Bird's Eye View

Please Give: An Interview with Director and Screenwriter Nicole Holofcener

Nicole Holofcener is the critically acclaimed writer-director from New York City. Her first feature, Walking and Talking, sold to Miramax at the Sundance Festival,  and her second feature, Lovely & Amazing, was released by Lions Gate. She has since made Friends with Money and her latest is Please Give. Birds Eye View caught up with her to talk about it.

LA: Are your characters based on real people/events – or observations?  The script/dialogue was laugh out loud funny from the offset with lots of humour in the dark – the opening scene is a montage of mammograms, boobs are funny – what gives you your inspiration?

NH: The characters are an amalgamation of me and some people in my life. Keener is definitely closest to me, but Sarah Steele is very much me as a teenager. I had awful skin, and a rough time with my mom for a brief period of time.  Other characters are made up but I have to admit there are pieces of everyone I know in all of them.  My Granny said lots of the things that Andra says, but thankfully she was a lot nicer.

I’m inspired by issues and people that grab me. Rebecca Hall’s character was inspired by the woman who gives me mammograms – and that’s where the boobs come in.  I didn’t examine it too much – I just started writing and things unfolded from there.

LA: Each of the characters is refreshingly flawed – and I loved this – no one looks perfect, or is perfect, and they know this too. Is this intentional so we are more sympathetic towards the characters – enabling us as the viewer to relate to them and not feel so guilty perhaps about our own lives; guilt being quite a major theme in the movie?

NH: I just have to feel like I’m being honest, in terms of casting. I hate seeing movies with all fabulous people, and if slightly they’re flawed, they’re flawed in some cute, kooky way.  I don’t think about who is sympathetic, I just try to trust my gut and cast people that are real, write them to be real, make the look real. That’s the point, isn’t it?  – at least it is for me.

LA: There are lots of topics/issues touched upon in the film – guilt, insecurity, learning to accept and forgive who we are, warts (or should I say, teenage acne ridden skin) and all. How do you set about writing? Do you write the characters around the themes or do the themes emerge from the characters?

NH: I usually create the characters and the themes emerge, but there are always exceptions. I didn’t know what the themes for Please Give would be until I was writing about them. Once I realized what this movie was about I fleshed the themes out more, made them pay off, that kind of thing.  The situation with the apartment made for a really uncomfortable situation for the characters, and that was fun. Until I created the job that Kate and Alex do (sell the estate furniture), the script was floundering. Once I got them in that store, and Kate had to buy stuff from grieving people, and had to make a profit, the themes of guilt and morality (and mortality) all fell together.

LA: The female characters represent different stages in a woman’s life – from teen angst to an elderly woman facing her own mortality as well as the different relationship dynamics between a mother and daughter, an older and younger sister and a husband and wife – do you think we are as simple as that?

NH: I’m not sure what you mean by simple. These are just these specific people. I’m not trying to represent any age group. But sure, when I was fifteen I was angry and confused and covered in zits exactly when it was SO important to be pretty. And yes, I’m middle aged and thinking about all these depressing things. But frankly, since I’m writing about myself, I don’t feel like I’m writing stereotypes or archetypes.  Maybe we’re all clichés, to some extent, but I think that’s okay. Even kind of a relief.

LA: Catherine Keener has appeared in four of your movies – including Please Give – do you see yourself in her and the characters she plays or someone you would like to be?

NH: God no I don’t want to be like Keener’s characters! Sadly, I’m already too much like them, and they’re always suffering to some degree. She plays me very, very well, and adds dimensions I couldn’t even dream up. She’s a great actor. She’s got a terrific sense of humor and timing, and her humanity is written all over her face.

LA: Because Please Give is character based rather than driven by plot, did this lead to problems getting the film made? What kept you going/motivated you?

NH: All my movies are difficult to get made because they’re character based, and very hard to describe in a line or two. Luckily, they get made anyway. I stay motivated because I’ve been able to raise money before so I’m convinced it could happen again. And I’m not asking for a lot of money – so little compared to most movies made these days.  And when I have to pitch the movie or try to convince people to make it, I really believe in what I’m saying. I can talk about how funny I think it will be, or how moving. I talk about what a great movie I think it will be – and somehow they’re sold.  But when Im on the set and all that tap dancing has paid off, I still can’t believe someone gave me money to do this!

LA: What’s next for Nicole Holofcener?

NH: What’s next for me? Honestly I have NO IDEA. Help.

Please Give is out now. Show your support for Nicole Holofcener and women filmmakers by going to see it. For more information, visit our First Weekenders page