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