Top to bottom:
Instructing Dever,
Feldstein and Noah
Galvin (aka put-upon
schoolmate George);
Mixing things up
with Skyler Gisondo
(rich-but-uncool kid
Jared); With Amy’s
parents (Lisa Kudrow
and Will Forte);
Wilde’s feminist
teen inspiration,
Alicia Silverstone
in Clueless.
“ I realised I was happier
as a director on set than
I had been as an actor. It
was like putting on shoes
that fit for the first time.”
❯characters in Boo
ksmart. All of these iconic generational
anthems are very much about the kids,
because when you’re young you feel that
only your peers understand you.
It’s funny, because when you
rewatch all of these films now, they
feel very specific to their time, and
yet there’s a timelessness to them;
a universality to the messages that they
all contain. That’s what I was striving
for with Booksmart; I wanted it to feel
appropriate for this era. I wanted it to
feel like a timestamp of now — for this
generation — but at the same time
universal in a timeless way.I DECIDED I WANTED to
make Booksmart as soon as I read the
original draft of the script. I had never
directed a film before, but from spending
half of my life on sets I have come to
understand what each department and
crew member does. Slowly I gained
first-hand knowledge of the way films are
put together, from filming right through
to post-production.
In my early twenties I produced Reed
Morano’s first film, Meadowland, which
was a priceless opportunity to observe
a strong director at work. Reed was
unwavering in her dedication to the story
she wanted, and needed, to tell. She led
her set with confidence, never showed
fear, collaborated in a fluid, inspired way,
and never stopped laughing. She is
a masterful filmmaker and a true hero
of mine.
The more I learned about the
development process, the more I realised
that the best job was as a director,
because it is the ultimate collaborative
position. I developed the courage to
actually direct in my late twenties,
making music videos for bands like
Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic
Zeros and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Very
quickly I realised that I was happier
as a director on set than I had ever
been as an actor. This was where
I was meant to be. I liken it to putting
on shoes that fit for the first time.
As for Booksmart, it was
passed to me by Jessica
Elbaum over at Gloria
Sanchez Productions,
which is the