As a first-time director Scarlett Johanssonemployed a gentle touch that endeared her to June Squibb, the leading lady in her upcoming film Eleanor the Great.
Not only did the two become fast friends, but they also appreciated one another’s talents when making the poignant character-driven movie about an elderly woman’s struggle to navigate loss and transition.
“Certainly, the story asks for a gentle hand,” Johansson exclusively tells Parade. “It asks for the audience to have empathy and compassion for the characters, which I also felt for them. I had to approach it that way.”
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“Eleanor’s character feels impossible at times,” she adds, “but by the end of the film, the audience understands her actions, and that it comes from a place of loneliness, grief, and love.”
Eleanor Morgenstein, played by Squibb, is a cantankerous, willful and lifelong rebel with a mile-wide streak of independence who could not be more loyal to those she loves.
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After the devastating death of her roommate and close friend in Florida, 94-year-old Eleanor moves back to New York City to live with her daughter and grandson, hoping to reconnect with her family. But instead, she feels alone and invisible. One day, she wanders into a support group where she doesn’t belong.
The funny and tender film from Sony Pictures Classics explores themes of aging, friendship, truth, and more.
Johannson, who is best known for her roles in The Avengers, Lost in Translation, Black Widow and We Bought a Zoo, says the story of a feisty, vivacious and independent older woman resonated with her because of her fond memories of Dorothy Sloan, her maternal grandmother, whom she calls an “empowered woman,” and a positive role model.
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Johansson also dedicated the movie to her grandmother. “She had a huge personality and lots of passion, so I hope some of the spirit of Dorothy and women like her is baked into this story.”
“My grandmother would have been proud that I directed a film,” she says. “She was always encouraging of the different directions my career took. She was there on opening night when I did my first play, and every step along the way. She always made me feel like there was nothing that I couldn’t do.”
For Johansson, having that unconditional love and support as a young person was critical to her early success. “When everything else is so uncertain and unfamiliar, having someone who has seen a lot of life tell you that you can actually do it, and that it’s inside of you, is really special,” she adds.
“I feel so fortunate that I had my grandmother in my life in that way for a long time just to have her support and her perspective,” she shares. “It’s a very important relationship for me.”
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When it comes to relationships, Johansson clearly bonded with Squibb and the rest of the cast, which includesJessica Hect as Eleanor’s daughter, Erin Kellyman as Nina, a Gen Z journalism student who befriends Eleanor, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Nina’s father, Roger, an experienced journalist, who is helping to guide her.
Johansson says directing came naturally to her because she was able to draw on her work as an actor for more than 30 years. “I’m used to this process, and it was amazing for me to finally be able to direct something and have that kind of validation that I didn’t even know I needed.”
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Kellyman says every day with Squibb was “extremely sweet,” and the younger actress appreciated her new friend. “I was surprised that she was so willing to take me under her wing. I think there are just some people in life that you click with, and June is one of them for me.”
She adds that the importance of role models and mentors, like Johansson and Squibb, is extremely important to her. “To have my scenes with June and then be directed by Scarlett gave me the best of both worlds. There was an automatic trust on this set. I felt immediately safe, and it’s always important to see representation of yourself on and off camera.”
Squibb, who has starred in more than 30 movies, including Nebraska, About Schmidt, and Thelma, says that she first fell in love with the “humanness” of the character, and also appreciated the script. “I was told that Scarlett was going to direct. We had a Zoom meeting, and I felt that we could work well together and that this was a great idea.”
Squibb adds that on the surface, Eleanor the Great is about a mistake, but it is really a woman’s journey to find herself. It just so happens that it’s a 90-year-old woman who is trying to find out who she is, what she wants, and where she hopes to go in life.
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Ejiofor tells us he was attracted to the film because, “it was dealing with themes that I hadn’t seen very often in films, and was done with sensitivity, truthfulness, and honesty. I felt that these themes, and the importance of friendship, and the grief that can be related to friendship, were something that was beautifully explored.”
Eleanor the Great will have a limited theatrical release starting on Friday, Sept. 26.
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