived here a few years, but I was like branches don't

02:40Yeah, exactly so I mean what was your intention with incorporating all of that

02:45Was it just to make it more fun? And how do you think it enhances the story?

02:48Well, tell you the truth. We had to shoot it in Atlanta

02:51So I I wanted to put as much LA in it as I could

02:56So some of that is CGI and some of it is actual

02:59I mean the the Malibu stuff is all is all here

03:01But um, it was an LA story and we did our best being unable to shoot in LA for most of it

03:08So that's why we did that and would you watch?

03:11the Chris Icarus movies if they were

03:15And all of them you can't just

03:18Like you gotta sit. It's a

03:21Scene all the MCU stuff. So I guess I'm sure I would if the if the mythology was was cool enough

03:27Yeah, I probably would what was your response to seeing Zack in in the white hair?

03:32Well, he came up with it him and his design. I thought that was great

03:35I walked into the the makeup. He says what do you think of this? And then what's on? I was like, oh, this is perfect

03:40Especially for Christmas. I mean he was perfect. It was a great idea Jack Frost

03:44Yeah, and I you know going back to just what people are gonna take away

03:47You're working with themes of love sex and identity

03:50So, I mean, how did you ensure that these themes were handled with depth that they needed by having a team?

03:57That was all on the same page all making the same movie with all the same taste and discernment and intelligence

04:03No one wanted to make it corny or sentimental or too obvious or

04:08Preaching or anything like that?

04:10It was fun. It was romantic and moving and we were all making the same movie

04:14I also hear that in the film Zack calls himself kind of like the improv king

04:18Well Chris does but I also heard that Zack also improvs. Oh, so is that does he also get that title?

04:24He improv that line he did. Yes

04:27He said that was that was just one thing. He did that

04:30Wanted improv contest

04:34Know that a lot of that scene is a lot of his listing stuff is improv

04:38Of course his his riffing off of Cher is improv. Yeah. No, he's one of the one of the greats. I love that

04:43Well, thank you so much the time I have. Thank you

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