While people, even in the same social circles, have different personalities and outlooks on life, everyone is quick to defend their viewpoints and ideas, even to their friends. This is one of the key topics in writer-director Whit Stillman’s new comedy ‘Damsels in Distress,’ which is now playing in select theaters. The lead female characters in the film are on a mission to change the ideals and actions on their college campus, particularly amongst their male counterparts, even if it means arguing with those around them.
‘Damsels in Distress’ follows a trio of girls-dynamic leader Violet (played by Greta Gerwig), opinionated Rose (portrayed by Megalyn Echikunwoke) and sexy Heather (played by Carrie MacLemore)-as they set to help their fellow students at their grungy East Coast college, Seven Oaks. Not only do they want to change the male barbaric ideals that still resonate on campus, the girls also run the school’s suicide prevention center. They help treat their classmates with tap dancing and good hygiene.
The girls decide to take one of their new classmates, transfer student Lily (portrayed by Analeigh Tipton), under their wing. While teaching her the ways of the school, the girls also become entangled with the slick Charlie (played by Adam Brody), seemingly romantic Xavier (portrayed by Hugo Beker) and frat boys Frank (played by Ryan Metcalf) and Thor (portrayed by Billy Magussen).
Tipton and Brody generously took the time to speak about filming ‘Damsels in Distress’ at New York City’s Regency Hotel during a roundtable interview. The two discussed, among other things, what their favorite dances are, and the ideas they agreed with Violet about.
Question (Q): How did you both get involved with ‘Damsels in Distress?’
Adam Brody (AB): Mostly the old-fashioned way. Mostly you get agents before you ever know what’s happening. You go to meetings. But I just loved the script, I think it’s brilliant.
Q: Why is it brilliant to you?
AB: I think it’s incredibly funny and so original and unique, what Whit puts on film, and his ideas. It’s so rich with ideas and different themes and subtexts. It’s packed with a lot of different philosophies, but all under a romantic, incredible movie.
Q: Analeigh, how did you get involved in the movie?
Analeigh Tipton (AT): I was sent the script by my agent. I wasn’t familiar with Whit’s work. I loved how there was a joke on the surface level, and then 10 pages later, the joke would be brought back around, and things would take on different levels of Whit, to use a play on his name.
Before even meeting him, I saw other movies, to fully understand the style, and appreciate what partaking in the film would mean. I fell in love with the process from there.
Q: In the movie, you talk fast, and really have to pay attention all the time. Is this more difficult as actors?
AB: I think as an audience, with all of his movies, I can’t process what’s being said for like 10 minutes. So much is coming at you, dialogue-wise. But on the flip-side, that’s what’s so great, his movies are so fun to watch again. You really catch things the third time.
Even with the script, even though you’re reading it over and over, slower, taking it in. You’re catching things the third and fourth time, that you didn’t the first time.
Q: How was that while you were filming?
AB: I didn’t have a problem with it. I had to look stuff up, though, because I don’t know what it all means. (laugh) I don’t know every author, or every word. But, in terms of me, the rhythm is so laid out for you, and the humor is already there for you. The dialogue, you just kind of say it. Although it’s a little heightened and proper, I personally fell in love with it. It wasn’t that difficult.
Q: Analeigh, your character was kind of innocent, but she wasn’t afraid to challenge Violet. Was that how she was written, or did you come up with it? Whenever she challenged her, it wasn’t in a mean, malicious way.
AT: Whit and I kind of differed on this. Little did I know while filming, he didn’t tell me directly, was that with my character, the things she questioned about Violent were coming from a very innocent, sweet, curious place. Whit’s intention was more direct, to be a little judgmental towards, and harsh on, Violet. We kind of combined our two ideas for it.
Lily, I think, was made a little bit more skeptical. She was harsher sometimes, but not coming from a place to hurt anybody. It’s coming from a pretty innocent place. So I think it was a combination of the two.
Q: Did you know anyone like Violet, or anyone like these characters?
AT: I think I’m a little bit like Violet. I think Lily was difficult for me, character-wise, because she was not like that happy, sing-song smiley person that I thought would be so much fun. Whit would tell me to smile less. But I did go to an all-girls school, and we did have a lot of singing and dancing.
Q: Did you ever start a dance craze?
AT: No.
AB: I’ve started several. The limbo was actually my father’s father. (laughs)
AT: Because I’m tall, I have trouble with the limbo.
AB: Yeah, it was a Jewish thing, to get back at all the really tall people.
AT: Yeah, I was picked on.
AB: Here, go under the stick. Level the playing field.
Q: Besides the limbo, do you have a favorite dance craze?
AT: I love the electric slide.
AB: I’m partial to the Kid ‘n Play. It’s from ‘House Party.’ The rap group, Kid ‘N Play. You can do it with two people. You can do it alone, but it’s better together. That’s a dance craze I know.
Q: Why are you partial to it?
AB: Well, it was my favorite movie in sixth grade. They were my heroes. (laughs)
Q: Can you relate to the concept of remaking yourself, like Violet does?
AB: Yeah, I think so. Being an actor’s interesting, because you’re constantly taking on fictitious personalities, wondering what part of me is real, and what part is projecting, both on-camera and off. The line becomes blurred a little bit.
I think everyone struggles with identity. But as an actor, I think you’re more attuned to it, and you might be thinking about it a little more.
AT: Yeah, I get why you were obsessed with trying to figure out reality, and find the line between different reality concepts. When it comes to reinventing yourself, I think you wake up a little different everyday.
Q: What’s next for the two of you?
AB: I’m doing a movie called ‘Some Girl(s).’
AT: I just finished filming a zombie romance (‘Warm Bodies’), directed by Jonathan Levine. He did ’50/50.’ It’s got John Malkovich, Nicolas Hoult, Rob Corrdry and Teresa Palmer. I hold a machine gun. It’s based off a book. It’s good, it’s a smart film. Zombie romances are one thing where you add that director and John Malkovich, it gives off a different edge to it.
Q: Did you buy into any of Violet’s theories in ‘Damsels in Distress?’ Like the nice smelling soap can totally change your mood?
AB: There’s so many, I have a lot. Part of it is the delivery. One thing that comes to mind, at the last screening, where she said I’m not calling cool people less human, just enough to be cool. (laughs) I think there’s something to that.
I think there’s something to the soap and dance. They’re all cures for depression. I think a lot of what she says holds true, even if the other side’s argument holds true, too. Dating someone who’s not her equal, intellectually, I think that’s partially rationalizing. She likes him, and she’s rationalizing it. She says intelligence is not a barrier, and I think that is true.
AT: Yeah, I think there are a lot of points Whit put in the film that people can relate to. The fact that they’re so applicable in life, in general, and because of the context they’re delivered in, like soap, Whit said you can replace with anything that makes you happy.
The same goes with singing and dancing. There’s something to it that we sort of take for granted.
AB: I think that’s the point, the little, simple things can make you happy.
Q: How was it filming that big musical number?
AT: It was fun, so much spinning. (laughs) (To Brody) I think that was your last scene, right?
AB: Yeah, it was fun. It was the thing I felt least prepare for, actually. It was independent film-making, and it was all sort-of run-and-gun. It was choreographed dancing, but it was spur-of-the-moment. I think everyone else liked it more than me.
AT: Yeah, I really enjoyed the dancing. But I enjoy choreography. I like to do something monotonous, over and over, hence the electric slide.
Q: How do you feel about how the men are portrayed?
AB: Great. I think one of the great things about his movies is there are no villains. Even Xavier, who you think is doing this big ruse to take advantage and manipulate sexually these girls, is sincere. But he’s actually a good guy.
I think that’s always a surprise in Whit’s movies. If they seem bad, they’re going to be good, actually. It goes for guys and girls. I think he has such a warm view of his characters and humanity.
AT: He was really protective of us on set.
AB: That’s true, he as really nice to us on set.
AT: He made us happy, comfortable and involved. At one point, he tried to organize line dancing in New York.
AB: We didn’t go. (laughs)
AT: That’s right, we didn’t go! But he planned it.
Written by: Karen Benardello
