For this venture of SNAPSHOTS, no matter where your family comes from, we can all attest that no matter how much they drive us crazy and nuts, we still love each other. Well, most of us can’t attest to that—some of us at least.
Fresh off her impact period courtroom drama, Miranda’s Victim, our guest brings us a brand-new film called “The Italians”, the story of the Italian American Vitali family, which consists of fiery matriarch Angelina, her oafish husband, Vincenzo, and their charming son, Nico. When Nico brings over his girlfriend Lily to meet his parents, she’s everything, and I do mean everything Angelina does not want in a wife for her son, and the night’s humorous events lead to a shocking revelation the next day that can threaten to tear both couples apart.
And here with me is no stranger to TRR! We have interviewed her for Miranda’s Victim years before. Welcome back to filmmaker/director/producer and star Michelle Danner!
Welcome back, Michelle!
Dean, how are you doing today?
I am doing very well. Thank you. I cannot believe it’s been almost a year since we talked about Miranda’s Victim, and here we are. We have a brand-new film coming out. What appealed to you about the script that made you want to direct, star, and produce?
Well, the script had a lot of heart. It was about a family that got into it with each other, something that I have that kind of family, maybe many people do. And ultimately it was about learning to accept, forgive, not judge, and stay, you know what it means to love your family. So with this script, we keep going back to the same. They’ve had a lot of heart, and that’s what drew me to it, and that’s how I got this fantastic cast to be in it.
The cast is amazing. You got Rob Estes and Matthew Daddario, but you brought back Abigail Breslin, who was in your last film. How does it feel to work with her again?
Well, she was terrific, as she always is. She’s a great actress with a deep sense of truth and brings her professionalism and talent. She puts her whole heart into whatever she does. So yes, I had worked with her before. I have also worked with Rob Estes before and in many other movies. We have a movie that we did a long time ago. We did a play together, The Rose Tattoo, that hadn’t been done in L.A. in 18 years.
Then I had the pleasure of working with new actors that I had not worked with before, including the legendary Lanie Kazan, who plays the matriarch. She’s incredible. David DeLuise, who plays Uncle Sal, was incredible. Perrey Reeves plays the best friend, Olivia Luccardi plays the ex-girlfriend, and Matthew Daddario plays the son. He’s wonderful.
In fact, I’m about to start shooting another movie with him. You know, I love working with the same actors. Of course, I’d love to always cast the same actors over and over again. But you know, I love working with the same people a lot because I love the collaboration with the actors.
And it shows. Amazingly, you brought your favorites from project to project.
I’m fortunate, you know. I have this incredible connection with this great group of actors I adore.
When I was watching this film, a lot of improvisation was involved. How important is improvisation to you as both the director and an actor?
I believe in letting actors take risks. Part of taking risks is letting them find improvisational moments, but you said something very true. We did the festival circuit, and many people from different nationalities approached us after the Q&A. They said, “We’re not Italian, but we see our family.” It’s very much about family. And family is universal, no matter what nationality you are.
I could definitely tell that when I was watching this film, some of my family’s traits were present. I had to laugh, and I had to cry. Thanks for bringing the family atmosphere tonight on screen with good laughs, cries, and cringeworthy moments.
Yes, absolutely. People have laughed and cried. It did what it was supposed to do. In the movie, I wanted to say something particular: the people we love are always with us, no matter what, even when they’re no longer here.
Now, unlike some of the films I’ve seen, this is one of those you starred, directed, and produced. How did you find time to wear so many hats to make this film? Afterwards, was it exhausting? Was it thrilling? Did you have to take a mental break from wearing three hats in a movie?
I just returned from Europe before I shot it, and I loved it. I felt fortunate, very fortunate. The people who were behind the camera, in front of the camera, everybody was so generous and loving. We recently had a premier screening in L.A., and there was a Q&A. The cast was there, and one of the questions from the audience was, “Can you tell us something that happened? There was a challenge or something?” And everybody was like, “No, it was so great. It was so loving, so harmonious.” It was one of those.
And so it was effortless for me to step in front of the camera as an actress. I would go back and look at one take and then make some adjustments based on what I had seen. And then, of course, my producers were there, and I asked them, “Did we get it?” “You got it!” So it worked out well.
Now, one of the scenes that teared me up was at the end of the movie, Ave Maria. I watched that movie twice, and every time I hear that it reminds me of the family getting together, and that montage… beautiful. Tell us about putting that scene and that montage together.
There’s always a reason for everything. So, everything has history, but my son, who works with me, had the idea. And one of our producers said, “Oh, I don’t know about the Ave Maria song. I was adamant. I was like, ‘No, no, absolutely, that song has to be in there. It’s important.” It’s important to the essence of who the character Angelina is. It tells the story of what happens over this passage of time. And that’s always nostalgic about the passage of time. I know that always gets me, because I’m always very aware of that. It was the right song for the moment, and I’m glad I stuck to my guns. And I was like, “We’re gonna do this song.”
That’s good to know. What are the many unexpected lessons you took from working on this film, and did it change you?
Well, I did the channel for my mother. I conjured her several times. She’s no longer with us, so it brought me closer to her. I felt closer to her in filming it, and in the aftermath, I remember, starting to sit down to do the editing part of it, the post, and going, “this is so much fun to edit a comedy versus editing a heavy drama. It’s fun.”
Comedies are just fun. They’re lighter; you laugh more. You don’t laugh as much when you’re ending something that’s about rape. You’re not going there. But this was just fun. I realized that I love making comedies. And I don’t know if it’s a sign of the times that I’m getting older, but even at night, I can’t go to bed and watch something disturbing and edgy. I would much rather watch something lighter before I go to sleep.
Michelle, you have directed a comedy and a drama. Is there any genre of film that you would love to direct or produce one day?
We will shoot a sci-fi thriller before the end of the year. It’s about sun flares and solar storms hitting the Earth. Yes, I’m immersed in that. I feel comfortable doing rom-coms and directing dramas, but not sci-fi thrillers. It’s going to be a tremendous challenge.
What’s your favorite part of the creative process?
My favorite part of the creative process was looking into the other actors’ and my partner’s eyes and playing tennis with them.
Tennis, could you tell me more?
Tennis has many similarities to acting. When you have great partners, you try to play great tennis.
My last question is this: how would you like the film to resonate with the audience?
I would love for them to laugh, but there are a lot of laughs. I know there are because I’ve often watched it with an audience. The movie takes an unexpected turn, and people feel it, and then we’re able to bring them up again, which I thought, did you know, is a wonderful thing that happens in the movie, is that you get moved. Then there are several more laughs to follow. I want people to feel like going home, calling or hugging their families, forgiving whoever they need to ignore, and eating great Italian food.
And do you have a favorite Italian food? I have to ask.
I love eggplant parmesan. That’s one of my favorite Italian foods.
The Italians is out exclusively on Amazon Prime! Then, in May, it will be available on Vudu, Google Play, and Apple
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