Taglines: One guy can ruin the perfect relationship.
At 29, the most long-term relationship Sasha (Leighton Meester) and Paige (Gillian Jacobs) have ever been in is with each other, using their co-dependent friendship as an excuse not to venture out into the dating world alone. But when Paige meets nerdy Tim (Adam Brody) and starts to get serious for the first time, the nature of their friendship begins to shift. Fearing she’s being cast aside, Sasha tries to keep their relationship the same, but does growing up also mean growing apart?
Director’s Statement
We’ve all had a best friend. Especially for women, this relationship is as intense as any romantic partnership we will ever have. She’s the person we share our innermost fears with, the person who drives us to the emergency room, the person we bring as our date to weddings. Particularly nowadays, when people are encouraged to take their time in committing romantically, these quasi-marital friendships can last well into our 20s if not 30s, and are a huge part of the Zeitgeist.
It’s surprising, then, how rarely these friendships are accurately portrayed in American films. In mainstream romantic comedies, we’re treated to the “comic relief sidekick” friend who is unflaggingly supportive of the movie’s protagonist (and overly interested in her love life). And we’ve seen the onscreen frenemy who will stop at nothing to sabotage her “best friend” through broad set pieces that sometimes literally involve hair-pulling. But what about that person you love more than anyone in the world…but still talk about behind her back and find yourself subtly one-upping when you’re feeling insecure?
That person you love so much that it kills you to see her making mistakes and why doesn’t she just listen to you when you tell her how to fix her life? That person who drives you so crazy with her passive-aggressive crap that when you complain about it to the guy you’re dating, he can’t help but ask why you’re still friends with her because he just doesn’t get it? It’s that friendship my cowriter Joni and I set out to study with this film, in the tradition of films like Nicole Holofcener’s Walking and Talking that are unparalleled in their realism about female friendship and its absurd amazingness.
Just as we believe there’s a dearth of honest films about female friendships, we also feel a need for films about gays and lesbians having relatable experiences in a diverse world. Joni and I identify differently (she’s gay, I’m straight) and we wanted to represent her community without focusing a narrative on “coming out” or emphasizing the politics of her sexuality in a way that would make the film niche. On the contrary, we wanted to universalize it. Not only did we want to show a platonic gay-straight friendship where neither character is romantically interested in the other, but in executing the script as a director, I strived for accessibility.
In casting, I sought actresses who were widely known and broadly appealing to play lesbians, like Leighton Meester who lends so much credibility, nuance and heart to a role that could not be further from her role on GOSSIP GIRL. As for her straight counterpart, I tried to avoid the plight of the generic romantic comedy heroine by casting Gillian Jacobs, an actress known for her quirky personality and cult comedy fanbase.
As far as my aesthetic approach to directing this film, I aimed for a combination of real and slightly elevated. I’ve always admired directors like Cameron Crowe who combine naturalistic writing and performances with a real sense of style that lends an element of wish fulfillment, fun and entertainment. With this in mind, I tried to encourage moments of spontaneity and raw emotion, while still delivering the scripted comedy and avoiding an overly improvisational or haphazard feel. I approached production design, costume and music with this same philosophy in mind, always aiming for a combination of real and slightly elevated.
With all that said, my hope with LIFE PARTNERS is to deliver a female friendship comedy that resonates and entertains, hitting that sweet spot between a “film” and a “movie” as it explores the universal theme of friendship…along with some related themes (sexuality, women at the center of their own narrative, to name two) that deserve more of a spotlight.
About the Production
Susanna Fogel and Joni Lefkowitz initially met in 2002 at a sketch comedy writing class in Los Angeles. The two quickly became best friends and collaborators, working primarily as writers for hire for studio projects. In spring 2011, when producer Jordana Mollick presented them with the opportunity to write a completely original piece for her one act play series, Unscreened, Fogel & Lefkowitz jumped at the chance and LIFE PARTNERS in its first iteration was born. Inspired by what the best friends went through when Lefkowitz met her future wife, they crafted a script that explored a female friendship rarely portrayed.
Fogel notes, “We always like to tell stories about friendships…there aren’t a lot of comedies that feel grounded and realistic [and explore how] friendships evolve over different transitional periods…that can be as heartbreaking as a romantic breakup, but isn’t given the same airtime. That was our motivation. We always try to tell interested layered friendship stories, but most of the time on assignment, that’s not really what the studio wants, they want it either more hijinks-filled or [they want] friendships developed alongside a romance and don’t want to go into the more sincere sides of them, they just want them to be there for comic relief. We wanted to tell the story of friends that mirrors what a romantic relationship is…how you can be close, fall out, come back together, and it all feels as emotional as a romantic relationship.”
The One Act was so well received that Mollick asked Fogel & Lefkowitz if they would consider adapting it into a feature. As the group worked separately on trying to get other projects off the ground, Fogel & Lefkowitz would send drafts to Mollick and partner Brendan Bragg for notes, Mollick becoming more and more determined along the way to let nothing stop this particular project from coming to fruition.
By the end of 2011, Fogel & Lefkowitz found out they had been accepted into the Sundance Labs Program, taking place in January 2012. Their experience at the Labs was invaluable. “Instead of trying to make it bigger or trying to add more sellable things,” says Lefkowitz, “they were just looking at purely the writing.” Fogel adds, “Having done so much comedy writing over the years and having been pigeon holed in that world, we got lazy about telling really earnest, emotional stories because we could write around them, joking our way through a scene and not delving into the deeper stuff. But they encouraged us to not shy away from getting deeper. [They pointed out] that we could have half the jokes we had in the script and it would still be funny…they asked questions that made us think about our own emotional psychology and that’s what makes the movie resonant, not the humor.”
The Writer’s Lab was soon followed by Mollick’s acceptance into the Sundance Producer’s Lab and a stint at IFP in New York, where the trio met financiers Red Crown, and finally there was nothing standing in the way of bringing this story to life. Except for one potential hiccup. Fogel & Lefkowitz had been working on the pilot for CHASING LIFE and in early 2013 found out it would be going to series. The sane thing to do seemed to be to wait until the first season was complete and then pick LIFE PARTNERS back up, but instead the trio seized the opportunity of having a few months left and hit the ground running in pre-production.
Although LIFE PARTNERS held a reading at the Sundance Labs with a slew of well-known actors, the only cast member to cross over was Beth Dover (Jenn). Dover was originally cast because Fogel & Lefkowitz were “obsessed” with her from acclaimed comedy web series BURNING LOVE. Appreciating her ability to ground the zany and offbeat, there was no question they wanted her as a part of the team, playing the loveably difficult JENN (with two Ns).
For the rest of the casting, the team took the approach of searching for the unexpected and casting talented actors in the kind of roles they had never played before. The first actor to officially sign on was Adam Brody as TIM. Without even asking who else was attached, Brody came on board, finding himself strongly connecting to the material, “[TIM is] a goofball and not vain at all. It’s fun to get to embrace my nerdiest side and not in a self-conscious way…playing someone who isn’t overly concerned with appearance or what’s cool.”
Fogel & Lefkowitz had met with Gillian Jacobs years prior for a project that ended up not getting made, but she always remained in their minds and when they met again, the choice was easy. They felt very lucky that this “Julliard trained, talented, funny actress” related to PAIGE as much as she did. Jacobs elaborates, “I saw myself in this character, the good and the bad. Some of the fights that she has with her boyfriend, her best friend, and her mom are fights that I’ve had, so I felt it was the closest to who I actually am from any of the characters I’ve played. It’s also hard to confront the parts of yourself that you don’t like, but I kind of think that’s what this whole movie is about, doing that and then growing up and really becoming an adult.” And although Jacobs and Brody had been in two previous films together, this was the first time the two would share any scenes.
When it came to Leighton Meester, Fogel & Lefkowitz had been big fans for a long time, even holding weekly GOSSIP GIRL viewings. “We always thought she was awesome and that she was a lot better than the material she was given.” They never suspected she would be on board for a small comedy, but were thrilled to discover otherwise, Meester viewing the character of SASHA as a challenge she couldn’t wait to take on, “She’s not like anything I’ve ever done. She’s… kind of a mess but in the way I am and the way anyone I know is. She’s not completely satisfied with the direction she’s taken in life, not 100% sold on any little relationship she is in. She’s kind of overly dependent on her best friend and it’s a fine line of somebody who is funny and uses humor to deflect the real situation they are in and also that weird age where you are like, am I a grown up or am I a kid? I totally ask myself that every day.”
Gabourey Sidibe came on board after being suggested by Line Producer Steak House, who has just worked with Sidibe in Los Angeles on the feature GRAVY. Sidibe too connected to the script enough to come right back out to LA from her home in New York. Fogel & Lefkowitz were thrilled to be able to show off a rarely seen side of Sidibe by placing her in the role of brassy, super confident JEN (with one n). Sidibie elaborates, “She dates a lot of girls, I think for her it’s more quantity over quality – she likes to keep busy.”
Fogel & Lefkowitz’s philosophy of breaking actors out of their comfort zones continued with Abby Elliot in the role of VANESSA. Elliot met Fogel years ago at Cafe 101 for another project, and Fogel had never forgotten her natural sincerity, “Sometimes with comedians with a sketch background, it can be hard to get them to stop performing and just relate to you on a certain level, but she doesn’t have any of that, she was very easy to talk to about the emotional sides of the character and the nuances and it seemed like she was ready for something a little more grounded.” Elliot was drawn to how unlikable the character was, “[VANESSA] is the sort of person who says she is gay but then isn’t and I feel like I know people like that and people that are bothered by that…She’s not the most likeable.”
Production Designer Matt Luem primarily works in commercials and tends to only work on films when the material really means something to him. But he was signed on to work on a film with Fogel & Leftkowitz years earlier that didn’t go, so even before he received the script for LIFE PARTNERS, he had a feeling he would want to be involved. Finding that the script had a real emotion to it, it was an easy yes.
Costume Designer Courtney Hoffman was recommended by Riva Marker from Red Crown, and after reading the script, she couldn’t wait to get started, finding she connected to it on a whole other level, “I’m pretty much PAIGE. I’ve lived that exact story with that set of characters and having that co-dependent friendship, the lesbian scene, and the characters… I felt like I knew everybody and as a designer I had been doing a lot of stuff with teenagers and then geriatrics, and I was sort of wanting to visually tell a story of me and my peers, my generation, I was drawn to all of these things. Having that type of friend that brings that vibrancy in your life is the type of thing where no matter how great of a boyfriend you have, it’s never going to be replaceable. I loved that part of the story.”
Hoffman’s SASHA to her PAIGE, Jo Lampert of the band AVAN LAVA, actually surprised her in town during the shoot and ended up with a cameo in the “sword fighting” scene.
With each main character having upwards of 30 changes over the course of the year when the movie takes place, Hoffman found you have to know each character intimately in order to maintain that consistency.
On Sasha
“Leighton especially was really fun to transform from this gossip girl to someone who was representative of the lesbian community and who wasn’t passing as a lipstick lesbian. She doesn’t have a lot of money, she is thrift shopping her stuff or is inheriting it from different people or had it since college and I think making that evident was incredibly important, so we did that. Everything she wears is from a thrift shop or borrowed – it was a beg borrow and steal kind of movie.”
On Paige
“Your mid to late 20s are such a hard time to dress yourself because you don’t have the money to be the professional you want to be but you need to look professional and that’s something PAIGE has really nailed that SASHA hasn’t figured out. PAIGE is really reveling in being this young lawyer on a career path, and even in her casual wear, you see that.”
The rest of the team came together quickly but efficiently and in April 2013, the 19-day shoot began. Set in Minneapolis, LIFE PARTNERS was shot entirely on the east side of LA, primarily in Glendale and Eagle Rock.
The strong relationship between Leftowitz, Fogel and Mollick extended to their cast and crew, their relaxed professionalism creating a sense of ease and comfort for anyone on set. Fogel’s supportive and good-natured attitude as a director proved incredibly impactful. Meester elaborates, “She’s really ahead of what a lot of people are capable of at her age and especially for somebody who is directing their first feature, I’ve never seen someone be so humble and confident, creative, in tune, and collaborative.” Jacobs adds, “It’s one of the calmest sets I’ve ever been on and for a first time director, that’s really an accomplishment. Everyone seems happy to be at work every day and everything went smoothly. I’ve worked on a lot of movies this size where that is not the case and I think Susanna sets the tone, so it’s been really great.”
Even when Meester & Jacobs had an evening shoot in an unheated pool, playful shrieking and humming the Super Mario Brothers theme took the place of any potential complaining. Their immediate bond didn’t go unnoticed.
“With this the friendship connection between the girls is so important, you’re kind of just taking a gamble,” says Fogel. “You have meetings with each one and if you feel like they would like each other, you just roll the dice on that, but we’re glad they ended up really clicking and becoming friends.” Lefkowitz continues, “I’m sure by the last day they were speaking another language. On day one, everyone was a little nervous and tense but seriously, by day two, they were humping each other before every take, we were like ‘WHAT is happening?’ – we’re just so lucky we found two people with such an odd sense of humor, like Gillian would come to set in a tree costume and they would make crazy videos, they just thought the same weird things were funny and made the same weird voices when they would rehearse their scenes. They related to each other in that weird way and that’s just luck that they were both the same brand of abnormal.”
Jacobs adds, “This movie is all about our friendship and you don’t really know when you meet each other what you’re actually like and turns out she’s a freak like me, so it’s been awesome…we both realized we were goofy weirdoes early on. It’s fun to have someone like that, where you can be as weird as you want to be. The whole crew was kind of like that on this film so it was a fun, silly environment for us.”
Brody agrees, “With independent film, there is a communal experience. You end up bonding, you end up becoming sort of a unit. It feels like you’re all pitching in together.”
The last day of shooting, which took place at Griffith Park, production bought a food truck for the crew and Brody brought in more cupcakes from his favorite bakery than a small independent film crew could possibly eat. It is worth noting not a cast or crew member was absent at the wrap party where karaoke was involved and shirts featuring an inside joke from set printed on the front were disseminated among the group.
Heading towards the film’s festival run, Fogel & Lefkowitz ruminate on how far they have come. “There’s so much that we reflect on and write about that comes from our friendship and how much we’ve changed over the years,” says Fogel. “We always mine our own lives and experiences for stories, but when we met we were both so different. Joni wasn’t out of the closet yet and I was a weird insecure pretentious indie rock person. We evolved into grownups together and we will continue to do that over the next few decades. Having met right after college and now being in our 30s and making this big leap to this next phase of our careers is exciting to do together.”
Life Partners
Directed by: Susanna Fogel
Starring: Leighton Meester, Gillian Jacobs. Adam Brody, Mark Feuerstein, Julie White, Abby Elliot, Greer Grammer, Kate McKinnon, Beth Dover, Gabourey Sidibe
Screenplay by: Susanna Fogel, Joni Lefkowitz
Production Design by: Matt Luem
Cinematography by: Brian Burgoyne
Film Editing by: Kiran Pallegadda
Costume Design by: Courtney Hoffman
Set Decoration by: Danielle Laubach
Art Direction by: Nicolas Kelley
MPAA Rating: R for language and some sexual content.
Studio; Magnolia Pictures
Release Date: December 5, 2014