Wein and Lister-Jones bring their finely honed acting instincts to their screenplays from years of intense training in one of the nation’s top theater and film schools. They consistently craft rich and authentic characters that offer the kind of challenge that actors relish taking on, which helped attract top actors to their second project. “This is definitely an ensemble film,” says Lister-Jones. “Every character is fully imagined and has something important to do. We are lucky enough to have an incredible cast that understands and embodies those complexities.”
LOLA VERSUS’ impressive ensemble of veterans and newcomers was assembled by the filmmakers with the help of casting directors Suzanna Smith Crowley and Jessica Kelly. “The script was smart and witty, so the challenge was finding actors that could handle the comedy without going too broad,” says Kelly. “I think we found exactly the right actors for these roles. Greta Gerwig is a great leading lady. She’s fearless, likeable and funny, like Lola. Hamish Linklater is brilliant, quirky and sensitive like Henry. Joel Kinnaman is intense and charismatic like Luke, and Zoe is that adorable, fun best friend that pushes the envelope, like Alice.”
The film’s unconventional heroine, Lola, was a challenging role to fill, says producer Michael London. “As a character, she has so many flaws. She can be unlikeable at times. But I’m drawn to characters who make mistakes. When good people are allowed to do bad things, then you can fall in love with them again when they redeem themselves. We needed an actress with the guts and talent to make it her own, as well as the charm to hold the audience’s sympathy through those tough moments.”
Greta Gerwig brings an unconventional beauty, startling bravura and great vulnerability to the role, says the producer. “It would be hard to imagine the movie without Greta,” he adds. “She has a style that is all her own. Greta is not an actress you can bend around the character. She doesn’t speak or look like other actresses. From the moment we heard the words come out of her mouth, she became an inescapable version of the character.”
Gerwig first garnered critical recognition in 2010 when she starred opposite Ben Stiller in Noah Baumbach’s GREENBERG, then followed up with a leading role in a big-budget remake of the classic comedy ARTHUR, opposite Russell Brand. Most recently, she starred in director Whit Stillman’s long-awaited fourth feature, DAMSELS IN DISTRESS, and will soon be seen in Woody Allen’s TO ROME WITH LOVE.
“We had been following Greta’s career for a long time,” says producer Simpson. “It was exciting to have the opportunity to cast someone on the verge of being a movie star and showcase her to the world in a new way.”
Well-connected in New York’s relatively small film community, Gerwig was already familiar with Wein and Lister-Jones’ earlier work. “It felt very fortuitous,” the actress says. “We all live in New York. We saw each other a lot socially right before I was cast. I think it was just meant to be.”
“Lola is a good friend and a good daughter, someone following a plan and staying on schedule,” says the actress. “She’s headed for a safe academic life. It’s almost a continuation of college, just like her relationship with Luke is. Certainly it’s hard to go to graduate school or maintain a long relationship, but for Lola, it’s the safe option. When Luke pulls the rug out from under her, she has to figure out what she’s doing. It’s a different kind of romantic comedy, because ultimately the person Lola is trying to get together with is herself.”
But as the character tries to manage the precarious path to independence, she becomes alarmingly self-involved, often alienating the people who most want to help her. “She can’t seem to get off of her own hamster wheel,” says Gerwig. “She’s definitely not a cute mess, which I like. She’s just a mess.”
Portrayed by another actress, Lola might have come off as self-indulgent, says Wein, but Gerwig never makes obvious choices for the character. “As we rehearsed, Greta and I worked hard to find different, more hopeful and inspiring moments for her. Lola is processing what’s happening, as opposed to wallowing in her own sorrow.”
Gerwig’s emotional range and technical versatility inspired the other actors, according to Wein. “Every other take we’d try something new. She’s not afraid of that. She’s very loose and good at being real. She listens very well, which makes her able to gauge what the other actor is giving her and respond in the moment.”
The actress says she prefers to keep her options open as a scene unfolds. “I tend not to repeat what I do from take to take,” Gerwig says. “I have an idea of what things should be and I’m prepared going into the scene. But sometimes it’s worth it when a take goes totally wrong, because it jostles something else.”
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