The new film “Dare†joins the ranks of modern films dealing with high school and teenage trials and tribulations that are a part of American film culture. The film brings the topic of teenage sexuality to the forefront of the story as the three characters struggle with discovering who they are and how they relate to their friends and lovers. Including some up and coming faces – Emmy Rossum and Ashley Springer; and seasoned professionals Alan Cummings and Sandra Berhard, the film is well-rounded in terms of casting. Review Fix was there to catch the Q&A following a screening of “Dare†at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Director Adam Salky, writer David Brind, and actors Emmy Rossum and Ashley Springer participate in the Q&A where they discuss the experience of the creation of the film from inspiration of the story to rehearsals of scenes.
Q: I really enjoyed the spontaneity in the film; can you describe the rehearsal process?
Emmy Rossum: Adam’s (director Adam Salky) very helpful. I think what was so interesting about working with Adam as a director…well, firstly, we had David’s great script, then Adam has kind of a different approach, at least I work with a lot of directors who didn’t work this way, he kind of comes to each actor separately before you shoot, after you rehearse and do blocking, and kind of discusses the back story. Like what did you eat for breakfast this morning, what are you trying to get from this other character? So, you really feel like you’re on the same page as the director as well as your individual approach. You as an actor are never made aware of what conversations he has with the other characters, so in terms of spontaneity, you’re really never sure exactly what to expect because you don’t know those intimate conversations he’s had with the other actors.
Ashley Springer: I was going to say, I remember having our rehearsal at David’s father’s house (it was with me and Emmy) and I had never met her, and the only things I knew were it was unbelievable I was going to be in a movie with her, and that she dressed very well. So I didn’t know if it was going to be a Lindsey Lohan type thing. Like I would show up and she would be like “I’ve been meaning to read this.†But then it turned out she had all of her lines memorized and she was really good, right away. It was an interesting experience; it was exciting, but it really made me want to go do more work on the script.
Rossum: He’s just saying I’m an overachiever. Typecasting.
Q: Concerning the evolution of the short to the feature, what part of the short turned into the feature?
Adam Salky (Director): The short was essentially the pool scene between Ben and Johnny with a couple of changes so that it had a clearly defined ending to that short that is not in the feature. The biggest difference is the casting and the performances. I love the short and I have a soft place in my heart for it, it’s just a different animal and Zach and Ashley just play it differently. In fact, when we shot those scenes – that was incredibly difficult because I had spent six months on the short, maybe longer, developing it, shooting it, editing it. I had watched the short a thousand times, and I remember when we first got there, the first take, I remember watching it and thinking ‘they’re doing it all wrong’ because I had the short imprinted in my mind. And I remember in that moment, I had to just check myself, and have Zach and Ashley just turn it into what they were going to turn it into.
Q: How much of the screenplay was true?
David Brind (Writer): How much of it wasn’t true? (Jokingly) It was really about my relationship with Adam, and working together in a swimming pool at night…No, I vary what I say at different screenings but I’m feeling pretty open tonight, so yes, it is based on things from my life. It is inspired by people I knew and wondered about and had relationships with in high school; that was the original inspiration for the short. There was a Johnny kind of figure in my life, although I wasn’t really Ben, of all of the characters I’d say that I feel if you have to look at my high school life I’d be a little closer to Alexa in some ways. Although as Adam points out one of my writing professor’s at Columbia read the script and she sat me down and said “People are going to read this and think you are Ben, but the real truth is, you’re Johnny.†So I take that as I will. It is also inspired by movies that I love, and loving high school. “Rebel Without A Cause†– huge inspiration for me, John Hughes’ canon of course, without that I don’t think we’d be able to do this.
Q: When you look at a script like this, how do you prepare for this kind of character, and could you speak a little bit about your own process with a script that is really intense and deep?
Rossum: I actually heard about the movie and actually watched the short film before I even read the feature length script and I saw the Alexa character was only in it for like 20 seconds in the beginning at the end, she was more like bookends. The relationship between the two boys was directed and written and shot with such sensitivity and the sexual nature of the subject matter wouldn’t be something I would have thought I would be ready or wanting to do, was done with such artistry that I really thought that it really appealed to me and wanted to be working with people that could accomplish that. For the Alexa character I had to channel someone who was really driven and sexually frustrated and just wanted to get ahead…read into it what you will. Also had to just trust Adam because the scenarios we put ourselves in were kind of …firsts for me.
Springer: The nice thing about working on this movie was the characters had many layers, that’s what you’re always hoping for and it happens some small frequency of the time and it’s great when it does. It was a really nice, safe atmosphere on set and a lot of the stuff is awkward…it’s awkward when it really happens and it’s awkward trying to reenact that type of stuff. It was really nice to have a level of comfort with everyone on the set, everybody felt like they were working together towards one thing, so that made it a lot easier to do our jobs.
Salky: I would just like to say it made it easier to do my job that Ashley, Emmy and Zach came to me as we were getting close to shooting those intimate scenes and said look, we want it to look real and be truthful so tell us how it looks…and (to Emmy) you’re “O†face looks just fine. So that was a special moment to me that they came up and put that trust in me.
Q: Where is the film off to next?
Adam: We have been very fortunate and we sold the film after the Sundance film festival and it will be coming out in theaters November 13 starting in New York and LA.
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