Actors And Filmmakers Of ‘The Wife’ Discuss Importance Of Women-Centered Productions

According to Variety, the cast and crew of the new drama The Wife hope the film will enlighten men on the importance of women-centered projects and productions.

Starring Glenn Close, the film revolves around a female writer who endeavors to make her voice heard in a world that wants to silence her.

Screenwriter Jane Anderson claims that it took 14 years before the film could be produced because no fitting male actors who were willing to star alongside a female lead.

“It took the wonderful Jonathan Pryce, who’s a Brit and a theater actor, to say, ‘Yeah, this is a great role! And let me go play with Glenn.’ I was battling male egos at every turn back then, and I thought this project was dead many times over, and here we are,” Andersen said.

Pryce plays the husband of Close’s character, who is a Nobel-Prize winning author. In the film, Close’s character has sacrificed her own writing career for her husband’s.

Close said that her character’s background intrigued her and presented her with many difficult questions. At first, she did not quite understand why her character didn’t choose to leave her husband.

“There are many, many reasons why women don’t leave men that they probably should,” she said. “So that’s very real, but I had to find it in a really personal, authentic way. It was a thrilling and challenging exploration.”

Pryce added that there are reasons behind the relationship’s toxicity that he wants to audience to notice, adding the although the film is about his character’s wife, the husband is utilized as a “window” with which to watch and examine the dynamics of their marriage. Christian Slater, who plays the role of an investigative journalist in the film, called Pryce brave for taking on a secondary role, adding that if there was ever a right time for this film to come out, it’s now.

Annie Starke, Close’s real-life daughter and on-stage younger self, says that, in addition to women, she hopes men will also respond to the film.

Close, herself, notes that this film is an example of the progression of female representation in film.

“Whether we’ve reached the tipping point, I don’t know, because I think it’s something that people can’t ever be complacent about, and that will depend on producers and directors — people who hire people.”

“But I don’t think we’ll ever go back to where we were before,” Close continued. “I think there’s been too much of one explosion after another, and I hope we find a balance that will settle into a real cultural revolution where women are in a different place.”