Editor Caitlynn McDaniel sits down with 'Prom Pact' executive producer Julie Bowen. Bowen shares her experiences growing up in the 80's when feminism was seen as extreme and how she wanted to see a female character who was struggling with the ideas of heteronormative love. She also talks about her crush on Harry Styles and Pedro Pascal. Bowen is an executive producer on 'Prom Pact,' an American romantic comedy Disney Original Movie that explores the whirlwind of high school experiences, from nostalgic promposals between close friends to the high-stakes ambition of elite college admissions. 'Prom Pact' is currently streaming on Disney+
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00:00 I want to hear a little bit about how you got involved in this project.
00:03 Um, well, I had we just we were wrapping up Modern Family
00:09 and an old friend from Modern Family, Anthony Lombardo,
00:12 who had gone off to write on other projects, had this idea about this feminist
00:16 who hates the prom and only cares about going to Harvard.
00:19 And he brought it to my producing partner, Rachel Field,
00:22 also a friend from Modern Family, the beginning and end of all of my relationships.
00:28 And I thought it sounded pretty cool, but I was missing something for me.
00:34 And that's when we came up with the idea about the 80s.
00:37 And then I want that. I was like, yes, let's do this.
00:40 Pushing back against the 80s while also embracing all the good stuff
00:45 that happened then in those movies was really important to me.
00:48 I love that. I mean, I yeah, I love seeing the themes and like the little
00:52 quote that Mandy has about not wanting to follow the cliches.
00:57 And she was, you know, in love with Harvard.
01:00 And like, you know, we see growth still within our character.
01:02 But, you know, just kind of fighting those those wants in life
01:06 is really amazing. Exactly.
01:08 And thinking that I grew up in a time I grew up in the 80s
01:12 and when it when feminism, oh, it was so extreme.
01:17 You can't have fun and be a feminist.
01:19 And then and I wanted to see a female character
01:23 who was struggling with that as well and struggling with the ideas
01:26 of heteronormative love while also pursuing her dreams
01:31 and finding that there can be a balance.
01:34 Absolutely. And I loved that the inclusion that this cast
01:38 and these characters have, I mean, it's so diverse.
01:40 And then we get to see different sexualities, but we don't have to really dive
01:44 into it. You know, we just get to see the representation
01:46 and really just feel like everyone is welcome in this film.
01:49 And I really enjoyed that as well.
01:51 You know, as a as a privileged white woman,
01:55 I have never had to deal with representation.
01:58 It's I've always seen myself on whenever I turn on a TV
02:01 and sometimes literally myself.
02:04 And I see when I turn on and doing this movie has made it clear to me.
02:09 My eyes have been opened as well, that just the representation
02:13 of a lot of the things that happen in the background,
02:15 there's a lot of little sort of Easter eggs as far as the proposals go.
02:19 We have there's a young woman in a wheelchair.
02:23 There's a gay couple.
02:24 There's all sorts of things that are happening that aren't in the foreground,
02:27 but they're being represented and sort of embraced
02:31 without needing to have this big political message.
02:35 Political messages are important and someone should make them.
02:38 But we're not trying to make one right now.
02:40 We're trying to say, have fun, enjoy this movie.
02:44 And maybe a walk away with having these images, though,
02:49 settling in your mind and normalizing them.
02:52 Yes, absolutely. I love that so much.
02:55 And I do have to ask.
02:56 I heard recently that you switched from Harry Styles to Pedro Pascal.
03:00 Yeah, but I mean, there's a little there's a little Easter egg of him
03:04 in this movie as well. So did you have to do it?
03:07 Yes, of course I did.
03:11 Oh, yes.
03:12 There's definitely a Harry Styles Easter egg in this movie,
03:15 even though it's an 80s movie, we're like, we got to get him.
03:19 We got to get him in there.
03:20 I mean, how can you not? And that moment still makes.
03:22 I don't want to ruin it for those who haven't seen it.
03:24 But then my hair stands up on my arms.
03:26 I get goosebumps whenever that moment comes up.
03:30 But you know what?
03:33 My for some reason, my Instagram, my TikTok have been feeding me
03:37 Internet Daddy Pedro Pascal recently, and it's working.
03:40 The algorithm is working. I'm a victim.
03:43 It's not my fault. But all of a sudden I'm like, Pedro.
03:48 I am exactly the same way.
03:49 I brought some Harry Styles stuff just because I wanted to decorate.
03:52 So I brought my old one D stuff.
03:55 But then I also am on Pedro Pascal, TikTok.
03:58 And it's really it sucks.
04:00 You went on social media right now.
04:03 I every time my for you is like Pedro, Pedro, Pedro, Pedro.
04:07 And I'm like, how did you know?
04:08 I mean, or did you make me like this?
04:11 I don't know. I love it, though.
04:14 I love it, too. Well, thank you so much.
04:16 Congratulations on the film.
04:17 It was so wonderful.
04:18 - Thank you, really nice talking to you.