Lady Bird

http://uproxx.com/movies/greta-gerwig-david-bowie-maggies-plan-wiener-dog/

It was just announced Saoirse Ronan will be in your solo directorial debut, Lady Bird. That’s big news.

I know. I know.

How does that happen? Did you make contact with her at all?

Well, kind of. It was a very fortuitous turn of events. She ended up reading the script and really connected to it. Then I met her and we read it together and she’s so instantly great. It was written in the stars a bit and I’m very lucky it happened the way it did. But, yeah, it was fortuitous.

It was already getting a lot of attention because it’s your first movie directing by yourself, and now with her…

I know. She’s the best. In a way, I’m so happy that all of this has happened for her. But it’s not the basis of my interest. She was great no matter what. But, I’m so glad, it’s so great to reward the good guys.

But now you don’t have to tell people, “Oh, you’re going to love her.” People already know.

Yes, that’s true. And she’s just a tremendous talent and what a face. I couldn’t be more honored that she’s going to be in the film.


Do you like watching your own movies?

No. I mean, I can get past it. I think I’m a bit better at it than other actors because I’ve been so involved in the creation of my movies, that I’ve had to look at cuts and edits and I’ve had to take myself out of it and ask myself if it’s telling the story at every moment. So I’m not judging my performance so much on, “Is this a good performance or not?,” and more, “Is this telling this story we need to be telling at the moment?” So, I’m better at it.

Nice. Not only does Gerwig get a world class actress to play the lead, she will benefit from her film receiving a little extra buzz because of the positive pub surrounding Brooklyn and Saoirse's great performance in it.

Here are snipets from another interview were she mentions Saoirse:

Oftentimes, your work behind the camera doesn't get the attention it deserves, particularly your work with Noah Baumbach on films like "Mistress America" and "Frances Ha." Your contributions are sometimes listed as just "the star" or "the muse," is that something that you notice?

Yeah, I've noticed. It definitely bothered me a lot when "Frances Ha" came out. I felt so much ownership over it and I felt such a sense of authorship with it, and while there have been many forceful cinematic muses who are equal authors to the work that the filmmakers created, I've felt like it was not the correct description of what I was doing. I was a genuine creator.

"I know what I did on [those films], and I know how much I learned from them and how much they're my voice and my vision."
I think, as with all things that you smart from when you first get that blast of cold air, you get used it. I know what I did on [those films], and I know how much I learned from them and how much they're my voice and my vision. I think part of that is a male/female thing. Also, I think it's also just a director's medium, in terms of where people assign credit. Probably, in a healthy ego way, I have the feeling of, "Well, now I will make stuff that you absolutely can't say I was the muse of."

It's truly one of those things that, at first you feel indignant, and it sort of softens into acceptance and then you figure out how to do it in a way that feels like the reward is commensurate with the effort.

After this, you're gearing up to direct again with "Lady Bird." It was just announced yesterday that you've cast Saoirse Ronan as your leading lady.

She's my girl. She's my girl. I'm very, very blessed. She is a talent for the ages. She is so young and she is so great. Every time I wake up and I remember that she's going to be in it, it's like remembering, I don't know, it's like "the dream was real! It's happening!" I'm really excited.

I've spent a long time writing this script and it feels like something I've been working towards for — it's 2016, I graduated from college in 2006, I've been working as a co-writer, a writer, co-director, producer, actor — and it feels like I've apprenticed for ten years and it feels time and I hope that I am equal to her talents.

She's a chameleon, but she's so subtle, it never feels like she's bringing you this ready-made performance, she kind of subtly becomes this other person, and that's the kind of acting I like. I'm so glad she's been rewarded for it so richly.

http://www.indiewire.com/article/sundance-how-greta-gerwig-learned-what-kind-of-director-she-wants-to-be-from-rebecca-miller-and-todd-solondz-20160123

Greta seems to be a sweetheart, especially in the way she talks about Saoirse.. Thats so cute!

A little bit about the movie's budget, it sounds a little troublesome, but I hope she finds a way to shoot more in Sacramento.Looks like the shooting starts in August:

http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/shawn-hubler/article69510342.html

I thought it sounded like her own coming of age story. Nice find Poetswan. Oh, the beginning of production makes sense as Saoirse will be done with the play by mid July.

I know this is a risky project, it being Greta's directorial debut, but I am really excited for this. Its like I said before, I loved Frances Ha and Mistress America, which she co-wrote with Noah, its exactly my comedy taste and i am confident that Greta will do a good job with the script. Man, I really want this to work out!

This will always be the case with first time directors Poetswan, but she has enough experience collaborating with her partner as a writer and of course understanding the acting side as well. I've not seen the number of films I normally would have the past year and a half, so I did not see Mistress America to date.

I enjoyed Frances Ha very much due to its wit, style and heart. I took my mom, and when I went to my assigned seat, I noticed an elderly lady sitting in mine with her friend. She had a seat somewhere else but refused to give it up! When the attendant came to square it away, the lady still wouldn't move. The film began to start, so I said the hell with it. The attendant then gave me a chair like one would have used in a school cafeteria and placed it at the end of the first row. Good thing it was a very short film. 

On a serious note, I've a good feeling about this film because this is going to be a very personal story about a portion of Gerwig's life, and I'm confident in her ability to deliver a fine script and place it in the hands of a extraordinary young actress. 