Director Michael J. Weithorn’s experience is one I’m quite familiar with. I like to draw from real life, whether it’s my own or what I observe around me. I think people recognize when something is based on the actual, random oddness of real life versus when some writer constructs something artificial in their office. People sense the difference, consciously or unconsciously.
When it comes to casting Kevin, Kyra, and Judd, how did that all come together? Were they immediately on board?
No, it came together piece by piece, as tends to be the case. We first approached Kevin, who really liked the part of Stan in the script and wanted to do it. He then suggested Kyra, who obviously read it too, expressed interest, and passed that along to me.
At first, I was a little resistant—not because Kyra Sedgwick isn’t a fine actress. I was concerned about casting a real-life couple and having it appear cutesy, like, “Oh, look, they’re the married couple doing a rom-com,” and the whole thing would feel like an extended Instagram post.
I was very protective of the film, the story, and the characters. However, once I met and got to know them, all my fears were assuaged. They’re both very dedicated to their craft and were not looking to make the film about themselves. They genuinely wanted to play these characters.
In fact, Kyra was the one who suggested that Cynthia’s hair be darker, straighter, and not have her signature beautiful blonde curls, because that wouldn’t be right for this character. The fact that she immediately saw the character in that way showed me I was dealing with someone who truly wanted to embody the role.
Sometimes, actors in light comedies tend to wink at the audience—one foot in character, one foot still themselves. That was not the case with either Kevin or Kyra. They were fully committed to their characters throughout.
https://bleedingcool.com/movies/the-best-you-can-director-on-slice-of-life-rom-com-bacon-sedgwick/
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