TARA THORNE BRIEF INTERVIEW: 'Lakeview', and the Star Power of Lesley Smith
P.S. Have You Heard of A Game Called Two Dots?
I had the opportunity to send Canadian journalist-turned-filmmaker Tara Thorne a few questions, personal and professional.
She was kind enough to answer them.
—
Alex Southey, of Play with the Rabbit Ears: How would you define Lakeview (2024)? Is it a hangout movie? A dramedy? A genre movie in some way? I must admit it has this feeling of being almost a roman à clef to me, not that I have even the slightest inkling of what your life is like and who populates it.
Tara Thorne: "The Big Chill, but gay." That's 40 years old now and may be an outdated reference for a certain age bracket, so for the youths I'd call it a hangout movie. It kept getting sadder and sadder, and then Telefilm suggested I should make it funnier, so it ended up in the dramedy space.
The Darcy/Dax relationship is based on a past situationship of mine. I started out just wanting to write an ensemble piece for actors I love, and with time that bit emerged and it was like "Oh...." It's what the movie is about for me. I know it's funny but I don't consider it a comedy at all.
Otherwise, most of my closest friends are straight! Being bffs with your ex is one of the lesbian things I don't agree with (another is Blundstones; they were on my list of banned shoes for Emlyn in costumes). So the queer friendship dynamics in the movie are not something I've lived through, nor do I hope to.
AS: Which films or filmmakers inspire you? They don’t have to operate within the same genre(s) as you — it could be anyone and any reason, from, for example, actual writing to simple work ethic.
TT: Nicole Holofcener and Richard Linklater are my forever influences. Holofcener writes plot-lite women-centred stories that are great acting showcases, and Linklater is one of our best living directors and doesn't get credit for it, moving across genres and formats. He's also deeply romantic in a surprising way, which people sometimes say about me. The Before trilogy was an influence on both my films, and also the next one.
AS: Is there a fantasy project somewhere in the back of your mind? A project you’d pursue if given infinite money and green lights?
TT: After shooting the music scenes in Lakeview I really want to do a musical, but a diegetic one where all the songs happen within the movie. Once but with indie-rock songs. Also a drama about the pre-internet time Julia Roberts fled Hollywood at the height of her career to live in Ireland for two years.
AS: How much does your background as a journalist in film influence your own creative decisions? The petty part of me, if I was in your position, would be worried about acting hypocritically if I did something in my own movie that I said in another was misguided, or silly, etc. Ha.
TT: Ohhhhh interesting! It's hard being on this side of things because I'm snobby about good writing and editing. I'm not a Letterboxd person. Criticism is so important and it's never been less valued (or less lucrative). I think I always tried to understand where the filmmaker was coming from, even if I weren't the key demo—ie I don't like it, but I know why you would—and I think people have so far evaluated my work that way which I appreciate. Creatively it helps with structure and making things fit on a page!
AS: What is it about Lesley Smith?
TT: What a question! I first saw Lesley in a Halifax Fringe play written by my friend Kevin Hartford, and I didn't know either of them at the time, and it was so frigging funny. I've been obsessed with her ever since. She has this old-timey 1940s screwball comedy energy and perfect diction—it's rare to hear someone speak the way she does (and vocal quality is a huge factor for me in casting).
She was perfect for Compulsus because if anyone was going to get away with being a secret vigilante, it was this well-spoken nice lady poet. She didn't get to be very funny though, so when I started writing Lakeview my jump-off point was OK: it's Lesley, and she's funny! She's very sharp and versatile and can improv all day long if you ask her to (and I have). I always say Kat McCormack is the Ethan Hawke to my Linklater, and Lesley is the Catherine Keener to my Holofcener.
AS: How do you relax?
TT: My girlfriend will hate this answer but I play a phone game called Two Dots. I played it so much my hand was tingling and I bought a stylus at the dollar store to use solely for Two Dots.
AS: How do you get in the writing or directing mood?
TT: Directing doesn't happen enough that I have to get psyched up about it, I'm so happy to get another chance! Writing used to be fun but has been hard lately—I've been slogging through my next script, a romantic comedy, for three years and it's currently a MESS. A beer would help. And an hour of Two Dots.
—