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Bleecker Street releases Mafia Mamma nationwide on April 14th, 2023. NYC MOVIE GURU: What do you think are the basic elements that turn a dark comedy into a classic? Catherine Hardwicke: A classic dark comedy has a memorable scene that just burns into your brain that you laugh so hard that you can't forget it. Anytime you hear the name of the movie, you're back in that scene. NYC MOVIE GURU: I think that most comedies, like Mafia Mamma and even Charlie Chaplin movies, are rooted in tragedy. Do you agree? CH: Yes, like in Bridesmaids, too. She has a pretty tragic relationship with her boyfriend, so you have a character who's going through something very dramatic. They need to change, and there's a catalyst that needs to kick them into the next level of self-discovery, usually. NYC MOVIE GURU: Do you think that Kristin's husband probably cheated on her more than the one time when she caught him cheating? CH: I like that. I think you're right. He's like a man-child. He doesn't even really "get it." It's all about his ego. He doesn't even understand. When the girl says to him, "You're a great songwriter.", he replies, "Yeah, I am." He's absolutely so self-absorbed that I'm sure that he has cheated on her before. NYC MOVIE GURU: Do you think that Kristin is standing up for herself or standing up to her husband and her Italian lover when she confronts them? CH: I don't think that she's a vengeful person, really. I think that she really is standing up for herself when she says to her lover in Italy, "I'm okay with it. I really don't give a shit anymore." So, she is standing up for herself. She has so many layers of self-awareness through the movie. NYC MOVIE GURU: How do you think Kristin's self worth changes by the end of Mafia Mamma? CH: I think that in the courtroom, she really puts it in perspective. She was, kind of, withering away before because she wasn't respected by her husband, not even her son or her coworkers. Nobody really respected her, and she didn't find a way to stand up for herself. So, by the end, she is standing up for herself. She realizes that she has some pretty good skills: she has built-up the business, she's able to hold her own in these meetings with bad-ass mafia dudes. She's got ideas, and they're working. NYC MOVIE GURU: How did you avoid the temptation to hold back on the comedy and violence? I remember in 2 Days in the Valley, which you worked on as a production designer, you included a large orgasmic seashell in the film which was hilarious. CH: You just realized the most obscure, awesome reference. Yay! I love it. Yes, I love comedy. I try to sneak it in everywhere as a product designer and even in my serious movies. Even in Thirteen, there's a chicken with a gyrating head. When I read the Mafia Mamma script, I thought, "Could I create this scene where all of her anger, frustration that she's been dealing with for the last 40 years, especially during the last 10 years, can come out? How can it come out?" Because she's, kind of, being emotionally assaulted by these guys. She's literally put on mute. Her voice is physically silenced, and then she's being assaulted by the rapist/assassin that came into her room. So, I thought, "Let's go for it!" Because all these assaults on her are violent, so let's just let that rage come out. So, I built a prosthetic head of the actor so that I could really gouge the eyes. I built a prosthetic crotch of the actor so that I could really gouge that out. I thought, "Let's not hold back." Of course, I'm a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino films and Evil Dead 2---the eyeball. I like to be cringing in movies. I like participating in a movie---hiding my eyes and screaming. I like that audience participation. NYC MOVIE GURU: Within the first ten minutes of Mafia Mamma, you already find out what the movie will be about and what kind of movie it is. How important is it to cut right to the chase in a comedy as opposed to gradually building up to it? I think that it's a double-edged sword. CH: That's a good point. I feel like the sooner that you start to laugh in a comedy, in some ways, the more the laughs can keep going---it's the rolling laugh. So, I think that I was, more or less, going that way. Now when you see trailers and teasers, we kind of know where the story is going to go a lot of the time or you know from the poster, so, you kinda just wanna get to Italy faster. You kinda wanna get to Italy and start getting into the fun of it, I think. NYC MOVIE GURU: Which fictional characters would you pick to join Kristin in a luncheon? Who do you think is kindred spirits with her? CH: I'd definitely have somebody from Bridesmaids---probably all of the ladies from Bridesmaids. I would probably have them be in a luncheon with some of those characters from The Hangover just for fun. Let's just mix it up. NYC MOVIE GURU: What about Shirley from Shirley Valentine? CH: I do remember that. That would be cool. We can also get Toula from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. She'd be fun. It would just be so much fun to get this whole crazy cast. I love it. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris--that was fun. I love Leslie Manville. NYC MOVIE GURU: I like how there's a warm, beating heart beneath Mafia Mamma? How did you accomplish that? CH: I think there is a lot of heart that I get from Toni Collette. She's just got so much soul and character. And you do care Kristin. Even at the end, she still comes out with a trailmix for her kid, even though she's pretty badass. NYC MOVIE GURU: I live by the poem by Pablo Neruda which I think also applies to Kristin's emotional journey: "They can cut all of the flowers, but they can't stop the spring from coming." CH: That is beautiful! I love that one! Main Page Interviews Menu Alphabetical Menu Chronological Menu ______________________________________________________ |
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