From sleeping amongst the wildlife to building set pieces from scratch, Robin Wright went all in on Land

Robin Wright hasn’t done many interviews on her new film Land. We know, because we googled like crazy to capture a glimpse of her, in an effort to baseline our conversational expectations.  So why us, we thought?  We’re not professional interviewers, by any stretch, and we’re not exactly People magazine.  The truth is, our chat with Wright about her directorial debut, Land, will forever remain one of those magical mysteries that make life wild and unpredictable.

Leading up to the interview we joked a lot about how we could infuse questions about The Princess Bride and House of Cards, but all the sarcasm flew out the door 15 minutes leading up to our interview. My left arm pit was sweating like crazy, my right eye was rapidly twitching and Rob had started doing the thing he does where he talks more intensely and asks me lots of questions, which only makes my arm pit sweat more.

Then, there she was.  Gosh darnit, we thought we were prepared, but if she wasn’t even more lovely than we could have ever imagined.  To tell you that all of my anxiety melted away would be mostly true, but I’m also not sure I could have told you exactly what we talked about more than 10 seconds after our conversation ended, either.

The conversation flowed easily with Wright’s careful and measured responses.  We had to literally bite our lower lips to not jump in during the small gaps of silence.

Wright shares her perspective on the timeliness of Land and the urgency of its message.  She also shares candidly, “I wanted to do this movie in particular because it came to me during the time when the world and America was experiencing the random shootings that were going on, almost bi-weekly and I’m just thinking about the level of grief these poor people are experiencing and how do you get through that?”

I’ve gotten ahead of myself a bit, so let me tell you a bit about Land

When Edee’s (Robin Wright) life is tragically altered (it’s really bad), she loses the ability to connect with the world and people she once knew. She retreats to a forest in the Rocky Mountains with a few supplies and leaves her old life behind indefinitely. The beauty of her new surroundings is undeniable yet quickly humbling as she struggles to adjust and prepare for the winter ahead. When Edee is caught on the brink of death, a local hunter (Demián Bichir) and his family miraculously save her, but she alone must find a way to live again.

The film has other layers too.  It’s about resilience and hope and perseverance, but Land doesn’t suggest that these things can or should be solved alone.  Rather, we need the help of others, with community and friendship, being at the core of our wellness.

The secret to why Land will be successful for Robin Wright

Connection and community, indeed.  Wright was quick to elevate the work of her fellow castmates and crew.  From the team who erected the dilapidated cabin to her literal hero in the movie (Demián Bichir).  Wright reminds us that being genuine and having compassion, really matters. With a director and a cast who lives those values, it makes it a whole lot easier for us to believe it on the screen.

PS.  If you’re like us and you had no idea that Robin runs a jammie company, you should definitely check out Pour Les Femmes.

Check our our podcast episode with Robin Wright! And don’t miss Tim’s review of Land!

*********************************************

Other places to follow Alternate Ending.

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitter

Tim Letterboxd – Rob Letterboxd – Carrie Letterboxd