Co-Directors & Writer Alex Thomson & Kelly O'Sullivan talk to The Inside Reel about pacing, tone, character development and thematics in regards to their new film: "Ghostlight" from IFC Films.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Good luck, honey.
00:17You don't say good luck.
00:19It's break a leg.
00:23Break a leg.
00:28The thing is that creating a story of empathy without making it too saccharine is a difficult
00:35thing to do.
00:36It's about balance, both of emotion, logic, and drama.
00:40Can you both talk about that approach?
00:43Obviously with both of your backgrounds, both together and apart, and then Kelly, obviously
00:48with your acting background, you're able to do that.
00:51I would say that we sort of took a cue from Dan in some ways, that in the way that we
00:55film the story, with the degree of letting the characters in the circumstances speak
01:02for themselves, so trying not to, as our cinematographer says, put a hat on a hat.
01:09I think we were just very aware that the audience could at any moment say, this is sentimental
01:15for me, this is too emotional for me.
01:18And so we tried to really guide them there carefully.
01:21And I think the script is already doing that, but in the execution, I guess that's one thing
01:26that we did.
01:28And really using humor, I think, in the way that life is funny.
01:32I feel like life, anytime I'm having a very emotional moment, or anytime I get too introspective
01:37or pretentious, life throws a pile of dog shit underneath my foot.
01:43So I think anytime you can sort of flashback to the absurdity of real life, that helps
01:47it from being too cheesy.
01:52Come on.
02:10What is it?
02:11What's this?
02:13Your salvation.
02:16I'm kidding.
02:17We're rehearsing a play.
02:20Everyone, this is...
02:23Dan.
02:24Dan is the new Aaron.
02:26Everyone is replaceable.
02:28But it also helps, like, that dynamic, which is interesting, because you had played Keith's
02:32daughter in a play, I believe.
02:34And seeing that, you know, it's interesting to see that dynamic with him and his daughter
02:39in here.
02:40Can you talk about, like, pinpointing certain things, but also letting them improv certain
02:45energy on set, if you will?
02:47Absolutely.
02:48I mean, I think they just brought...
02:51Because they're both so good at doing what is scripted.
02:53You know, there is a little bit of improv here and there, but for the most part, everything
02:57is scripted.
02:58But they add this whole other layer of chemistry and authenticity and playfulness between the
03:03two of them that I don't think two actors who are not them, who aren't actually father
03:09and daughter, could really do.
03:11So a lot of the little moments you see between them, like her putting on the construction
03:16set and going...
03:17Like, kind of teasing him.
03:19Them at the batting cages, they improvise for a minute before the scripted lines begin.
03:24All of those things, I think, are a direct result of how they actually are in real life
03:28and their willingness to bring themselves and their natural chemistry to the roles.
03:32Here's a space to your heart.
03:34Come on.
03:35No, I...
03:36Come on.
03:37I don't...
03:38I'm not an actor.
03:39Can you read?
03:41Did he audition?
03:43Do you have a monologue we can see?
03:45Something classic?
03:47I should...
03:48What?
03:49Where do you have to be?
03:51Sit down and play pretend for an hour, and then you can go back to your life.
03:58And it's also, I mean, the one thing I liked about the story, and when I saw it and when
04:02I saw it again, is the existential nature.
04:04We're all on the journey alone, but only through community can we connect.
04:08And there's some great moments, like, obviously, towards the end with Keith at that table,
04:13because you just sit on him and let that expand.
04:16Could you talk about looking at the aspect of existential, who we are, who we think we
04:21need to be in a certain situation versus what it actually is?
04:26Yeah, I think...
04:28I mean, I think that there's something really unusual about theater and acting, is that
04:33we can find truth in trying on the skin of someone else, you know, by...
04:40Through pretend, we can find some manner of honesty and authenticity.
04:47I think that we tried to, whenever possible, not look away and not sort of gild the lily
04:57with those moments.
04:59You know, the deposition scene that you're talking about, you know, that was just purely
05:05the strength of seeing Keith, you know, get there, pull back, get there.
05:12That was just an...
05:14It was obvious that we had to just live in that.
05:17And that Katherine and Tara and, you know, Christine in the room, played by Leah Kubelete,
05:25would...
05:27That they would offer some context for different moments, but that at the end of the day, like
05:32you're saying, this is Dan kind of shedding the performances of father, you know, deposed.
05:45You know, he's got all these identities that he is really wrapped up in.
05:50And he just slowly, slowly, slowly brings himself down to the same level as Christine
05:57and brings the family down to the same level with him.
06:00And suddenly that table becomes like a flat plane and everybody's there with them.
06:05And then the same thing happens on stage.
06:12So Mrs. Cofield says that...
06:15Alleges.
06:16Daisy.
06:17What? It's her word against mine.
06:18Give it a rest.
06:19And honestly, I don't think we should be trusting a woman who uses the word here regardless
06:24in a school setting.
06:25A professional educator.
06:27Okay.
06:28She alleges that Daisy pushed her.
06:30Ow.
06:31That didn't hurt.
06:32You can't tell me what hurts.
06:33Pushed as in...
06:34Physically.
06:35Two hands in front of the class.
06:37Is that true?
06:38No.
06:39I tried to go to the bathroom, which is my human right.
06:43And she used her disgusting body to block my way.
06:46Using theater as deconstruction of life, because it's interesting that you see all the...
06:51And it's age appropriate.
06:52That's what I think is really interesting is because people are watching it.
06:55People are watching it.
06:56They could say, well, that's me.
06:57Or that's me.
06:58You know?
06:59All those...
07:00The different actors in there.
07:01But the exercise is sort of key into that as well.
07:03Can you talk about using sort of that construct?
07:07Not just Romeo and Juliet, but the actual space to talk about these different things
07:13and what people go through.
07:15Yeah, there's a safety in it.
07:17I feel like as an actor, I was always able to, in a way, hide and be freed by...
07:23Well, it's not me.
07:24It's a character.
07:25You know, people are much more willing to, I think, be bold in the expression of joy
07:30and playfulness and pain.
07:31If you can say, like, oh, but it's not me.
07:34You know?
07:35Because we're all trying to present the most palatable, likable versions of ourselves.
07:39And what we don't realize is actually it's far easier to connect when somebody shows
07:44their messy humanity.
07:46And so I think, like, any way that we are allowed to be more true to ourselves, which
07:52is, you know, more joyful than probably is cool to express and more sad than probably
07:58is, like, you know, we're taught to is palatable, I think does connect us.
08:04But it helps to sort of have this...
08:07It's a faith veneer.
08:08It's, you know, but this idea of, like, oh, that's not me.
08:11There's a real safety in it.
08:13Ask anyone in that class.
08:15Ask Bailey.
08:16They'll all tell you that I asked nicely three times.
08:21She actually said I couldn't go.
08:23I mean, like, what?
08:25You just want me to pee right here in this seat?
08:27Are you gonna clean it up?
08:29And I didn't shove.
08:31Shoving is this.
08:33Bitch, move!
08:34Hey!
08:35I did this.
08:37Will you move your gross body?
08:40Please?
08:46Fuck this.
08:51You know, what's interesting is as it moves towards the end of the film, you know, it's
08:55interesting creating...
08:56It's almost kind of therapy, but it's like you find that ending is so earned because
09:01you find the joy and acceptance out of pain.
09:05But, you know, it's an interesting sort of transmutation because it can be...
09:10You have to direct that just right.
09:12I mean, the way Dolly plays it, the way Keith plays it has to be done just right.
09:17Can you talk about sort of that modulation, both in the directing, but also in the space
09:22to allow those performances to happen?
09:25Yeah.
09:26Well, the wings for a place that I think...
09:28The wings of the theater were a place that we see Dan struggle.
09:32And so our decision to come out with him as if we were coming out with him to the trampoline,
09:42you know, to see his son and that he might have a chance to say to his son what he probably
09:49didn't say and that to accept that moment in a way that he couldn't accept it.
09:58At the same time, you know, endlessly complex for being his son, you know, being the one
10:03who will die.
10:08I think it was a really beautiful moment.
10:11And I remember sort of the decision of this isn't for the audience.
10:16You know, this is just for you.
10:18This is...
10:20Your words here, they can be as faint as they need to be.
10:25It's just for you and him.
10:27And the kiss on the forehead was a choice.
10:30And then when Dolly wakes up, we're back in a play, you know.
10:34And we're still with...
10:36When we're with Keith, we're focused on the ghost, you know, the ghost.
10:40But yeah, it was very moving.
10:43I just remember that that was just a confluence of, you know, the right choices and the right
10:49words.
10:50And I don't know.
10:51And the result of an entire movie's worth of that modulation that you're talking about.
10:57Like Keith does it.
10:58He does such a good job of keeping things under the surface until the end.
11:03When he's finally able to have that moment of catharsis.
11:06And I think that's something we were really keeping an eye on.
11:09And Keith and Tara.
11:11Because Tara finally has a moment too of expression.
11:14But both of them were so good at keeping that tension underneath.
11:17And then finally letting it out.
11:19There you go.
11:20What?
11:21You're happy.
11:22Okay, weirdo.
11:23Many of us live our lives repressing our emotions.
11:26Because out there, they can be a liability.
11:29But in here, we can put those into good use.
11:33No!
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