The women-take-charge, narcissistic attitude has become increasingly prevalent in films, and writer-director Whit Stillman is the latest filmmaker to take part in the trend. His new comedy ‘Damsels in Distress,’ which is now playing in select theaters, isn’t afraid to present its female leads as smarter than their male counter-parts. The women are also classier than the men, in a school where male barbarism is still in effect, decades after coeducation was implemented on American college campuses.
‘Damsels in Distress’ follows a trio of girls-dynamic leader Violet (played by Greta Gerwig), principled Rose (portrayed by Megalyn Echikunwoke) and sexy Heather (played by Carrie MacLemore)-as they set out to revolutionize life at their gungy East Coast college, Seven Oaks. They decide to take a new transfer student, Lily (played by Analeight Tipton), under their wing as they set out to also help depressed students at the school’s suicide prevention center, which they run. In the process, the girls must also cope with the men they’ve become entangled with, including slick Charlie (portrayed by Adam Brody), the seemingly romantic Xavier (played by Hugo Becker) and frat boys Frank (portrayed by Ryan Metcalf) and Thor (portrayed by Billy Magnussen).
Echikunwoke and MacLemore generously took the time to discuss ‘Damsels in Distress’ with us during a roundtable interview at New York City’s Regency Hotel. The two actresses spoke about, amongst other things, what they think of the new trend in independent female lead characters, and what it was like working together on the independent film.
Question (Q): How did you both become involved in the project?
Megalyn Echikunwoke (ME): I auditioned like normal actors audition for things. (To MacLemore) Did you get to read the script before you went in?
Carrie MacLemore (CM): No, I read the sides as the different roles I read for, as they came in. I read the sides, and that was it, until Whit said, okay, I want you to read for Heather. Read the full script, and we’ll read through all those scenes. That was the first time I read it. It was at the end of the process.
ME: Yeah, most of the girls in the movie-Heather, Lily and Violet-all of those girls were considered for the other roles. So they were playing merry-go-round. But Rose was always Rose. So I read the script, and I read for Rose.
I got to meet Whit, and he was so lovely, and we kind of developed the character in the audition room. He asked me to try some accents, and he really liked the English accent, and it stuck. From then on, I was Rose. I was really lucky.
Q: Were you familiar with Whit’s work prior to filming?
ME: I wasn’t. I had heard of ‘Last Days of Disco,’ but had never seen it. After I read the script, I was a huge fan.
CM: Yeah, I wasn’t familiar with his work either. But after I read the first scene, I rushed out to watch his other films, and I loved them. I said, why didn’t I know about this before, why didn’t I know about ‘Metropolitan?’ People who know me know this is my thing.
Q: Can you both see clear connections between Whit’s previous movies and this one?
ME: Absolutely. But I think this is a departure from his other movies. The characters are more stereotypical. It’s more of a comedy. His other movies didn’t have the comedic edge I think this one has. This is a dark comedy.
Q: Did you know any girls like these characters at any point in your life?
CM: I kind of feel like I’m like some of these characters. (laughs) A little bit. I am too obsessed with the elegance of the past. I feel at home in a different time period.
Q: What would be your time period?
CM: What would be my golden era? There would be so many, I love so many different points in time.
ME: Yeah, that’s hard. That’s a hard question.
CM: The 19th century, I would say, the early 19th century, circa Jane Austin. I also love the Hollywood golden age from the 1930s and ’40s.
ME: That is a hard question. I love the 19th century and the early 1900s. But I don’t know, as a black woman, black people really didn’t have an identity during these times. I see those movies, and I say, oh, I would love to be in a movie like that. But it’s never going to happen, what role would I play?
I think if you’re not black or a minority, you’re not really thinking along the lines (of what kind of roles were available). As an actor, you’re always thinking, what role would I play and in that time? That’s a reality.
Q: Will Smith recently was asked at a press conference for ‘Men in Black III,’ if you could go back in time and act in another era, what would it be? He said I’m black, so I would be right here.
ME: Yeah, it’s an unfortunate thing, because there’s so many amazing periods. I love the ’20s. The clothing, the style, the elegance. Like Paris in the ’20s. The only black woman who ever got any acclaim was Josephine Baker. I admire her so much. One of my goals in life is to play her and portray her in a musical feature.
Q: How far have you come with those plans?
ME: Well, I wrote a treatment. I produced a short movie, a concept short. It was interesting, it was for me to put the story together in my mind. It’s difficult, because as I get a little older, at what point (do I focus on)? Her life is so interesting, and expands over such a long period of time. Interesting pieces were in several pieces of her life.
I don’t necessarily want it to be a biopic. It’s kind of hard, because where do you start? I definitely would want the bulk of it to be set in Paris in the ’20s. I think that’s the most interesting part.
Q: She had a very difficult relationship with the idea of the U.S., and the racial issues here. Do you think it’s better now?
ME: Yeah, it’s definitely much better, and it’s getting better everyday. But I can’t imagine being one of those women, and having this talent and being truly American, but not having any acceptance. They left, which is what I would do.
But even in Europe, it wasn’t utter and complete welcoming. You’re definitely still a black woman. Josephine Baker was completely objectified, and that’s the role she had to take on. She knew what she was doing, she was self aware.
Q: Are there any important bios of her life?
ME: There was a made-for-TV movie with Lynn Whitfield starring as Josephine Baker. It was done in the ’80s, and it wasn’t very good. It was an ’80s remake, and it wasn’t a musical. If you’re chronicling her life, it should be a musical. There was also a Broadway musical, but nothing really great. I think it should be my job to make a musical.
Q: Carrie, ‘Damsels in Distress’ was your first feature. Can you talk about that experience, and what are your feature goals for your movie career?
CM: Yeah, it was a wonderful experience. The script is such a gem, I can’t believe this is my first film. To work with a writer and director of Whit’s caliber and this great ensemble, it was tremendous.
Q: Is there anyone in history you would like to play?
CM: Yes, Sophie Germain, she’s the Jane Austin of math, which is what I tell my friends about her. The past few years, I’ve wanted to write kind of a comedy about her and her young life. She and Jane Austin were born in the same year, 1776.
I’m not a math person, so it’s kind of funny that I’d be interested in her. She was such a determined young woman with so many hardships against her. Her parents would discourage her from pursing math, because it wasn’t feminine, to the point that they would take away her candle sticks and sheets and pajamas. So she would be forced to lie in bed and not get up. She couldn’t have a candle and warmth and study.
But math was her way of dealing with the reign of terror that was going on outside, which is why she was stuck in her father’s library, learning. I thought she had such a fascinating life. It’s all so unbelievable that it has this stranger-than-fiction kind of thing. That’s something I had an interest in, and would like to work on after ‘Damsels in Distress.’ I just feel like I have to get it out.
Q: Watching the movie, you girls seem really connected. What was the process of becoming really connected?
CM: I think we just met, and everyone just kind of hit it off.
ME: We all met at the table read, right before we were about to start shooting.
CM: It was the optional table read, on a Saturday. (laughs) But everyone came, of course. I think we had a lot of outings after leaving the set, and on the weekends.
ME: We also a shooting schedule and environment that lent itself to being close-knit. We shot at this old, 19th century naval retirement home. It looked like a college, it was a beautiful environment. We lived in these little cottages.
The shooting schedule was so fast-paced, we did it in 28 days. We were there every single day with each other.
CM: We had cottages instead of trailers, so everyone was really tight-knit.
ME: Yeah, we’d be with each other from like 4am to 2am everyday. (laughs)
CM: Did you have time to come to Manhattan?
CM: Yeah, we slept in Manhattan, we stayed here.
ME: But we had fun a couple nights. We were working low-budget style, you got to get it in.
CM: Everyone was so passionate about it the whole time.
ME: Your mind doesn’t have time to get away from it. You’re in that world, but it’s a really great way.
CM: It’s like 90 miles per hour, and then stop. But I like that.
Q: Is it hard to say goodbye?
CM: It was, I was really sad. I just missed this world that Whit had created for us to come into.
Q: What do you think of the way guys are portrayed in this film?
CM: I think it’s so fresh. There are things they don’t understand, and everything is kind of symbolic.
Q: What do you think of Violet’s philosophy that you should date someone inferior to you?
CM: I think she’s kind of onto something, the idea of humility.
ME: I love that the guys are portrayed in this movie as dumb and superficial. Usually, the tables are turned. I love that the women are the ones who have ideas and are smart and interesting and strong and leaders. That’s pretty unprecedented, no one’s writing this kind of stuff for women, especially young women, especially young black women. So it was a really great opportunity for me. I’m so lucky I got to be part of this world.
I hope college girls watch this, and not only laugh, but go, these are really interesting characters. Usually the tables are turned, and the women are written as very one-dimensional and boring.
Q: Within the last year, with ‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘Young Adult,’ there’s this trend of women being portrayed as narcissists. It’s usually that the women change in the end. That doesn’t seem to be the way anymore. What do you think about that?
ME: I think it’s a great trend. I think it’s sad that it’s actually a trend, and not part of normal movie-making and Hollywood, and not the way women are usually portrayed. Hopefully it will last. I think it’s funny that Whit didn’t intentionally write it to be part of a trend.
CM: I think he wrote it years ago, and it’s been a rolling project. We did this a year-and-a-half ago.
Written by: Karen Benardello
