THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 29 JANUARY 2020 AWARDS 1
But it was still a grueling process,
including casting and the ques-
tion of getting the budget to just
under $40 million. Meryl [Streep]
was part of it from the beginning,
and I’m sure that helped. These
are not the kinds of movies that
major studios make. It’s pretty
extraordinary that Sony actually
supported us to the extent they
have. But the process is about
the script. Her take was unique
and singular, and her script was
completely undeniable. I talked to
Sony right before Lady Bird came
out and told them they had to see
it. And once Lady Bird came out,
everybody knew she was a gigan-
tic talent.
Was there ever a point when you
threw up your hands in frustration
and thought you wouldn’t be able
to make it happen?
You think that a little bit every day
when you’re making a film. Right?
It’s like the challenge of getting
everything right all the time.
You are always hoping that you’re
remembering what the goal is. I
was lucky that Greta and I got to
remind each other every day.What was the most challeng-
ing thing during the actual shoot
in Massachusetts?
I’ll tell you, the hardest thing was
waiting for snow. It was the one
thing that we couldn’t control.So we had a lot of weather apps
that we dealt with all the time.
There were days that we were
chasing snow.I’ve read that you also broke your
ankle when scouting locations.
It happened right before we
started shooting. I had surgery in
Boston, and communicated for the
first couple of weeks with Greta on
our Apple Watches. Then I showed
up on set in a wheelchair. I looked
like Dr. Strangelove.Why does Louisa May Alcott’s book
still resonate today?
Because it’s been a best-seller for
150 years. My father read the bookto my mother when I was in utero.
I’m all things Little Women.Tom Rothman wrote a memo
to staff saying that Little Women
is only the third film in history
that’s directed, written and pro-
duced by women to be nominated
for best picture.
It is very, very gratifying.
I couldn’t be prouder.In light of the backlash to Greta
Gerwig’s not being given a slot in
the directing category — and the
fact that only men were nominated
— where do you think the bias lies?
There were a lot of really great
movies this year, to be honest
with you, and there are a lot of
really worthy directors. I don’t
think that anyone singled anyone
out to not include them.But what about the backlash?
People really feel like Greta
deserved it, and I also feel that
way. I wish that it had gone other-
wise, but she’s really OK with
it, and she’s really happy about the
film. We’re all so happy about all
these nominations. None of us are
in a place where we’re feeling bad.
That’s the truth.What has been the biggest sur-
prise about your producing career
post-Sony?
Oh golly, I don’t know. The smart-
est thing you can do as a producer
is to make sure you work with
really talented people. And I think
I’ve been really fortunate that the
filmmakers and other producers
that I’ve worked with have been
so gifted.Interview edited for length
and clarity.