Nancy Meyers Week
Its Nancy Meyers Weekat Vulture.
Because itsThe Holidayseason, andIts Complicated.Somethings Gotta Give.
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Through mud and hills.
Sorry its kind of a crazy time to be doing these interviews.
Besidesthe coup, everythings fine.[Laughs.]
I know, right?
When they say, Its unprecedented, youre like, No shit its unprecedented.
What was your first impression of Nancy?
You know when somebody just feels so self-possessed?
She just knows who she is.
Im trying to think of one word that could sum it up.
I dont think I can.
Thats okay.She had gravitas.
Oh, good word.
When you met.I think it was at Sony.
[Inaudible noise.]
Sorry, thats my dog choking.
But I think it was at Sony.
Was that where we first met?
Shed probably remember better than I do.
She has a great memory.
I have a shit memory, but I think it was at Sony.
And I remember the first chunk of time that we really spent together was doing wardrobe.
We collected every piece, and it was just wall-to-wall cashmere sweaters and coats.
Is that her name, Amanda?
Yes.What Amanda would wear.
And for each of the scenes.
And we just had so much fun.
Because we only had one scene with Jack and Kate.
Our characters never crossed over.
Basically Kate and Jack did their movie; Jude and I did ours.
Jude and I had a lot of fun shooting our bits.
But I mean, theres a lot of scenes where Amandas just kind of trudging along on her own.
Trying to figure out her life.
And Im just acting with Nancy the whole time, which was a lot of fun.
How did she sort of play off of you?
When you say you were acting with her Nancy likes to do a lot of takes.
Shes kind of known for that.
Thats all day long.
Her coming over and being, I like that.
Just a little bit more like this, and let me see it again.
And then you venture to give her that difference.
And then shell come back like, That was great.
So do it exactly that way again.
Okay, so we do it exactly that way again.
Okay, let me just see it one more time exactly like that?
So you just kind of go through it over and over and over again.
Like, Okay, thats it.
Ive done it 32 times.
Im going to stop now.[Laughs.]
Theres just a real world that she knows how to create.
Lots of textures, lots of layers.
Clear distinctions for each of the characters worlds that they live in.
So that kind of wraps around you when you walk on set.
Oftentimes when you walk on a set, youre like, Im on a set.
Im making a movie.
That dissipates and youre left in these very clear, thoughtful environments that the characters live among.
She kind of did it for me.
It was very Nancy you just kind of let loose.
Is she a good dancer?Shes a great dancer.
She sent me a video of her dancing at the beginning of quarantine to Mr. Brightside.
But shes, like, going crazy because shes been on her own in her house with Clorox wipes.
Whats the best line of dialogue your character had inThe Holiday?
What was something that you really enjoyed saying?Oh my gosh.
I havent seen the movie since it came out as a premiere.
So Im not as well-versed.
I think that for Amanda, she really nailed the woman who sort of put everything forward.
The importance of her life was her career.
And being a boss and a good boss.
Being something in the world.
But nobody really does it.
Few people really do it.
And it kind of cracked her open what she was lacking, and what she was missing.
That ability to be vulnerable, to be open to her heart.
She let this guy kind of ride in and ride on her coattails through their relationship.
In what way?People look at Nancys movies as a statement, in a way.
You always wish that was you.
You want to go do that.
When people watchThe Holiday, its just so aspirational.
Theyre like,One day, Ill be able to do that.
Its almost like a modern-day Prince Charming, but not a helpless princess.
And aspirational in terms of being able to run a mile through the snow in heels.[Laughs.
]Oh, girl.
I was running, like, seven miles a day in heels.
That whole scene took a week to shoot.
That wasnt even in the script.
We were in England, and Nancy came up to me.
She goes, Im so excited.
We just got the okay to shoot, blah, blah, blah.
And I was like, What scene?
And she gave the number.
And I was like, What is that scene?
What do you mean, We got theokayto shoot it?
She was like, This scene.
The line is, Stop the car.
And she gets out of the car, and she runs back down the road to the cottage.
But Nancy had her already a half a mile away.
It was not like she got to the edge of the driveway and decided she needed to go back.
She was halfway to the freaking airport.
Shes almost to Heathrow, and shes like, Stop the car.
And for some reason ran back.
I was like, Okay.
They only used two shots, but we shot like ten shots of me running across ten different fields.
And Im wearing that Valentino cashmere, wool trench coat, a turtleneck cashmere sweater.
Incredible.And jeans, and my high-heeled boots.
And we covered all the hillside with this fake snow, which was totally biodegradable.
It was the most incredible it doesnt snow in England.
It rains in England.
But there are swabs of snow.
Its all these long shots, like really far away.
Im just this tiny little thing running in the distance.
And of course, the music is blasting while Im shooting it.
So I had the tempo to which Im running.
Im flying down this field and up this hill and down this row of trees.
And the cameras on a track, and its tracking me as I run through the trees.
Literally, I was so fit by the end of that week.
I ran probably seven miles a day in those heels.
Through mud and hills.
It was so hilarious.
But you dont appear to be sweating.
Thats the most impressive part.Well, movie magic, as they say.
I run up, pretending like Id been running, with my heavy breath.
Breathing as if I had just run seven miles.
I think we shot it in over a week.
She was like, I dont know.
I just always pictured it this way.
I love this story.
Is that typical for her?Yeah.
All directors are different.
Nancys kind of both.
If she saw it exactly the same seven times, then she felt that she had it.
And then when she had it, she had it.
And then shed want to see it differently.
And then if you do it differently, youd have to do it another seven times exactly the same.
But look at what it reaped.
Look at the end product!
People love that movie.
I cant even tell you.
I watch it every holiday season.
Its the first thing I put on at the beginning of December.
I watch it every single day.
I watch it with my sisters.
I watch it with my mother.
I watch it with my best friends.
I love it, too.
How would you describe Nancys sense of style?
How does she dress, and how does she dress her characters?Understated, simple.
She loves a neutral palette.
It works very well.
She has that down.
Theres the beautiful silk and the beautiful cashmere.
Whats the most Nancy Meyers memory that you have?
She talks with her hands, and she moves her head.
And she has this very particular way about her mannerisms.
But I just love her mannerisms.
Nancy, shes shorter than I am.
And I always had heels on, so there was always more height difference.
But she kind of stands back and looks up at me.
And I always just think she is just the word isntcute, because thats patronizing.
Im analyzing a grown woman.
But theres just something about her stature and her presence thats just …
It makes me just want to hug her.
I have so much respect for her.
She walks to the beat of her own drum.
[Inaudible noise.]
Sorry, my dogs snoring.
But I think shes picked her lane, and she stays in it.
Thats what I really love about her.
Shes not trying to reinvent anything.
Shes like, I created this wheel.
I made this path.
This is my lane.
Im in it, I own it, and thats just what I do.
And everybody can get onboard or not.
But this is the train going this way.
Its already left the station, and its on its way to its destination.
I think that theres something great about that.
How would you characterize your friendship with her after working together?
Do you guys ever see each other?
Have you hung out?
Do you talk?We do.
Its been a long time, but weve always stayed in touch.
We text each other.
We call each other.
Our lives are both full.
Shes got her grandchildren and her daughters and her work.
So shes always busy.
Thats so nice to hear.
Whats your favorite Nancy movie?
And it can beThe Holiday, but its also okay if its notThe Holiday.Thats a good question.
Funny thing is, I dont think I really have watched any of them.
I have watchedSomethings Gotta Give.
Im trying to think of the last time I watched a Nancy Meyers movie.Parent Trap.
I rememberParent Trap, when it was first made.
And what was the last one that she did with Alec Baldwin?
Its Complicated.Its Complicated, yeah.
