Adriana Maggs is one of a bunch of up-and-coming female directors with their work on display this year at Sundance. Her writing and directing debut Grown Up Movie Star is in competition this year in the World Cinema Narrative section.
Synopsis is below. Adriana answered some questions by email while she was at Sundance.
Women & Hollywood: How did you come up with the story for Grown Up Movie Star?
Adriana Maggs: Grown Up Movie Star was a short film script I wrote and was workshopping on a panel. A local producer, Jill Knox-Gosse, was interested in it and asked me if I would tell more of the story, make it into a feature. The characters and scenarios are rooted in the themes that I explore both in my work and in my life.
W&H: Female directors tend to get pigeon holed into certain types of movies. Are you aware of that, and did you ever take that into consideration when writing this film?
AM: No, I didn’t take that into consideration. I come from a place that is completely open to artists, a community that fully supports all storytelling perspectives. I actually find it really hard when I step onto a “main stage” so to speak, that so many women artists and filmmakers struggle to have their stories told. But I am not naive to think that the support we receive from the Newfoundland government and arts community is “standard” practice. I am so thankful to have been nurtured in a creative environment. But after having moved to Toronto, I do understand the importance of supporting women in the arts and appreciate all of the strong and talented filmmakers and producers who as women have really paved the way for the rest of us. Heather Rae, producer of Frozen River comes to mind.
W&H: Do you think its easier for a female director to be more successful in directing if she also writes the film?
AM: Again, I’m finding the question unusual, considering how I was, if you will, raised in a community of artists. I suppose it’s easier for a first time director whether male or female to have an opportunity to direct if they in fact, write their own script. I really want to believe that good story telling is good story telling and I also feel watching a film is like going to an art gallery or reading poetry or any artistic medium. The viewer is subjective based on taste, life experiences, tolerance, empathy and will choose whether they like or dislike a film based on individual taste whether written and directed by a woman or a man.
W&H: What does getting into Sundance mean for your film and your career and what are you hoping to get out of it?
AM: It is a complete honor and really wonderful to have Grown up Movie Star included in such a prestigious and welcoming festival. I have always thought that if I could have a film in a festival, I would have wanted it at Sundance. The history of the festival, the amazing support of independent film and filmmakers, the amazing Sundance Institute are all reasons I am very proud our film was accepted this year.
For me, once I wrote the film and we were on set, it became everyone’s film. The actors — Shawn, Tatiana, Jonny — and the amazing crew really brought it to life and added so much to the story. They really let me see the film through new eyes and it was like discovering the story all over again. So what am I hoping to get out of it? Well, I am really happy people are coming to see our work, I hope that people appreciate the work and hope that some can relate to the characters and their personal struggles. And being from a small island off the coast of Canada and arriving in Park City on an international stage, I am excited to meet other filmmakers, see lots of films and figure out a way for more people to see ours!
W&H: The film tells the story of a man comes to terms with his sexuality and a girl beginning to understand her own. Talk a little bit about how you handled those situations.
AM: Just from places of truth. I believe we all struggle with our sexuality at some point in our lives. As young women, we are constantly bombarded with images, celebrities, music and tremendous pressure to be more than we are at any age. Not to mention the obvious struggles for young men as they see young women as objects of desire. As far as Ray, he’s really about love and finding his way. Being a good dad, son, and finding peace and living in his own truth. Their journey’s are paralleled because it’s a big time in both of their lives.
W&H: Homophobia in sports is still such a huge issue especially here in the states where so few athletes have come out when they were playing professionally. Why did you add that element to the story?
AM: I wanted to look at fear, not just from a female perspective but sexuality in its ultimate fear based place, and pro sports and celebrity seemed right. It’s not really that Ray is a gay, professional athlete. It’s that Ray is a small town boy, who was a small town hero that messed up, lived a lie and now is trying to find the freedom to live life on his own terms. But I’m not denying that being socialized in hockey or a macho sport that begs hetero machismo is a horrible place to be gay. Homophobia is alive and well everywhere no matter what we think. I just wanted to gently address love and desire between two people and living life in your own truth.
W&H: What advice do you have for budding female writers and directors?
AM: Just to do it. Write what you feel and be who you are and stay true to your stories no matter what people say or where you are from. I really hope one day that we’ll all just be filmmakers and not qualified by our genders, age, race, but remember I’m from a small island off the coast of Canada that has a utopic approach to supporting artists.
Synopsis:
Grown Up Movie Star tells the story of disgraced NHL star Ray and his precocious daughters Ruby and Rose. Once the town hero, Ray has returned home to Newfoundland from the US following a drug conviction, only to have his wife Lillian leave him for another man and aspirations of stardom. With Lillian gone, Ray flails from woman to woman trying to find a replacement for her, while struggling against a growing awareness of his homosexuality. At loose ends for lack of guidance, Ruby attempts to follow her mother’s starlet dreams with make up and sexual behavior, and in a desperate plea for attention, begins putting herself in increasingly risky situations. Ruby begins spending more and more time with Ray’s best friend Stuart, confined to a wheelchair following an accident involving Ray. When Stuart finds himself attracted to Ruby, dangerously motivated by fear and anger, he leads the three of them towards a heartbreaking conclusion.
Check out the trailer:
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Can I move to that island?
I’m so pleased that you wrote about Adriana and her marvelous film. I was just raving about it to someone here at Sundance!
I initially decided to see it because I wanted to support a fellow Canadian and there were day-of-show tickets available. It turned out to be my favorite narrative film of the festival, and we felt really privileged to hear the director, cast and crew talk about their experiences.
I really hope it gets some recognition on awards night and beyond and we see more of her work.
I was saddened by the way the director portrayed herself at the Q&A. She was flaky, forget to introduce her Director of Photography and certainly didn’t portray the talent and strength I expected in someone who could have created this film. Was it pre-drink state before the film was premiered or something else? I’ll never know, all I know is that I was sadly disappointed this individual was the one responsible for such greatness, I wanted to witness a strong woman, not a flaky one in a tight tiny dress….
Rowena, It’s nerve wracking to show your film for the first time, especially at Sundance. I get so nervous, I’m going to ask the doctor for a pill to take next time…rather than hitting the bar.
I’m sorry for such a candid remark. It’s so easy to say these things when they are anonymous. But indeed, the bar is the one thing I witnessed a lot of director’s hitting up before awards ceremonies…never to their advantage once on stage I might add! The film was incredible, the writing was amazing. I am in love with the film and that’s all that should matter.
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