Summary
In 2021, authorRachel Yoderpublished her acclaimed novelNightbitch.
Now, her book has been adapted into a feature film directed byMarielle Heller.
Heller was wonderful enough to join CollidersSteve Weintraubfor a conversation aboutNightbitch.
Image via Searchlight Pictures
Nightbitch Is A Testament To Amy Adams Raw Talent
COLLIDER: Congrats on the movie.
Am I completely wrong about this?
HELLER: You’re not wrong that that’s written on the internet, but the internet is wrong.
Image via Searchlight Pictures
HELLER: Yeah, this was always the plan for the movie.
The movie was delayed because of the strikes.
Can you talk about inserting her as a cheat code into a movie?
Image via Searchlight Pictures
HELLER: I suppose that’s true.
I think what Amy does in this movie is different from what we’ve seen from her, too.
She had to really push herself.
A woman pauses her career to be a stay-at-home mom, but soon her domesticity takes a surreal turn.
It’s a very vulnerable role that she does.
It’s very intimate.
She’s such a multi-talented actress, singer, dancer, all of these things.
She is such a talented actor.
It feels like people are afraid to talk about the messiness of being a parent.
It comes up, but no one really gets in there.
I’m assuming this is why you wanted to direct this.
It all brings you back to basically working on instinct.
It can bring out a primal side.
Marielle Heller’s adaptation is a wild combination of ideas that are balanced quite effectively.
Oh, and Amy Adams turns into a dog.
I love talking about the editing process.
How did this film change in the editing room in ways you didn’t expect going in?
Early days, especially.
As much as it’s also wonderful and joyful, it can be very, very mind-numbingly oppressive.
It was about those bigger cinematic choices that I made when I wrote the script.
Then, there were other ways in which the film shifted editorially.
That unlocked something for us.
That was a surprise, I will say.
The reason I always talk about editing is that there’s so many choices you could make.
You change one minute of the movie, and it’s a completely different movie.
That’s the reason I’m fascinated by it.
How Are Male Audiences Reacting to Nightbitch?
What did you learn from those early screenings that perhaps impacted the finished film?
Oh, you’re really mad at how this movie is portraying men.
I didn’t expect that.
My husband thinks it’s funny.
I’ve never seen this depiction of motherhood before.
For every defensive reaction of, like, Why was the man shown like that?
It was fascinating, truthfully.
Nightbitchis now playing in theaters.
