Olivia Wilde brought the house down at SXSW with the premiere of her directorial debut “Booksmart” infusing a ton of style and personality in what is sure to be the coming of age film for a new generation. With plenty of gut-busting laughs and a heartfelt message of friendship at its core, Wilde’s film is a relatable and sincere joy ride that’s an absolute blast from start to finish. As a result, the actor/director is sure to be in high demand for her sophomore effort and, after speaking to Wilde at a recent “Booksmart” press event, will forever carry with her invaluable lessons that encourage a personal touch.
Regardless the project or genre, we can count on the “Booksmart” director telling the stories only she can envision tailoring each role specifically for the actors in play, even if that requires rewrites or a reworking of the story. As a fan of experiencing a filmmaker’s personalized vision realized on screen, this is not only encouraging to me, but Wilde has without question inspired some of her cast members to do the same in their future endeavors.
During my interview with Olivia Wilde, Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Billie Lourd, and screenwriter Katherine Silberman, co-lead Dever spoke highly of her mentor and Wilde’s filmmaking approach even expressing interest in directing a project of her own one day. Though I only talked with the “Booksmart” talent for a mere matter of minutes, it quickly became apparent how much Wilde’s cast admired and respected her directorial vision and not only that but how much Wilde herself learned from her collaborations on the project. The entire panel consistently showered one another in love making the close bond between the creative team palpable.
You can catch a clip of my interview with the “Booksmart” crew below which highlights the exchange previously mentioned and a special rendition of ‘Shallow’ from “A Star Is Born!”