About My Father Chicago Premiere with De Niro & Maniscalco; The Starling Girl

0:00 On this episode of Pop Culture Weekly, I am live in Chicago for the premiere of About My Father and I talked to the cast on the red carpet, including Robert de Niro and Sebastian Manascalco. And then I'm in the studio talking to Eliza Scanlon, who stars in The Starling Girl and writer director Laura Paramit talks all about The Starling Girl. Let's go Welcome to pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon from my Heart Radio. You are pop culture news, views, reviews and celebrity interviews on all the movies, TV music and pop culture UKRABE Weekly. Here's Kyle McMahon. All right, I'm so excited. I am here live in Chicago for the premiere of About My Father's starring Sebastian Manascalco and Robert de Niro and give Control and at mean, it's just an amazing cast. Can't wait to see the film again. I saw it already and it is hysterical and sweet and funny, obviously hysterically funny. It's just I can't say enough about this movie. It is really really good and it's one you gotta see. So we're gonna have some interviews with some of the film's stars coming up. But first let me tell you about this film that I saw called The Starling Girl. It is an amazing film. It's from writer

1:32 director Laurel Palmit, and it's about this girl, seventeen year old girl Jim, who kind of struggles to find her place in this fundamentalist Christian community. It takes place in you know, rural Kentucky, and she's a big dancer with the church group and then she starts to struggle with what she you know, wonders maybe sin and and her own sexuality and if she's devoted enough to religion, her religion. It's really, really, really an amazing film. It stars Eliza Scanlon as Jem Starling, who does an incredible, incredible job in this role as Jem. It really is an amazing film that you've got to see. So let's start out with the interviews from that. Let's talk to writer director Laul Parmett first. Up here we go. So the film is incredibly powerful and I love I think it's coming out an interesting time.

2:44 In my opinion, there seems to be in a lot of ways a kind of reckoning for um for so many relationships that have uneven power dynamics, you know, kind of starting thankfully with the me too movement, kind of bringing to light you know, a lot of abusive power dynamics and uh and churches and on and on. What drew you to this story? You know, why was it important for you to tell? So? Um? Yeah, I have a personal connection to the story. Um. When I was a teenager, I had a relationship or whatever, I don't know what to call it, uh with an older man and um, you know, didn't see myself as a victim at the time, and um, so then I was.

3:39 I found myself a few years later in a Christian fundamentalist church with a group of women from a patriarchal church doing research for a different project, and I learned about their beliefs. You know. I learned that they believed that it was a woman's responsibility to not lead a man into temptation, and basically that you know, they had they should be ashamed of their desires. And my first reaction was, all, that's really backwards. But then the more that I thought about it, the more that I saw how much we had in common just in terms of you know, the attitudes of what we were raised in to believe about, you know, our desires and to be ashamed of them. And it's it was this sort of like critical turning point for me because it made me reflect back on my relationship in ways that I hadn't before and recognized the s guilt that I had and I started asking, well, where did this s guilt come from? This guy took advantage of me, and so I ultimately decided I wanted to tell a story looking at my experiences and said it in this world that is you know, specific, but really reflects our own world. I love. I mean, let me choose my words carefully. I really appreciate that this comes from, in a sense a personal place for you. I think it always makes are better, you know, um or more authentic. I should say, Uh, Jem, you know, is there a piece of you in her? Well? Yeah,

5:12 for sure. I think there's a piece of me in all of the characters, um, you know from I mean there's a piece of me and oh and there's a piece of me and her dad. There's a piece of me and her mom. It's um, everything like pulls from personal in some way. Um. I think Jem is very reactive and uh, impulsive and and like you know her, she doesn't really think about her actions until and until they like kind of bite her in the butt. And that's not too far off from who I sometimes. Um, And so yeah, I mean it's that's just how it goes. I think, how do you you know, as you're fleshing out the story, in my opinion, you were very respectful. I'm a recovery. I'm what I joke is recovering Catholic. I went to Catholic school for twelve years and um, and that has you know, lovingly, I referred to it as in recovery. Um, it's very easy, especially you know, like in my situation, for instance, it's very easy for me to find things to attack about what I didn't like about it. You in this film, you're very respectful about the faith and um, and I found that very interesting because it's very it's easy, I think, Um, I think in many ways it's easier to kind of go for

6:43 the jugular and in how this could be perceived in black and white as wrong and you know, why are you pushing people to do that or whatever? You really, in my opinion, shows not to like show judgment. Um. Was that a conscious decision for you or did that just kind of come naturally as the story was unfolding. It was definitely a conscious decision. Um, you know, I think we Yeah, we wanted to come from a place of compassion, and I just think it's more interesting storytelling quite honestly to you know, I wanted the audience to be invested in these characters and in their stories and understand where they're coming from, and not be watching judgmentally from afar. Um. You know, they they're they're human beings who love their families, and Um, there's something that I find also. I just I really admire faith, and I think there's a lot that's really beautiful about tight knit communities, and we wanted you know, you get the oppression we've seen that, we know that, Um, but I wanted to show another side as well. Um. And you know, also, I would just say that the film it's not like doesn't blaspheme God, it's it's it's really look it's offering like a more complex look at religion and faith and suggesting maybe even that there are many ways to connect with God, like maybe God lives in gems, desires and our actions. Um. And yeah, I just I

8:13 don't know, personally, I just think that's more interesting to watch too. And um, yeah, I love that. And you know it is reflective in my opinion of life. You know. Um, I have worked very hard to I'm a very anxiety filled person and um and over time I've learned that a lot of that is from my black and white thinking, you know. Um and uh. And life is not black and white, you know, would you say, everyone, we live in it. We live in a world right now that's like there's no nuance in anything, right yeah. Yeah, And you know, it's taken me a lot of work to to live in the gray. Um. And to know that if I get on that plane, you know, there's it may drop out of the sky for some reason. Um. But but which is that You'll be fine? Exactly exactly and um and you know, but that anxious feeling in the back of your mind is like, oh my god, we just hit turbulence. It's going to be the first plane in the world to just fall out of the sky, you know. And uh And but I had to learn that, you know what, maybe eight million things went wrong with that plane and it falls out of the sky and becomes the first plane in the world to just drop for no reason. Um, but that is living in the gray, you know, to accept that, you know what, there's a point zero zero zero zero zero zero one percent chance that that might happen, but you're

9:43 gonna get on that plane anyway and go to your destination. And I say that as kind of a represented representation of the film. I think lives in the gray. You know, it's not black and white. It's not a here is what this is, and this is wrong, and this is good and this is bad and you know, this is that and this is that. It is smartly allows the viewer to live in that gray, you know. And I love that about the film, Thank you. Yeah. I mean that's really that was the crux of every part of the filmmaking process.

10:26 I think, Um, you know, I didn't want to just focus on the victimization because I think that's only you know, obviously, there are many instances of the abuse where it is very block and white, but there are many instances where it's more nuanced as well and a little bit harder to see. And I think to really understand abuse, it's important to look at those cases too. And you know, it was really important to me that jem had agency in this relationship, you know, So it was finding the balance of like, you know, how do you tell a story where you feel the main characters intoxication getting wrapped up in this romance and it's dreamy and there's it's beautiful for her and there's it's an opening up, but at the same time convey that, like this relationship is problematic and inappropriate. And as a director, honestly, that's like my favorite thing to do, I do really love exploring those moral ambiguities. And it's just from a scene work standpoint, it's really fun of like, you know, starting a scene where like the audience is sort of rooting for these two characters maybe to get together, and then by the end of the scene they're like, oh god, wait, why did I want that? It's like such a type rope walk and really really fun. And yeah, it was really just like grounding the story in her perspectives so that the audience wants what she wants, and so sometimes they're going to root for the relationship, and I think that really shows how anybody can fall into situations like this. And that's also how I like to watch movies, like I like to constantly be trying to figure out how I feel

11:58 about something, and I think audiences feel the same generally. Yeah, so I do too, And I love when film filmmakers give credit to the audience that we're not always so dumb, you know, and we can kind of get that nuance and you've you've executed it masterfully. Thank you so much, Laurel for speaking with me. I really appreciate it. I can't wait for everybody to see this film. Oh you're so sweet. Thank you. As Fay speaking with him, you as well. Have a great day. Laurel Parmit. She's amazing, isn't she. The film The Starling Girl is so good and she is the writer director for the film. So all right. Next up, we are going to talk with the star of the film, Eliza Scanlan, who plays Jem Starling herself. So let's get right into that.

12:48 Here it is my interview from the studio with Eliza Scanlon. Thank you so much, Elizah for joining me. I really appreciated. The film is amazing. Oh thank you. It's so nice to be here. I love having you here and I love you know. So this film is so powerful and layered and lives in a gray area, at least for me. What was it like? You know, Jem is a very complex character. What was it like to play her? I mean, it was incredible to play a character like Jem. She's you know, she is a very complex character, and she's I think the world of UM fundamentalism is really fascinating and I wanted to understand it better. And I think having that as the backdrop of Jem's you know, journey of self discovery made her a real challenge to to play. And also the relationship that she gets into uh so nuanced and uh, I don't know. I think it's a real power play that relationship.

14:11 And I it was a challenge to wrap my head around UM, but so fulfilling to do well. And you do it beautifully. I you know, as I was watching, I was thinking, like, geez, this is so tough in regards to what I assume would be tough for you h to portray her. I mean just because it's so UM like us, I guess, so complicated and complex and layered and um not easily put into boxes, you know. And so I as I was watching that, as think of how masterfully you you portrayed her. Oh, thank you. I mean, I think it is it's difficult territory and it was, you know, dangerous territory to explore for Laurel, but she did all the research to do it in a way that wasn't mocking religion. It was complex and showed different ways people connect with God. And also it's a it's about an inappropriate relationship between an older man and a younger woman. I think when people hear that, you know, they assume that it's a story that's about abuse, and it is, but I think it's more than that. I think it's I think what makes this story interesting is that was exploring a gray area where Jem, the young woman in the relationship, she wields power you know, at the same time is a victim of abuse, and both of those can be truths,

15:43 and I think we wanted to get that balance right in their relationship. And you know, we wanted it at times for Jem to have power in the relationship and then other times for Owen two. But at the end of the day, because they live in a patriarchal system, it's uh the woman and the relationship who bears the brunt of the blame and the punishment. Um so yeah, it's a lot um and yeah, yeah, you know, I was talking to Laurel Um a few minutes ago and I was saying, there, there have been you know, films that have tackled similar um, similar power dynamic relationships, but none that have done it in this way with this backdrop, and um, none that have done it so non judgmental.

16:41 Um, there's a better word for it. But you know what I'm saying, you know, it very It would have been very easy to be like, you know, uh in in many instances of the film, Oh these people are bad. Uh you know that they're making it this way, they're you know, conducting conducing this environment. This guy is bad. You know he should know better. And um, and it doesn't do that. It doesn't do that, which I think is a really interesting and unique and more authentic way to go about it, because it's not life is not black and white, you know, we live in the gray. Yeah. Yeah, it's so true. And I think if it were in hands that were maybe a little less delicate, or if it was you know, a Hollywood film, I think it would be easier for um, it to fall these certain characters to fall into tropes or stereotypes and uh, you know they live.

17:41 It is a patriarchal system and it's designed that way, this religious community. Um. But and you know, it's easy in the film to say that because it's a patriarchal system. All the men in the film are villains or they're evil, or they're corrupt. But I think Laurel wanted to say more. I think she actually wanted to show that even men can lose something in a patriarchal system, and they can be they can suffer a lot of trauma from systems like these because they're expected to act a certain way and you know, it kind of deprives them of their you know, humanity, you know, in a way and you know, different to women, but it's they do they are affected by it. Um. So I found, like you said that to be a much more authentic portrayal, more powerful. Absolutely, I definitely think it's more powerful and more authentic. Were you nervous? You know, I'm not an actor, so I you know, that's why I'm curious. But when you take on a role like this, you know, when you read the script and you're like, I want to to do jam like and it's so I don't want to say juicy, because that makes it sound you know, but it's so rich and layered and complex. Does that give you make you nervous or does that excite you or all of the above

19:15 or I think it's all of the above. I think that the excitement is you know, I think it's initially excitement when you decide to do a film, and especially a film like this, and as the day of rehearsal comes closer, I think I get more and more nervous. And this was definitely one that scared me a lot. And I don't think I've ever been on a set, you know, every single day in the way that I was on The Starling Girl. So yeah, and I'm you know, I think I like a good challenge. So um yeah, gem was you know, I guess she was like she's a pretty juicy character. I will say, um, yeah, very rich, very late. And yeah, I think I learned a lot from the experience as well. And it seems like Laurel had fostered an environment where it was safe to be her mm hmm. Yeah.

20:26 I think Laurel knew this story so well. Um that I you know, I just really wanted to do it justice and to be the gem that she imagined U and she really trusted me, and I think that that trust allowed me to you know, run with it. And I think we were all there for the same reason, and it was because we loved the script and we loved Laurel and you know, and I think that's the beauty of if indie films. You you have to be there for the right reasons. Um. And it's a you know, a passion project for everyone. So yeah, Laurel is a legend. Yeah, and for you you know it.

21:15 And again I'm not an actor, but I would imagine that it's especially in this film, it can take you to some dark places as an actor. Um. How if so, how do you kind of disconnect from that at the end of the day or the end of the shoot, um, to you know, to be Eliza again and have some some not that you know, Mum, it's kind of I mean when I was on set, I was on set every day and in in every scene, so I've I think on other jobs, I find it easier to kind of leave it at the door, but that one was pretty hard to I'm not the sort of actor that you know, can't get out of character, but I think it's more so the emotional weight of the story. And you know where we're working many hours in a day and you know, very long hours and working very frequently, so I, you know, I usually get home and start working on the lines that I had for the next day, and so my for six weeks, I think my whole life was jem But I kind of like that. It sort of made me. I think it kept me open and available every day when I was, you know, doing the scenes. But I think it's easier when you have people like you know, Jimmy Simpson there

22:48 to crack a joke. Thank you so much. I really appreciate you speaking with me. I can't wait for everybody to see The Starling Girl. It is incredible bul film. Eliza scandalin such a great film. The Starling Girl is in theaters now go check it out. You will not regret it. It's really thought provoking, powerful meditation on faith and you know, devout communities and where we belong in them and where they belong in society. So definitely one you want to check out, all right, And the talent is coming down the Red carpet in Chicago here at AMC Theaters and it is all for About My Father. The film is so funny and its heartfelt and I literally laughed and I cried, and it's just a film you really want to see.

23:49 Keep it locked right here and we'll continue with the coverage of About My Father. Okay, First up, Anders Home, who plays Lucky in the film. He has in a hysterical part. He's really really a great part of this film. He plays Lucky Collins. You may know Anders as Anders from Workaholics. He was a co creator and h and writer and producer and of course star in Workaholics, one of the great workplace comedy series. So here he comes up city again. So first of all, we're at the premiere in Chicago. It's so crazy here I can barely hear you. So, you know, what's it feel like after you've worked on this project and then now you're here showing it to the public. You're here with Sebastian and Salvo and you know de Niro. No, it's very cool, it's very rewarding. You know, you work on these movies, you do these long hours. It's a fun job. Sometimes it can be hard, sometimes it can be frustrating, But then to get back with everybody a year later, it's kind of like a reunion. You get to go out for dinner and all that kind of stuff. And I can't wait to get in there and see the movie, which I haven't seen yet. Oh. I can't wait to see how great everybody is. Yeah. Yeah, And finally, Lucky, do you know what did you base this off of? Anybody you knew

25:22 in college? Journeys like Lucky's. He's somewhere deep down inside of me just waiting to get out, and I'm just like suppressing him because nobody wants to deal with that. I love it, man, Thank you so much. Congratulations as well. Alright, next up we have Laura Tarusso. She is the director of About My Father. She you may know her. She's directed four feature films. She did an episode of Dickinson on Apple TV Plus, and she is hysterical and she's an awesome person. She is up now next, let's talk to her. But seeing you a good First of all, congratulations, this is so awesome. Uh, you're here in Chicago for the premiere Sebastian's hometown with his father after you know, over a year's worth of work. What is that? What is that moment? Like for you.

26:18 It's unbelievable. I mean, it's a huge, huge release. It's it's joyful, it's exciting. I mean, I can't wait to hug our entire cast. There's some people I haven't seen and so yeah, it's this is just such a huge celebratory moment. That's awesome. I'm so excited for you. I'm so happy for everybody to see this. As I told you, I love the film and I can't wait till everybody sees it. Thank you, very nice to meeting you again. All Right, Laura Tarusso, she's such an awesome person and I'm so happy for her in this moment. You know where she Here's this film that she has worked so hard on and it is now the premiere in Chicago, you know, Sebastian's own hometown as Families here and just an awesome moment. Okay, it looks like coming up next on the carpet is David Rash love him and he has a fan standing out here signaling for me to acknowledge them when he gets here, So I'm gonna be doing that. Of course, you may know him from as Carl on Secessions. Such a good show and of course he u sledgehammer, I mean, veep ugly. Betty's just an awesome, awesome actor and he's hysterically funny.

27:38 I talked with him in our sit down interviews, which you'll hear next episode. But here he is David rash, Hey, good seeing. How are you so? First of all, you have fans that are you're here. It's been a year and a half or so since you, you know, work really now we're in Chicago, Sebastian's you know, hometown with his father. But what does that mean for you to be a part of something that that really is a familial uh kind of event? Absolutely nothing, I have nope, I have nope. I don't relate to it at all. Uh well, you know we we were really a part of that. He just really to tell you the truth, I mean that whole sort of side of it was Bob, you know, in Sebastian and Austin and uh, you know we heard things. I mean, I know, I mean he you know, he he spent time with his dad Narrow. He did just tons and tons and tons of research. So yeah, it was it was, it was it was so much fun to do. I can't tell you and what about for for your on screen family with Kim and the kids, and did you was that kind of I just could. It was just hard to keep control of them because they're so screwed up. Where is there anything any part of Bill in you? Did you? Did you have to find?

29:02 Well? You know, my mom used to say a lot of this stuff that I say. She'd always say, all right, thank you, thank you for that. All right, let's not thank you, you know, so some comes from my home. Thank you so much. Congratulations, thank you, thank you you as well. David rash live in Chicago at AMC Theaters in Chicago. That's where Chicago is. I don't even know what I'm saying at this point. There's so much going on. It's a great time here for the premiere of About My Father. Next up on the Carpet or she's coming up, coming up next, Kim Cattrall. She is, I mean what, She's won five Emmy NA, gotten four Emmy Nam's four Golden Globe Awards for Sex in the City, she won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, and geez, I mean she started all the way back in seventy five for Rosebud. She is awesome. She is hysterically funny as a tigger in this film. Um, and uh it's it's I can't I don't want to know spoilers, but go see about my father. Let's talk with Kim Control. Thank you so much for speaking with me. Uh, So we're here. It's been a year and a half, you know that of work, and um, we're in Chicago with Sebastian and his dad.

30:33 You know, Uh what does that like to be a part of that where you know, it's really like a family. I feel like event you know what I mean, Yeah, it is. I mean this we had a lot of obstacles with this time shot during a pandemic in Mobile, Alabama and rainy season and thunderstorms, and there was a lot to contend with. So the fact that we're here tonight is a minor miracle really, because during COVID the film was very expensive and if somebody was out sickwise you could just shut down for a period of time. Luckily that didn't happen with us, but I think it brought us closer together, and so I think that shows in the film. That's awesome. And then for a you know, once the film's premiering. Do you feel like a sense of relief at that point or like, how does that work? Or once it's wrapped, are you fine?

31:27 Well? I think once you're wrapped, and then you do adr just if anything is not you can't hear it, it needs to be done again, and then you do press and then the movie it's like wearing a child. It finds its way in the world and finds its own family. And some films that have done have not done well immediately, but they become hits later on. So you just never you never know what's gonna happen. Yeah, this is good. I love the film. I can't wait for everybody to see About my Father. Thank you so much. The One and Only Kim cuts froll love love love love her. Uh she is, like I said, she's hysterical as Tigger. And about my father. Just the whole cast in this film, I'm serious, the whole cast and about my father is just they work so well together. I feel like they're a real family.

32:22 I feel like it's a real situation. Um, it's it's a great film. Next up, I see the One and Only Robert de Niro that this man needs no introduction. He's Robert freaking DeNiro. Let's talk to him for a second. We're you're here. It was a year and a half work worth of work, you know. Uh with Salvo, what is that? What is that moment like for you to be here in Chicago playing him with him watching the premiere. Uh, it's great, you know, I'm very happy to be here. Um, I'm happy for them. Can you do such a great job with it, Sarah, thank you so much.

33:05 Thank you. Robert de Niro. Oh my god, I can't. This is the second time I've interviewed Robert de Niro in the last twenty four hours. I did my sit down interviews with him at the hotel, and just a legend. I can't, guys, I can't believe that I've just interviewed Robert de Niro twice. That's insane, all right. And now upcoming on the you're coming up on the red carpet is the man of the hour, Sebastian Maniscalco. He is hysterically funny anyway, and in this film, which is based you know, partly on his real life, on his real father and his relationship with his father. Uh, sal Salvatore. Um, he is just, oh my God. This it's such a good, feel good, hysterically funny film and I can't wait to talk to you about it.

34:00 But let's talk with the one and only Sebastian Maniscalco. Good seeing you again. First of all, thank you for this, and I kind of touched on it earlier. I was so pleasantly surprised at how touching the film is. I lost my mom two years ago, and thank you. And so as I'm watching this, you know, I don't know what I was expecting, but it was so heartfelt. You know, I think, I think so many people will be able to relate to that special relationship with the parent, and it really comes through. How does it feel for you to be here in Chicago, in your hometown with your dad, with your family, your your wife, I mean, Robert de Niro playing your dad, Like, is this a surreal moment for you? It's, uh, this is pretty damn special. You know. Uh, it's so nice to you know, you talk about losing your mother. So nice to share this with my parents. You know, I'm fifty years old in July. I still got my parents. You know, a lot of people don't have their parents.

35:04 So I'm so glad and grateful that they're here walking the red carpet. You know, my wife has been like my rock throughout, you know, the last fifteen years of my career. It's hard to be married to me. You know, I'm I've always in and out of town and whatnot. So she's really really a special woman. And just to bring this back home, man, I used to come down to Chicago with my buddies. Some of them are here tonight, clubbing and whatnot. And now we're here walking the red carpet and they're here tonight. We're gonna reconnect and you know, they're gonna rip my outfit to shreds and what are you wearing white for? But it's all in good fun. You know. It's just how I grew up.

35:45 And nobody takes offense to it, you know, living in a day and age where you know, everybody's all bent out of shape because someone said this, someone said that, you come home and it's just refreshing to get your you know, just ripped to shreds. It's not it feels good if there's no there's no you don't get a big head in my group, you know, right right, So that's awesome. Thank you, so much. You gotta if it just waived. This is the Italian Uh. They've been like smothering me the entire time we've been here. You look great picture, half picture hal blah blah blah. So they're all thank you, sir, thank you, thank you, Sebster Meniscalco. I guys, this is it's such a great time here. I'm gonna go in and catch the Chicago premiere of About My Father. Let me know what you think on socials, Let's chat and um and you'll be getting very very soon my sit down interviews with the cast of About my Father. I will see you next time. I love you, We out. Thank you for listening to Culture Weekly. Here all the latest at pop culture weekly dot com.