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I had the privilege of attending a truly special event last week, in celebration of The Glass Castle. Starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, Naomi Watts, Max Greenfield, Sarah Snook, and Robin Bartlett, this new film is based on the best-selling memoir by Jeannette Walls. Lionsgate has put forth a triumphant story of a woman who both deeply loves her dysfunctional family yet also realizes she must grittily depend on herself, in order to survive & succeed in life. The film covers the family at three different points in life. In honor of the filmâs premiere, I was invited to The Whitby Hotel for a private luncheon & Q&A with Jeanette, Brie, & Naomi. Our Q&A was moderated by Rookie Mag creator, Tavi Gevinson.
Steph attended as my guest (as you can see in the photos above). I love that photo of Jeannette with her arms raised ecstatically in the air; it represents the dynamic energy all four women exhibited that afternoon. Jeannette, as the author, gave deep insight into her own life, yet she was quick to praise the team that created the film. For example, she complimented the director, Daniel Cretton, saying âItâs real easy to make fun of drunks and make fun of crazy homeless people, and he was never going for the cheap shot. It was just brilliant from day one.â She praised the actors next, âIt was stunning to me⌠[and] they leave me in the dust when it comes to observation about character. Theyâre fearless about the way they surround somebody psychologically. It just took my breath away.â Several times throughout the afternoon, it was evident that there were tears in Jeannetteâs eyes. While Jeannette spoke, Brie & Naomi were strongly affected by her strong eloquence.
Brie, who plays Jeannette in the film, spoke intriguingly about playing characters where there is still mystery to be uncovered â the challenging fulfillment of an actor. She discussed how she takes on a role knowing that she is âstill grasping for something and that thereâs tons of room for surprise, that she can even surprise [herself].â  She continued, âUltimately, [the line through] every film that I want to make is just complicated and contradictory, and thatâs what life is. And those are the characters that I enjoy watching. Those are the characters that I want to see the screen because thatâs the people that I know.â Naomi, who plays Jeannetteâs mother, Rosemary, described the film as âa cathartic journeyâ.  She kept a journal which she covered in Rosemaryâs paintings and cut out the emails that they sent back & forth to each other. She reinforced how her own experiences shaped this character. She said, âIt wasnât all just about Rosemary, but [also] my mom and what a powerful figure she has been in my life.â
When I was handed the microphone, I began by thanking all four women, expressing,âItâs always a privilege to be in the presence of powerful women who utilize their voices in storytelling.â After watching a screening last week, I asked the following question.
âI love how you spoke about the nuances in the film and the complex characters, and I wanted to know [about], both as someone who lived through that and having to play those roles, the tension between self-preservation and care for others. Because I was thinking about that theme throughout the entire film, and I would just love to hear your experiences.âÂ
Jeannette replied almost immediately, âThat is such a good question. Itâs something Iâve wrestled with for most of my life because Iâm a survivor, and the toughest scenes for me, one of the days that I was on the set was when the Maureen character told the Jeannette character that she was leaving New York and I burst into tears. Because I tried to get her to stay and weââOh, we take care of each other.â And she said, âNo, we donât.â And I justâI burst into tears and Brie had to come out and likeâyou know?⌠It was very weird being comforted by me. But, we survivors, a lot of people say, âHow could you forgive your parents?â And the person I had to forgive was myself, because we who pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and have to make some tough choices to get by, I think of myself as selfish.
And that was one of the transformative things about watching this movie was seeing Brie Larson making these tough choices. I loved her and was, like, rooting for in a way that I never loved or rooted for myself. So it was kind of magnificent. What you said, that really hit home because itâs something thatâs one of the reasons I thought people would hold me in contempt when I told my story and they donât.I think weâre our own toughest critics sometimes. That you know, I thought that being a survivor, you do carry around survivor guilt.â
Brie continued, âEvery time I see it, I cry. I cry. I think itâs something thatâgoing back to kind of what Jeannette was saying before, too, the actors are very porous. I feel super-porous. I feel like energies and people and noises areâIâm very sensitive to them and sometimes I can get too serious because I get very worried about how other people are feeling and what theyâre thinkingâŚÂ And itâs something that I used to beat myself up over. I still beat myself up over it. Iâm not immune to it anymore, but Iâve come to the conclusion that Iâm just gooey ad I want to stay gooey.
I donât have any interest in shellacking myself or making myself harder to protect myself from things. I will always be curious. I will always be sensitive and thatâs what makes me good at my job. And itâs what makes me me, and throwing that away would mean, like throwing away all of the inner workings that make me who I am. And that just seems kind of bizarre.
So my empathy is the thing that has brought me closer to people, has brought me all over the world and in crazy situations and beautiful situations. Itâs also the thing that can leave me feeling kind of raw and vulnerable at the end of it. And so as Iâm 27 and starting to learn more about myself and how to take care of myself, because Iâm now my mother and father for myself, itâs figuring out how to do that and feel strong in that. And feeling strong and knowing when a boundary has been crossed or Iâve reached a certain limit and not beating myself up over it when I donât find perfect balance, because I donât think balance really exists. Itâs just a concept to strive for thatâll never really happenâŚ
Naomi followed, âYes. I totally agree with that youâre saying, Brie. You have to have a thin skin, because you have to be able to tap into the truth of these people and be sensitive and absorb whatâs going on with the human psyche and you have to study it and feel it. Although itâs weird, because when youâre trying to grow in this business and youâre getting rejection after rejection and it just hurts. Itâs just constant wounding, you feel like, âOh, I wish I had a thicker skin because I need to not take it all on so personally and think when theyâre telling me Iâm not funny or Iâm not sexy or Iâm not intense.â
You get these feedback reports that they land on your heart and youâre just like, âAh! Next time, Iâm going to be this,â and âWhat did they want? Who shall I be? How can I please?â You know, and then youâre just so far away from yourself, and thatâs what I keep coming back to Rosemary, who is just always about âEmbrace who you are and love who you are,â and âWho cares what they think?âAnd despite the fact that she wasnât doing certain things that we consider conventional parenting, those are really valuable lessons to take with you, and I think she did that with you guys so beautifully.
Jeannette ended by saying, âYes. An incredible gift.â
To me, this simple acknowledgement summarizes the entire message of The Glass Castle  â to find beauty in the struggle. It is easy to imagine living a life of poverty & struggle & chaos, and as a result, see the world forever through a bitter lens. Yet, Jeannetteâs story stands firmly in defense of hope, of forgiveness, & of believing in yourself. She discussed how she had to her to tell her story because her mother urged her to tell the truth. Despite âthe jagged joyâ of her child, she realized, âIf thereâs something so horrible and painful, you cannot imagine putting it down in words, that means you must, because itâs pivotal.â
If you are interested in watching the entire Q&A from the event, Click here. I highly encourage all to view this moving tribute to their complex family & her individual struggle. It is in theaters now. Thank you again to Lionsgate, Brie, Naomi, Jeannette, Tavi, and Her Campus Media for this opportunity. I am truly grateful.
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