A Conversation with NIGHTBITCH Star Amy Adams at AFI Fest 2024

But I was surprised by how absolutely grounded and relatable the movie is, especially after I heard everybody talking about it after the movie. When you first read Rachel Yoder's book, what grabbed you that you had to option this? Well, so much about what you just said are the things that attracted me, was that, you know, and of course you hear a pitch where it's like, well, she thinks she's turning into a dog now. That was exciting to me in one way, because I loved the Metamorphosis novel when I was growing up. I studied it in humanities, and I was like, OK, that could be kind of cool. But I really loved how relatable it was. And I think it was the moment in the book, and I'm paraphrasing, so forgive me, Rachel, where she says, I could have punched him in his smiling face. I was like, oh, I get it. I totally get it. And there was just something so relatable about her view on motherhood, the duality between loving her son and sort of losing herself. There was just so many complex issues to explore that I just thought this could make a really special film. Well, not only just as an actor, but also as a producer. Why was it so important for you to produce a movie where you just had to be on it? Well, I think a big part of producing is getting the creative team right. And that's one thing I really loved about producing is matching the right people to the right material and being able to be on that phone call to Marielle and be like, I think this is something that you should take a look at. And having her respond to it and then getting to develop the story out with her and really talk about her personal experiences, that's something that's a really unique opportunity that I get to do as a producer by joining in the early stages. I get to be a part of that personal connection with the material. What was it about Marielle that you just said, that's my director? Well, I first saw her work in, forgive me, Diary of a Teenage Girl. Yeah, amazing. And then also Can You Ever Forgive Me? and Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. And she just had a really beautiful relationship between characters that would at once seem flawed but also very human. And then also had a beautiful visual storytelling technique. And I knew she'd come up, she wasn't afraid of taking risks with tone and sort of playing with genre. So she had, I just thought her sensibility would be so well paired with Night Bitch. And then when I heard she just had a baby, three months before we were going to reach out to her, I thought, maybe she'll really understand this in a deep way, which she did. Yeah, absolutely. How did your own experiences with early motherhood inform your performance as mother in Night Bitch? Well, there were a lot of experiences that informed, but not only just being a mother, but being a woman, being a human, and going through transformative periods of my life or periods of my life where I've had struggles with identity, struggles with friendships, relationships. But then deeper, as you go into the motherhood, it's that idea of responsibility and that idea of connecting with something sort of ancestral and feral. And it's really powerful and scary and new. And yeah, there was just so much to sort of, okay, forgive me because I'm going to make puns, and it's not on purpose. But there's just so much to dig into, a lot to chew on. It just happens with this film naturally. I would say that about other films or this film. It just becomes an endless, endless string of puns. I apologize. When I think about your career, the films, the roles you played, the range, Enchanted, Rival, Nocturnal Animals. Yes, these are amazing performances. Just the range that you've displayed by playing someone who is so relatable, but in such a raw, go-for-broke performance, that itself brings acting challenges that were unique to Night Bitch. So what were those acting challenges for you in making this film, especially because you're in every scene? I don't know. I feel like making a movie, you forget the hard part sometimes. I think there was a lot of vulnerability in this and a lot of availability and a lot of being present in the moment, especially working with the young actors. How great were they? They were fantastic. Emmett and Arlene, they were amazing. And Mari did such a great job of casting them and creating an environment that was more like play than work and that kind of crossed over for us. So all of the challenges that I had in this or anything that it was just sort of absorbed by being very present for the needs of the child, which sort of works for the film. Scoot McNary is terrific in that film as well. He's excellent. In terms of just the, let's say, table read or just the first conversations you have with him, again as an actor but also as a producer on the film, how did that further develop the on-screen relationship that you have in order to make it feel really authentic? We did not have a ton of rehearsals and a ton of conversations. We had two or three days. We got together. We talked a lot. We got scenes up on their feet. And it was one of those things that Scoot inherently understood the character. And he does such a great job at playing the father who is not the villain. He isn't the antagonist at all. You know, right? He's not. He's wonderful. He just doesn't have all the information and doesn't know the questions to ask. And they're having a real problem with communication in their relationship and living very disparate lives. And what I love about what he brings to it is when he finally does unleash, his concerns are also valid, you know? And it's very true to relationships and so identifiable. And also, you know, I want to wring his neck when I'm, you know. But that's relationships. Like he can be flawed and also he can be lovely and also be wrong. No, I'm kidding. That sounds too personal. I was like, wait, why did I switch that? But, no, he can be flawed but also be loving and invested. And I think once they're honest with each other, that's how they come back together is through honesty and accountability, both of them. But, of course, there is definitely a big scene, big transformation scene, where you do transform into a dog. And it's very like American Werewolf in London stuff. It's awesome. But how did you prepare for that? American Werewolf in London. Yeah. I just watched that. I watched that growing up a ton. No, I know. I was like, is that what this is going to be like? I had a long talk with Mari. She's like, no, no, no. I just want flashes, and we're going to do it in stages. So we did that over the course of a night shoot and just did it in stages. There were three stages of dog transformation. How long was the shoot? How many shooting days did you have on this? I don't remember. It was like eight weeks, ten weeks. Yeah. Or maybe not even. I was like, Eddie or Kate, do you remember? Yeah, isn't that funny? I don't remember. I was so in it. Approaching the premiere, you're unleashing. There's the pun. Unleashing. That was a good one. You like that? That was subtle, too. I like it. Very subtle. That was a little under the radar. I should have kept it subtle. Yeah, I like it. But where you're releasing it to the world at the Toronto Film Festival. And you've had a couple screenings since with SAG and so on. So after making a film that is so close to home for a lot of people, what were some of the reactions you got? Whether they were at TIFF or at these other screenings, did people write something that made you go, this person got it? Was there someone who came up to you and said something? That's who I made the movie for. Actually, I'm always struck by what comes to me. I always have my reasons for making it. And then I try to be open during the filming process. There's something else I'm supposed to learn. And then once it's released. And one of the things that has been happening that was surprising to me is that women have been coming up to me and sharing their postpartum mental health struggles. And that was surprising to me. I mean, I knew we were dealing with that, but they've been very open. And I'm just really grateful that they feel seen and they know that it's something that we're willing to talk about. Was there a scene that maybe was written that you came together for it, whether it was at a table read or maybe filming that day, where just something came out of the blue and you sort of pivoted to something else? When you're working with a three-year-old, every day you're working with them, it's like you're constantly pivoting. So you go into the day with one expectation or one hope. But that's the wonderful thing about working with them. But I would say the painting scene was the scene where it was like, well, we're just going to give them some paints and see what happens. And I was like, okay. But I like, do you guys know, I mean, I'm really into continuity. I like to really pride myself. I get real like Tracy Flick from Election. I picked up the fork on the same time every time. I get really kind of annoying about it. And the whole time with the kid, I was like, this isn't going to work for continuity. But what I realized, it created such a freedom and it put me in a different place. But the painting scene was one of the, I think that was like, it was so much fun. And working with the kids, they're so immediate and so present. And the way that Mari created the set where everybody was involved with the kids. So whether it was props or first AD, our beautiful cinematographer, and Mari, there was a whole team of people working with the kids at any time. But the painting scene, I think, was the most sort of surprising, unexpected, let's see what happens. And it was fun. The tone of the film. How did you and Mariel just make sure that you did zero in on the sweet spot, the right tone for the film? It's funny. I was actually, when I saw the film for the first time, I was like, this is funny. I was actually surprised. Because the making of it, I was so deep into Mother. And she's not laughing at anything. So she's taking everything very seriously. And what she's going through is really kind of a dark and confusing, transformative time. So I was so happy to see that we hit that note. And that's why we brought Mari on. Because she's so good at finding that beautiful tone. And what I love about the humor is it's funny because it's true. It's not funny because we're playing a gag or anything. It's because we see ourselves. And that becomes human. And that's funny. After the Toronto premiere, you go on to the next movie, and we're all standing in line. We're like, oh, I just saw Night Bitch. And one of the journalists, I forget her name, darn. And she goes, I felt seen. What does that mean to you to hear that kind of connection with the movie? People who are reacting to it saying, I felt seen watching that film. It's everything. It's why you do a film like this, why you take on material that can be difficult or challenging sometimes. I know, speaking for Mari, that was really important to her as well because we're talking about subjects that seem taboo but are so universal. And so if people see themselves or feel seen, it's a wonderful, wonderful gift of doing what we do. When I first interviewed you for the very first time, it was in Park City in 2005 for Junebug. Right? Thanks, guys. First of six Oscar nominations, by the way. But that was almost 20 years ago. You know, a couple years ago. Right, almost 20 because we're almost in 2025. How does what you look for in a film now compare to what you were looking for in 2005, 2006, 2007? Well, in 2005, 2006, 2007, I was just looking for a job. I was like, oh, you want me? Great, I'm there. What time? But also, I always was mindful about, you know, I really wanted to... My goal at that time, and still my goal, is to try to be opened and find things that I connect with at different parts of my life and can tell stories of transformation as I transform in my life and things that I connect with, things that resonate with the world around me. And I always know when I read it. I can never predict it. So I just try to stay open. I try to stay open.