Unforgettable is a guilty pleasure thriller. At the same time it features two strong female characters battling over their right to happiness in a tale that is timely in this world of blended families.
Rosario Dawson is Julia. She leaves her northern California life to move to Los Angeles with her fiancé, David (Geoff Stults). He has a daughter whom he is blissfully raising with his ex-wife Tessa (Katherine Heigl). Things are perfect. But, when Julia’s mere presence becomes too much for Tessa to endure, the ex starts to unravel and everybody’s lives hang in the balance.
Directed by Denise Di Novi, Unforgettable features jaw-dropping moments throughout. Yet because it’s in the sensitive hands of a female helmer and stars, it never goes off the rails as many in this milieu tend to do.
We caught up with Heigl and Dawson, who discuss the challenge of bringing an abuse survivor’s character to the screen with sensitivity and power. Dawson reveals why having a female director gives us a sex scene that says so much without words being uttered, and Heigl dishes on how one crafts an insane villain that has the audience firmly understanding her actions. Hop to the next page to read the full interview.
Unforgettable is a rare film in Hollywood, unfortunately. It is co-written by a woman, its main stars and director are women. Was that alone the big pull?
Rosario Dawson: I loved the opportunity to work with a bunch of remarkable women and tell a multi-faceted story about women. What was interesting was watching these different women struggle with the idea of perfection. I liked that part of seeing women trying to be like each other and how difficult that is. To see that full range was beautiful.
Katherine, was playing Tessa equal parts tough work and absolute blast?
Katherine Heigl: It was a lot of fun. But, I really wanted for there to be sympathy for Tessa. I felt compassion for her. She wasn't just maniacal and she wasn't just insane. She was heartbroken, insecure, afraid, aging and not knowing how to deal with any of it.
Warner Bros.
What about Julia made her so out of a different mold?
RD: She's had some very distinct moments—a father who was an alcoholic and a boyfriend who was very abusive physically to her. You're seeing a woman who was a victim, who was a survivor, and now she's putting all those tools to work to become someone who is thriving. You can see a similarity for these two women and the missed opportunity because of so much that goes unspoken. Instead what's different about them is made out as competition as opposed to a commonality, which is unfortunate.
Tessa is no stranger to abuse. Do you think she is in denial about how her mom treats her?
KH: Oh absolutely. I think she's repressing so much. She doesn't even allow any real emotion to come out when her mother hurts her feelings or makes her feel small. I've done that on occasion, where I just sort of stuff it down… and then you have… well, I usually don't try to kill people [laughs].
How do you think you’ve paid tribute to those who have endured domestic violence?
RD: I have been a spokesperson for different campaigns, campaigns for violence against women. My mom, when she was younger, worked at an organization called Woman Inc., which was my first real experience. To know my mom was on the other side of that war for a woman like my character when she's finally ready to get out of this, that she needs help, was always so powerful to me.
The sex scene was a game changer on many levels. Was that because you had a female director, you think?
RD: This bathroom scene, Julia’s throwing him up against the wall. It's coming from her desperation. Normally, it's about the sex and not the subtext. I thought that was really important to have a woman at the helm. We were able to get into a lot of details without saying a word.
Warner Bros.
Playing the villain is tough. She is psychotic, but you don’t want to be cartoonish. How did you strike that balance?
KH: I felt sorry for her. Her crazy is born out of insecurity. She is terrified of not being perfect. If she isn't, her whole world will fall apart. The desperation to hold on to it is what drives her to make choices that any sane person wouldn't make. There's a reason for each one of these choices. She's not getting the results she wants. So she goes one step further. All of it was coming from a place of sincerity. It wasn't just to be outrageous and just to be crazy.
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