Your
characters drank so much beer in this film. What were you really drinking?
WILDE: It was beer! We were really lucky because we were actually
shooting in the Revolution brewery that we were pretending to work for. We were so embraced by that community. They were helping teach us about the
different varieties of the beer. We each
had to learn about which one we preferred, so we could talk about it in our
improv. So, we had to learn about it to
be able to talk about it.
Have
you ever had a workplace relationship, like the one that Luke and Kate have?
WILDE: I’ve never had the experience that Luke and
Kate have with work. I’ve had
friendships in the past, where you wonder, “Is this the person I’m supposed to
be with?” As you get older, you start to
really ask questions like, “Is this the road I should be walking down?,”
because every decision seems more final, as you get older. I think that raises your level of anxiety,
about all things. What’s so interesting
about these characters is that the thing that makes them such good friends, is
exactly what would make them bad lovers.
Personally, I think Kate’s lack of sensitivity is what makes her such a
good buddy to Luke. They can hang. She can dish, as well as she can take
it. He doesn’t really have to worry
about her. She’s low maintenance, and
he’s the same way for her. But, when
you’re in a romantic relationship, of course, there is a lot more compromise
and you have to be a lot more unselfish.
She’s not really sensitive enough or nurturing enough for him, so it
doesn’t work out. But, often those
workplace romances taken into the real world are not necessarily a good idea.
Where
would you draw the line with a platonic friend, if you were in a relationship?
WILDE: A good litmus test is that you should be
comfortable with your significant other being present when you hang out with
your friend. If there is a friendship
where you think, “It feels weird when my lover is there,” that’s a
problem. That’s probably a bad sign.
What
did you do to bond with your co-star, Jake Johnson? Did you get drunk together a lot?
WILDE: We didn’t have a ton of time in
pre-production to get to know each other.
We just got lucky. The amazing
thing about this process is that, if we hadn’t had the same kind of chemistry,
if we’d had awkwardness with each other, the movie would have still
worked. It would have been a slightly
different story, but the way Joe [Swanberg] directs, he would have just used
that energy. It would have been a story
about more of an awkward, ambiguously romantic friendship/work
relationship. So, that’s really
fascinating. It’s so empowering, as an
actor, because instead of us conforming to a set character, the characters were
molded by us, through us. I think that’s
why the performances are so good. I
think everyone is so good in it, and I think it’s because everyone is really
honest and not forcing themselves into a mold that they don’t necessarily fit
into.
Kate
is the only woman in this brewery. Was
that a comfortable situation for you? Do
you have more male friends than female friends?
WILDE: No, I’m a real woman’s woman. I have a great pack of female friends, but I
also have a lot of guy friends. I
believe that platonic relationship is entirely possible. My character is based on a real Kate, who has
that job, at that brewery. She is the
only one of two or three women, and she was really helpful in telling me how
she navigates that world. Of course, as
a woman who works in a male-dominated business – Hollywood, definitely, being
one of them – I instinctually knew what that was like. You have to be strong and take care of
yourself. I think women just know that,
anyway. But, it was interesting to hear
her stories of what it was really like, being in that Chicago beer world, as a
woman.
WILDE: I don’t know.
It seems like a dangerous concept to have someone who’s just your
drinking buddy. Someone you have nothing
in common with, if you’re sober, is probably not a good, healthy
friendship. I have a lot of friends who
I really feel like I can kick back with and let all pretense go and be very
comfortable with. I think a lot of
people do, and when they watch this film, I think that resonates with them.
Do
you think Luke and Kate are soulmates?
WILDE: No.
Maybe in their early 20s, they could have had something. It’s almost like it’s too intense to have
them in the same relationship. I think
what makes them such great friends is, in part, the fact that they’re very
low-maintenance friends. Kate is not
very sensitive. That’s what also makes
her a terrible girlfriend for Luke. I
believe there is someone for Kate. I
hope she finds love. But, it is
impossible for them to be in a romantic relationship because Luke needs someone
more nurturing.
What
do friendship and love mean to you?
WILDE: I think Luke and Kate love each other. She would give her alcohol-poisoned kidney to
him. But, the difference between
romantic love and friendship love is that romantic love involves a lot of
compromise. It is a very giving type of
love. With friendship, you can be a
little bit more autonomous. You are not
expected to compromise, in the same way.
Maybe that’s why friendships tend to last longer. I don’t know.
What
was your favorite scene in the film?
WILDE: I think my favorite scene is the scene where
we are in Luke and Jill’s apartment, and we are drinking a lot and hanging out
on the couch. It’s a scene where I think
the audience suspects we are going to cross the boundaries. There’s something so fluid about that
scene. Luke puts on the record, and we
are listening to music and talking, and Joe just let the cameras role. He edited it so perfectly. Every time I see the movie, I really love
that scene.
How
did you react with the scene where Kate and Luke have the big fight? Was that difficult to shoot?
WILDE: We were shaken up. I think [Jake] called me. In this day and age, if you get a phone call,
you’re like, “Who’s dead?! What’s
happening?!” It was intense for both of
us because it was so honest and we had to hurt each other, which we didn’t want
to do, but it had to be done for the scene.
It was something that the entire crew could feel. That was the scene that I have to out him for
being such a softie, but I looked over to our DP, Ben Richardson, who was also
operating the camera, and he was crying, at the end. He’s so sweet. I should mention, in order to film an
entirely improvised movie, as a camera operator, you have to be a part of every
scene. He said that he started to learn
our tells. He noticed that, before I
spoke, I would shift my feet. By week
two, he could cover it pretty accurately without knowing what we were going to
do. So, that’s a credit to his genius.
Kate
is both a manipulator and she’s very insecure.
How do you view her?
WILDE: I don’t think she thinks she’s hot shit. I don’t think she feels beautiful, which is
an issue with her. She is insecure. It’s sad for me to think about her
loneliness. I want Kate to find
love. I just think she has insecurities
that prevent her from having real friendships with women. She doesn’t seem to be surrounded by a lot of
women. And I think there’s something
about her that is afraid of the idea of the unselfish commitment of a real
relationship. She’s too messed up in the
tornado of her own mind and heart. I
don’t think she thinks she’s really pretty ‘cause she doesn’t use her sexuality
to get what she wants. She feels
entitled to sexual exploration and is horrified when she feels judged by her
best friend for sleeping with somebody.
I think she’s just discovering herself.
WILDE: I’m more snobby about beer. I really loved the Chicago beers that we
drank. I love Revolution. I love Three Floyds. A beer called Daisy Cutter is really
wonderful. Kate, my character, loves
dark beer. I like a little bit lighter
beer, but still strong, like IPA. The
brewery was working while we were shooting.
We’d be shooting a scene, and then a guy with a forklift who was trying
to move some kegs, would honk on the forklift horn and be like, “Guys, I need
to [get through here].” They were
incredibly kind to let us invade their space.
The first scene that I shot, the first day, Joe said, “Go over to that
couple, at the end of the bar, and sell them a type of beer for their
wedding.” That’s it. That’s all he said. I was trying to remember what I learned about
the different [beers]. So, I pulled two
different pints and brought it over to them, and I just bullshat my way through
it. But, that wouldn’t have been
possible, if we hadn’t had time to learn the specifics of beer.
Beer
inspires Kate, but what inspires you?
WILDE: Gosh, people like the people we worked with
on this movie. A process like this
inspires me. People getting together to
tell a story, and devoting their time to it.
Music plays a big part in my life.
I am a big music nerd. Writing is
the other thing. All these things feed
into what we do. My life is about
politics, a lot of about music, and a lot about things other than acting. I like traveling the world. But, what makes me want to stay in this
business and keep doing this are movies like this, when it’s a true labor of
love. We didn’t make this film for the
result. It was only for the
process. If no one saw this movie but
us, it would have been just as successful to us. That’s a great feeling.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment