For the better part of a decade, Robert Schwartzman has blazed his trail as an indie filmmaker. As you may know, he started his career in front of the camera, appearing in classics such as ‘The Virgin Suicides’ and ‘The Princess Diaries.’ Of course, he achieved even more success when he formed the platinum-selling rock band Rooney. However, as he’d be the first to admit, his heart has always belonged to the creative process of filmmaking. Throughout his career behind the camera, Robert directed and produced ‘The Unicorn,’ ‘Dreamland,’ ‘The Argument,’ and his latest film is his directorial documentary debut, ‘Hung Up on a Dream,’ which focuses on the legendary rock band The Zombies. He recently produced Gia Coppola’s upcoming film, ‘The Last Showgirl,’ which stars the legendary Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kiernan Shipka, and more. Additionally, he executive produced the ‘Linda Perry: Let It Die Here’ documentary on the legendary songwriter and 4 Non-Blondes frontwoman.
His latest project is one of his most ambitious and weighty films. ‘The Good Half’ centers around Renn Wheeland (Nick Jonas), who, after years spent avoiding his problems, is forced to face his greatest fear: the recent death of his mother, Lily (Elisabeth Shue). While traveling home to Cleveland for her funeral, he forges a new relationship with fellow passenger Zoey (Alexandra Shipp) and later heals an old one with his overbearing sister, Leigh (Brittany Snow). Together, with the help of his eager-to-connect father, Darren (Matt Walsh), an old high school friend, and a hoarder priest, Renn tries to confront his past, his problems, his stepfather (David Arquette), his grief, and his new reality. A beautifully shot and emotionally engaging, it’s a rare film that sticks with you long after the credits roll and will undoubtedly lead to even bigger things!
Jason Price of Icon Vs. Icon recently caught up with director Robert Schwartzman to discuss his journey as a filmmaker, his creative process, and the challenges he faced in bringing ‘The Good Half’ from script to screen.
You’ve spent the better part of your life as a storyteller in one form or another. Obviously, there is a bit of a family history, but I was curious to know what drew you to that craft early on in life.
It’s funny; when you grow up around something, you quickly take it. I have friends whose parents were musicians. For example, there’s one guy whose dad was a blues guitar player/drummer, and my friend became a blues guitar player/drummer. Being around it, it rubs off on you. It becomes very familiar to you, and you kinda figure it all out. For me, my dad was a movie producer. He packaged movies and put them together for directors. The, of course, my mom was an actor. She was on set creating characters, so I was around that growing up and could see her process firsthand. I quickly became comfortable with or had an understanding of the process, and I found myself curious about it. My brother also started a band in high school, so that’s when I also got curious about music. So, I watched the people around me and fell into my path.
I spent a lot of time doing music, writing songs, and putting albums out, but I found myself going back to my original passion of wanting to direct movies. That’s what became ‘Dreamland,’ my first movie in 2015. That was my first swing at the pitch in trying to put an indie movie together. I fell in love with the process and got to write music for it, so I kept my musical side stimulated as well. That’s when I got bit by the bug and wanted to get another one going. That brings us to this latest movie, ‘The Good Half.’ I’ve been trying to keep a steady workflow. I like to stay active in making things, and it’s really exciting to finally get this movie out and share it with people!
How did your previous experiences as an indie filmmaker influence your approach to this new film?
With each movie I’ve made, I’ve learned something, whether I am aware of it or not. Maybe it’s a better sense of the rhythm of storytelling. I feel I’ve gotten better about staying on track in terms of telling a story. That’s one thing. Another is knowing what to look out for when casting and how to make the best decisions when finding the actors who will be best for the film. Knowing how to talk to actors is something I feel is really important. Obviously, when you’re on set, you want to know how to best communicate your ideas and get the best out of people. From the first movie to this new one, the biggest thing is having a sense of the pieces I need to tell the story. That’s something that you either figure out quickly, or it takes a moment to crack. That said, the further I go down this road, the more I become aware of the pieces I need to tell the story.
Tell us a bit about how this incredible script came onto your radar and what made you want to invest your time and energy into making it come alive.
The script had something about it that really jumped at you. It really felt different. You could feel the world that was created and start to build that picture in your mind, which was really effective. I also like the tone of the movie. I like comedy, but I also like heavy emotion. I also like it when they are mixed. I like that back-and-forth feeling. The characters were really strong as well. They each had their own place in the story that was really defined, and I thought that was really great. I also felt that the Renn character, played by Nick Jonas, was a true lead. I also like ensembles! I found myself referencing “Little Miss Sunshine” when talking about the movie because I thought it had a nice playfulness but also had to move heavier sections. I really like it when movies have that sort of back-and-forth. That’s what got me into the script. As people started responding well to it in the industry, it made me feel we could get it on its feet and moving faster based on the industry’s response. It still takes a lot to get a movie made. You have to throw yourself into these projects to get them going. It’s very demanding, but we had great material. Starting off with something people like, so that was nice!
You’ve assembled an amazing ensemble cast for the film. Can you tell us a little about finding the right mix of actors to inhabit their characters?
When you read a script, you start to get a sense of the characters in your head. Then, you start drawing boundaries in your mind about actors who work and those who don’t. I might know someone who definitely doesn’t work or someone that could work. You get this list of people who excite you going into your mind! I like working with actors who have history. Of course, I love new actors as well. For this movie, since we didn’t have a lot of time, I wanted to work with characters who I felt could really jump in, help define, and live in the skin of that character. These are actors who have been on different types of shoots and have a sense of the challenges that come from making a movie. It was important for me to be able to rely on our cast and their own experiences. That was a big thing. It was really important to me that the family dynamic feels believable, both visually and energetically. I wanted to make sure we could buy these people as a family. Ya know, there is nothing worse than investing your time in a movie that you completely can’t even buy into at all. It’s pretty frustrating to watch a movie like that because you’re totally checked out the whole time. It was important that we didn’t cast in a way that interrupted your ability to enjoy the story itself, along with the characters. When you get down to it, some people don’t want to do indie movies. Some people want to be paid more or don’t have the time because they have been on a TV show for 30 years. You have to catch people at the right time. My feeling is that timing is everything. We’ll get the right person when it’s all said and done. Whoever is there on the day is the right cast. It’s also important to show appreciation for people’s willingness to sign up to take on this movie!
Did anyone bring something unexpected to the material?
I’ve worked with Matt Walsh in the past. I really love Matt, both as a friend and a collaborator. It was interesting because he liked to challenge me, given our friendship. It can be hard to be challenged if you are in the middle of trying to get through a scene or something. Matt does a lot of comedy. We shot some scenes with him that were very emotional, like the drive to the funeral home, then the cemetery, and during the service. We were on Matt shooting profile shots, and he was teared up. If you go back and look, he’s giving you some real weight to those shots to really help show us what we are dealing with here; this is the loss of his ex-wife and his children’s mother. Matt, a comedic actor who does a lot of improv as well, will surprise you! He will bring a weight and a dramatic sense to this role that will be exciting for people to see! I also thought David Arquette, who played Rick, did a remarkable job. Rick isn’t likable, and his behavior is fairly off-putting at times because he’s just so out of touch. Alex Shipp and Nick Jonas had to form this great romantic bond within a day because they didn’t have any time to get together and rehearse. Alex is easy to love, spend time with and talk to. She broke it down and got Nick out of his shell in some ways, which is important because she was getting Renn out of his shell in a way.
Alexandra and Nick really killed it. Honestly, I was pretty blown away by the performances. It really shocked me that this is really Nick’s first leading role. That’s baffling to me with how good he is in the film!
I know! It’s crazy. It’s insane! I don’t want to say that people will be surprised, because does that mean he isn’t a good actor or something? It’s not that. I think people just aren’t expecting him to become this character in this type of character-driven piece that has this emotional spine and does it with such strong execution! I lose myself when I watch it. I’m not even looking at Nick, who I’m close with; I’m looking at this character.
As you mentioned, ‘The Other Half’ deals with some heavy drama but there is also levity with the comedy. At what point did you know you had pulled of that delicate balance?
I don’t know. I think, if I break it down, a lot of it has to happen before we are on set. You find things there, of course. That dynamic you’re talking about comes from the decision-making of casting the actors, who will go together like a puzzle. Each piece is broken out when you start, but when you step away, you see the full image. Casting, for me, is a puzzle-piece kind of thing. We’re not casting anyone blindly. I usually meet with each actor to talk about the vision or what I hope to achieve. I can sense if the energy is going to work. There’s a point where I ask myself, “Am I bringing something into this equation that is going to be additive, or are we going to pull away from the goal of the film we want to make?”
You mentioned how each project is a learning process. What were your biggest takeaways from your experiences with ‘The Good Half’?
This project was a great reminder of how movies are to be made because so many things have to happen simultaneously and perfectly align before you can go into production. Even calling action on set to reach that point is a huge achievement! Time is precious, so I always try to remind myself of that. I just want to make movies I feel good about and am proud of. I feel fortunate that I’ve been able to do that so far. I like moving and getting things going, so I don’t want to wait five years to make a movie! It’s all just such a great learning experience. The more time I spend, the better I understand actors and the packaging of movies. The landscape of today’s market has changed a lot in terms of how movies come together. It’s going through a huge tornado right now, which I think we all need to be realistic about and adapt to.
What do you look for in the material or projects you take on, and where do you see yourself headed in the future?
It might sound simple or silly, but I first look for something I want to watch. I look for the material I want to consume as an audience member. That’s a big thing. As for where I see myself going, I want to try new genres and experiment more with those genres. I love comedy very much, so my brain is always thinking of new stories to tell in the comedy genre. With that said, I’m always hungry for the next project and challenge. I love getting to create, big or small, whatever size the movie might be. So, I’m ready to jump into the next project!
I love that about you! You’ve been an inspiration through the years, so I can’t wait to see where the journey takes you!
Thanks, Jason. I really appreciate that! Thank you for your time!
Utopia and Fathom Events will release the film in theaters nationwide on July 23rd and 25th with exclusive virtual Q&A with Nick Jonas, Robert Schwartzman and special guest moderator Kiernan Shipka.
