The Domino Effect

This weekend, our three casting wizards will meet to go over the videos we shot of the auditions. As a director I am very open to the idea of call-backs, but want to be sure we're not wasting valuable time -- both ours and the actors'. So, with that in mind we'll make our "best decisions, go forth and conquer" (a line from the film, hee hee).

Selecting Joan is probably the most challenging part. She IS the whole story really. And while one actress captured the first part of Joan, another actress was able to play the second part with real emotion... The dynamic nature of her character is challenging, and we wished at the end of it that we could merge the two actresses, but that (as we all know with old boyfriends) can never be. Then, once we pick Joan, that will in some ways define who her daughter will need to be. Thus we're in the midst of the cliffhanger: a real fist-clenched, white-knuckled domino effect. Knocking off one will make choosing the rest easier. God Bless Joan.

Emmanuelle put it best: We want to be very deliberate in this final step.

This film is an internal film; that is, it takes place in the minds of the characters... what they're thinking, feeling and experiencing. There are no crashes or chase scenes or multiple locations. Just one place at one time with a bunch of people kind of losing their mind in this strange and superficial way.

Our actors will have to be top notch, or at least work very well together, and that's the key. A call-back would be ideal to see who plays off of who best. But we filmed everything as a screen test for a reason. We need to *feel* something from the actors... and what I remember may not be what I end up seeing on the screen. AD says, "It's the screen that counts, baby" but at the same time, I'm loathe to ignore my instincts. So we will have one final pow wow before making this next big CHOICE. Freedom can be a curse and a blessing, n'est-ce pas?

I have developed a great appreciation of the casting process, and cannot begin to fathom how actors channel characters and nuances. It is magic, truly.

Below is our list of finalists, and yes, we have made the final call for a couple of characters. Here we have it (drum roll, please):

HELEN
Dee Marshall
Holly Nugent

JOAN
Jennie Floyd
Dorothy Gallagher

KATIE
Larissa Kasian
Jennifer Linkous

MARY
Heather Shaw

GIL
Randy Hurst
Jeffrey Davis

CONCEPCION
Christabel Savalas

BRIDAL ASSISTANT
Juliet Heller
Mawiyah Johnson

HOSTESS
Juliet Heller
Mawiyah Johnson