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I
like to write very classic stories, classic comedies, but then
fuck it up (excuse my language) by tossing in a lesbian character.
So someone doesn’t have to go and dissect this buddy movie
with 2 men and imagine if they were one of the guys. There’s
going to be a lesbian right here, and it’s Julie Goldman,
and have fun!
The
most exciting thing about that is, like when I did 21,
people identified with that character (Leigh, a gangly baby dyke
played by Rachel Style) because it rang true. I had so many men
identify with that character because she was awkward. She’s
an awkward teenager--that’s all you need to know. It also
wasn’t one of those sanitized things, like she’s an
awkward character and she’s also a lesbian. It’s not
a tag “and she happens to be gay.” No. She’s
100% gay, she has desires, she has dreams, but she’s also--ALSO--all
these things. It’s not an accident. I like to create things
like: here’s a lesbian and, in case you didn’t know,
she happens to have crushes, happens to have dreams, you know?
So, the same thing with Mom.
AE:
So, where did the story for Mom come from? What was your
inspiration?
EG: The story came from two places. I was a transcriptionist
for a company that did market research, as one of my 100 shit
jobs. So, I would get all these weird tapes, where people would
be like “If I had a four-door, I’d like it to have
screens.” There are people who go out and shoot about whatever
product they’re trying to sell. They also tape the house
and ask personal questions, so when they make commercials, they
can gear the products towards that personal part of the market.
And I noticed as I started watching the footage, the camera work
got sloppier and sloppier, and the person doing the interview
started getting more and more disheveled--to the point where the
interviewer in a suit walked up to the camera on a Dutch angle
and ripped duct tape off of half the lens.
And
I’m cracking up, ‘cause I’ve been doing this
transcription for 18 hours. I’m ripping through tapes, getting
paid $100 bucks a tape and I’m like: “Wow. I wonder
if those guys are gettin’ on each other’s nerves...?”
Her hair is gettin’ more and more messed-up. Her hair started
out perfect, and by the end she’s like a total wreck; Everything.
I thought: that would be a really fun thing, to get an uptight
person and pair them with someone who’s just doing’
it for the money, and make them uncomfortable. It’s the
obvious thing to do - get 2 opposites and stick them in a room
together.
AE:
My playwriting teacher used to say: Stick them on a train and
start peeling the onions.
EG: Yeah, if you know the characters you’re working
with, you can get ‘em in trouble forever.
AE:
Layer by layer.
EG: As long as you’ve got the emotional center
of how to mess them up, it’s great.
AE:
Especially for the audience.
EG: The secondary thing of where to strand them came
from when I was stuck at a youth hostel years ago. And there was
this code: if the bunks are rockin’, don’t come a
knockin’. All the women we had to share the room with, like
halfway through the night you’d hear “Squeak, squeak,
squeak” and you’d look around and all the top bunks
were filled and all the bottom bunks were empty. And I was like:
Oh my God, I just want to sleep and there’s all these baby
dykes gettin’ it on! So I thought, I’ll stick those
characters there, and then I’ll just let them explode.
Sometimes people say: For God sakes! Can’t you write something
that doesn’t have a lesbian in it? Sure, if it comes to
me. But how can I help but toss a lesbian character in, when it’s
a part of me? And I grew up wishing I could see that part of me.
And I love film. So, for me, this is the best way I can contribute.
Keep writing lesbian comedy and producing.
AE:
Do you have any plans beyond Mom? What do you want to
do next?
EG: This is gonna’ sound unglamorous. You want
to see the trajectory of my life? I would love to keep producing
lesbian comedies. Keep being able to set up a collective and connect
people to each other. If I could have my master, master goal...
When I’m older, I would love to run a business arts school
for women. I really do love teaching. I would be in heaven if
I could make movies half the year and teach the other half. Keep
making movies, keep helping people make movies, keep being involved
with people’s dreams and just teach my heart out.
Find
more information at smithyproductions.com
and momthemovie.com
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