Up next in 10
In Conversation with Melora Hardin About 'YOU'
Jun 6, 2024
YOU is a love story. It spans 21 years, bouncing around in time, creating a kind of family quilt that wraps around a father as he struggles to overcome the grief of losing his beloved wife and raise their daughter alone. A coming-of-age journey for both the father and his daughter, You is filled with the magic of life and love and family.
View Video Transcript
0:00
I love you
0:08
Love my baby, ain't that enough? When two people meet
0:20
And it's meant to be. Perfect for me. I love you. I love you, Bill Pumpkin
0:30
Letting go is the hardest thing to do. I don't know if I can do this without her
0:42
I've been told a long, long time ago when I was making a little movie, the producer came up to me and said
0:46
you should really direct, you have that wonderful quality, an unusual quality of the velvet glove, iron fist velvet glove
0:54
So I thought, well, that's interesting. I hadn't really thought about that. And then, you know, I guess I kind of put it in the back of my brain
1:01
And my husband's a writer, so of course I've read all of his screenplays. And this one, he kind of spawned from a moment that he and I had when our first daughter was born
1:13
We were cuddling in bed together with our little newborn daughter between us
1:17
And I had this little daydream about what's it going to be like when she's getting married
1:24
And I literally conjured up my wedding speech, my toast that I would do at her wedding
1:29
And we both kind of welled up with tears and we laughed at the absurdity of it
1:34
And he went off to a location to film something and came back with this screenplay called You
1:39
And I took it with me to get a manicure pedicure and I was sitting there reading it
1:44
And I had to leave my manicure pedicure because I was crying because it was so beautiful
1:48
And I came home and I said, honey, can I direct this film
1:52
Or maybe I should go see a shrink about this. Could you ask Miranda to go, please
2:06
Well, I would. I'd love to, actually. But... Ask her. Honey, will you go, please
2:25
I think because I've been on stage and on television and in film and I was raised with two actors
2:32
there's always been an incredible focus on craft in my life, in my upbringing
2:38
I started acting professionally at six years old. So it's really been about that
2:45
And I also think that just working with so many different kinds of directors, I mean, I've worked with great, incredible stage directors like Athel Fugard
2:52
And I've also worked with amazing film directors like Clint Eastwood, also an actor-director
2:56
Isn't that interesting? When I am collaborating, I really take it very seriously to make sure that I don't sit on other people's contribution creatively
3:07
And really want to give them permission, I guess, to bring their best selves to the party
3:13
And so that is, I think that's something I was really good at as a director
3:19
Something that I'm continually honing day-to-day in all of the areas of my life
3:24
But yeah, that was really one of the most, and one of the most fulfilling things about directing
3:29
is that making a film is one of the greatest team efforts I've ever been involved with
3:33
So, Jack's Loo-De-Loo. I have heard the Loo-De-Loo story. Wait, Dad, you lied to Mom on your first date
3:48
Yes. The thing is, when I met your mom, I didn't know she was going to be your mom, going to end up as your mom
3:58
She was just this incredible, beautiful woman at a party. My husband sort of really stepped back and let me just cut the movie exactly the way I wanted to cut the movie
4:07
So he didn't see it until I was completely done and I had my final cut
4:11
It was an interesting way to watch the movie. He had to kind of get beyond the fact that, you know, it's not word-for-word, his script
4:20
because scripts translate differently in a visual medium than they do on the page
4:24
And my task was, and what I said to him, is I wanted to get the feeling of the script that I got when I read it up on screen
4:32
And I felt that I really did achieve that. That he set the tone for the feeling and I replicated that in a visual medium
4:39
So he loves the movie now and I think is very proud of his performance
4:44
And I'm very proud of his performance because he has worked as an actor, but not as well-known as I am
4:49
And I just think that it's the kind of thing where you very rarely see men that vulnerable
4:56
On screen. I mean, he really is vulnerable. He opens his heart and he absolutely just gives such a beautiful, honest, and kind of heart-wrenching performance
5:08
And on the way, maybe we'll stop off and we'll get some ice cream. How about that
5:12
Okay. Mommy does that. Sometimes Daddy never does that. Maybe this time Daddy will
5:17
Okay. Mommy says it's okay. She does? No. Listen
5:37
I feel very excited. I feel very proud of the film. I think it's a really beautiful film
5:42
I think I'm most excited. I think the performances are amazing. I think my cast is wonderful
5:48
I think my DP did an amazing job. My editor did an amazing job. Mostly what I'm proud of is just the way it leaves people
5:54
It's a very emotional film. It's a very touching film. But it's not an overly sentimental film
5:59
It's actually a life-affirming, life-giving, thought-provoking movie. That really, when people walk out of the theater, they feel like
6:07
I want to call my husband and tell him how much I love him. I want to give my kids a hug
6:25
I love Broadway World. I thank you all so much for supporting me and supporting my film
6:31
Youthefilm.com for supporting my music and my acting and just everything. You guys are awesome, awesome, awesome. And I love you guys
6:40
And we'll be seeing more of each other. Come back to Broadway. I will
#Animated Films
#Drama Films
#Family Films
#Film & TV Industry
#Movies
#Musical Films
#Romance Films