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Your Sister's Sister • The Next Reel
"You have great taste in life and terrible taste in men.”
Once Lynn Shelton and her producers had locked in plans to make Your Sister’s Sister, they cast Mark Duplass, Emily Blunt and Rachel Weisz in the three lead roles. They worked on the script and concepts over eight months and then they had to push the production back. When they did this, they lost Weisz due to scheduling conflicts she had with Deep Blue Sea. With only two days before they started shooting, Shelton cast Rosemary DeWitt to replace Weisz whom she had met when directing an episode of “Mad Men.” DeWitt connected right away with the project and the loose production style, and they got the film made. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Lynn Shelton series with her 2012 film Your Sister’s Sister.
We talk about the nonsensical confusion the title creates for us, because it feels like there should be three sisters, but how it really doesn’t matter because it’s a cool and memorable title. Just don’t think about it too much. We chat about the great central performances by Duplass, Blunt, and DeWitt and debate if the story is too dramatic for the subject or if it works. We look at the idea of Shelton’s films as comedies and debate the genre label for them, deciding they’re more comedic dramas. We discuss our struggle with the dramatic open and how it never feels like an element that’s dealt with in the film. And we chat about the gorgeous filming location in the Seattle area and the San Juan Islands.
It’s a solid story with great actors, even if it has some story elements we struggled with. Regardless, it’s a film worth watching and discussing. Check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!
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Chapters
- Welcome to The Next Reel • Your Sister's Sister
- Trailer & Title Confusion
- Comedy?
- Comedy in Theatres vs. Alone
- Improvisational Elements vs. the Dramatic Story
- Opening Drama Disappears
- Filmmaker Interviews vs. the Actual Film
- Performances
- Origins With the Mother
- Treatment of Vegans
- The Ending
- Sperm Stealer
- Jack's Growth
- Mike Birbiglia
- Camera & the Pacific Northwest
- Music
- Lynn's Indie Community Building
- The French Remake
- Awards
- Box Office
- Flickchart
- Letterboxd
- Next Week: Laggies
- Signing Off