September 3, 2004

Today is the day to overcommit.

Today's interviewee is a Chicago writer who wrote the screnplay for the HBO film Iron-Jawed Angels, and she is kind enough to share her experiences with it, with us, today.

The Jennifer Friedes Interview: Quite a Few Less Than Twenty Questions

How did the project evolve, from idea to story to screenplay to film?
I was miserable in my job as a lawyer and wanted to try my hand at writing. I knew I wanted to write a screenplay but had no particular topic in mind. My husband, the insomniac, saw a documentary one night called "One Woman, One Vote." The next morning he asked me, "Did you know that women were thrown in jail for picketing the president and force fed during a hunger strike in order to gain the right to Needless to say, I was completely disinterested.
Fortunately, nothing better came along. I began researching the story and was amazed by what I found. Three weeks of research later, I started writing. Six months later, I had a screenplay. Nine months later, I sold it (the same month my first son was born). Five years later, the movie was "in the can," and one year after that, it aired on HBO.

What were some of the lessons you learned from the adaptation of the story to film?
I learned what a collaborative process movie-making is. I learned that my words, characters, action and structure are merely a blueprint, and the final result is an amalgam of creative inputs from a variety of sources. I learned that it's better to write something you care about than to write something you think will sell.

How much creative control did you exercise? Were you on set?
I had absolutely no creative control once I sold the script. I was hired to do one re-write, and I believe they didn't even really give me full notes, because they already knew who they were going to pass it on to. I'm not as bitter about it as I sound. It's just a fact that I now can see in hindsight.
I did go on set. I asked to be an extra, and they let me hang out for one weekend in Richmond, Va (while the sniper was lurking around there). I was seven months pregnant with my third son, and it was a great experience. They gave me a trailer. They gave me a directors' chair. They put me in period costume and make-up. And then, they made me wait. I had heard about all the waiting but was amazed at the sheer boredom of it all. I met most of the stars of the film, many of the crew members and a few of the extras.
One great thing that happened to me on set - I had spent my last day hanging out between scenes with Hilary Swank, and I really wanted a picture with her. I was embarrassed about asking for it, though, because it felt somehow like I'd be crossing the line from colleague to fan, and that wasn't the direction I wanted to go. Nevertheless, after much sweating and hemming and hawing, I finally asked her assistant if Hilary would mind (you can see I'm a really gutsy individual) and she said Hilary would love it. I got a nice shot - but that's not the great part. The great part came hours later when I was hanging out with a group of extras waiting to go on for our scene. We were talking about the movie, and they asked me how I knew so much about it. I said, "I wrote the original draft of it." Immediately, without hesitation, they asked, "Can we take a picture with you?" That was the first time I'd ever felt anything like that.

By the way, I was cut from the film.

How much did the final product resemble the original incarnation?
The story is the basically the same (though, they added a love story that I didn't have) and the main thrust of my script is there - the historic things that I wanted exposed are there. The dialogue was updated to seem more current and to bridge the gap between today's audience and the period nature of the piece. This is probably the main difference.

What was the best or most exciting part of making the movie?
I can't really say I had a part of making the movie. I enjoyed writing it, because I thought it was a story worth telling. I enjoyed being on set, because it was really neat to see the words on the page come alive. I enjoyed the premieres, because I flew to the Sundance Film Festival, New York, and L.A. and saw my name in huge letters on gigantic movie screens. I think I'll enjoy the Emmy's because, even though I'm a huge underdog, it should be a fabulous party. It's all good.

What are some of your favorite screenplays?
Anything by William Goldman.

Is there anything that you're currently reading or that you've read that you'd love to adapt, even if there was no chance in hell you could get the project?
Yes. Time Traveler's Wife. There are others too - pretty much every book I read. It's all tainted now. I'm always reading to see if it's adaptable.

Speaking of which, did you see "Adaptation," and if so, what did you think?
I loved Adaptation. I thought it was brilliant. It was a big insider's joke on the craft of screenwriting, and it really hit me the right way.

The local NPR affiliate here recently ran a program on how it's difficult for artists to find much success. As a writer and somebody who has done work with the cinema, how true do you find this?
I think it's a tough business to break into, and I think it's a tough business to stay in. You're only as good as the next thing you have to sell. I also think, however, that it depends on your definition of success. Many people make fantastic livings but never have a script produced. Many people have scripts produced, but don't write anything that matters. Many people write one thing, get it out there, but can't follow up with anything else. There's no question that it takes some luck.

Do you like going to the movies, or do you prefer to see them at home?
I love going to movies, but with three kids under the age of 6, I don't get the opportunity very often. I just built a theater room in my basement, so now I get movie quality sound and picture without leaving the house. I still like going to a blockbuster opening weekend, but I'm good watching it at home too.

I see that "Iron Jawed Angels" was billed as "a woman's movie." Did you find this accurate, or do you think that it limited the potential audience?
Where? Who said that? I'll kill 'em.

No. I think it's very hard to sell a movie about women's suffrage. Period. This is really a movie about power, though, and what people in power will do to keep it. Women do seem to have a particularly strong reaction to it. I think few female viewers will ever take voting for granted again. I actually hope it has the same effect on men.

Are there other watershed moments of women's history that you think you'd like to capture for film?
I've given that a lot of thought, and there are. You'll have to wait and see.

What are you working on now?
I'm working on a script called "House of Stone." It's a thriller about two couples doing dirty deeds to each other even though, supposedly, they're best friends. A slight departure from my previous work to be sure.

How does it feel to be the 91st person interviewed for Zulkey.com?
I wanted to be number 100, so it took me a year to complete. Did I make it?

Almost! You're actually 104th.