Hot off the success of Emmy-winning TV drama Big Little Lies, which she produced and starred in, Reese Witherspoon now stars as Alice Kinney in the romantic comedy Home Again. The film is written and directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer, and produced by the latter’s mother, Nancy Meyers.
Recently separated from her husband (Michael Sheen), Alice decides to start over by moving back to her hometown of Los Angeles with her two young daughters, where a chance meeting with three aspiring film-makers gives her an unlikely new family and the chance of romance.
Writer/director Meyers-Shyer says that the premise came to her from the changing dynamics of divorce.
“I really wanted to tell the story of a woman who got a divorce in her 40s,” she explains.
“I was noticing a trend of women having the courage and strength to make a change early on in their lives when they felt something wasn’t working. I wanted to explore this idea of divorcing at a younger age than we’re used to seeing on screen and what it feels like to have two young kids, to start your life over, and to have so much ahead of you. Alice’s journey is about what it takes to feel whole again. And in this case, that does not depend on a traditional happily ever after.”
Meyers-Shyer is no stranger to the romantic comedy genre, given her mother is a legendary producer and director. Throughout her career, Meyers has created a body of work focusing on the female experience with a number of highly successful comedies, with titles such as the remake of Disney classic The Parent Trap, What Women Want, Something’s Gotta Give, It’s Complicated and The Intern.
The close collaboration between the mother-daughter duo was inspirational to the cast
So, it was not surprising that once Meyers-Shyer finished Home Again’s script, she showed it to her mother and asked her to produce it.
“It’s been great working with my boss, who also happens to be my daughter,” says Meyers. It was thrilling to see how much she had absorbed over the years growing up on film sets and studying film. It was very exciting to watch her take the reins of a big project like this. I am a very proud mom!”
Once filming began, Meyers’s input was crucial to her daughter.
“Any director will tell you how invaluable and rare it is to be able to turn to your right and ask somebody what they think of it. And to have that person be somebody you respect and admire and trust. It was just enormously helpful and really special for us,” says Meyers-Shyer.
“It was kind of surreal at times, to be honest,” adds Meyers. “Hallie was 29 when she directed this film; I was 29 when I made my first movie. Honestly, I think a lot of parents hope their kids follow in their footsteps but we don’t dare say it. The fact that Hallie chose to become a writer/director gives me tremendous joy. It was so gratifying to see her create this film.”
The close collaboration between the mother-daughter duo was inspirational to the cast.
“It’s been really fun to see Hallie and Nancy’s dynamic and how they speak the same language,” says Witherspoon. “They think the same ways about comedy and character.
“It’s nice for me to be around so many female film-makers,” adds the actress. “It’s important that we have female voices in film and I think Hallie is going to be a great new voice.”
Veteran Hollywood actress Candice Bergen, who stars as Alice’s mother, opines that Meyers’s support for her daughter allowed Meyers-Shyer to stand on her own two feet. “Hallie is extremely gifted,” says Bergen. “She knows exactly what she wants and the script is really one of the most graceful, intelligent and light-handed comedies I’ve read in a very long time. And I love that Hallie is 29 and this is her first feature. It’s very gutsy.
“And there was a lot of oestrogen in the room!” she concludes.