Near the end of ‘American Woman,’ amongst a backdrop of rain and a scene with emotional anguish, mud, tears, debris, and reconciliation, a small green inchworm makes their way across Sienna Miller’s shoulder. It’s a small bright detail, a reflection of the willingness and the ability to find the beauty in every scene, every inch of Miller’s new film, ‘American Woman.’
Even in the most dire or messy of circumstances, Director Jake Scott and his team dedicated themselves to portray the beautiful moments provided in the script by Brad Ingelsby in a unique way. Whether capturing reflections on mirrors, viewing fights through banisters, or allowing stories to play out across the lens during long takes, ‘American Woman’ is a deliberate, intentional, and detail oriented film that plays with tone, pacing, and relationship.
But to get there, you have to get past the first 2 minutes. The first 120 seconds are the playground where the elements are just starting to settle. Sienna Miller plays a young single mother with an unplaceable accent (at least for now; location will become clear very soon courtesy of brilliant production design). And we’re not sure how we feel about her spit fire of a character.
Settle in and take a breath. There’s a pay off intricately coordinated by Jake Scott and his crew, and orchestrated by a cast of talented actors playing complex family members, including Christina Hendricks, Aaron Paul, Will Sasso, and a young-star-in-the-making by the name of Aiden McGraw. Scott Free Productions (it should be noted that Jake Scott’s father is indeed, Ridley Scott) produced the film which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and was picked up there by Roadside Attractions and Vertical Entertainment.
American Woman was celebrated on Thursday June 5th with an Los Angeles Premiere at the ArcLight Hollywood followed by an after-party on the roof of The Dream Hotel Hollywood, all under the watchful eyes of Godzilla (he currently inhabits the Cinerama dome).
After being captivated with the moments of mystery sprinkled throughout the film, and rewarded with Miller’s best performance to date, it’s no surprise that the film’s premiere was met with a bustle and conversation in the theater lobby. Eventually, the stars and their guests made their way to the Highlight Room on top of the Dream Hotel. They were met with the ‘American Woman’ signature cocktail for the evening, Dark and Stormy, and small delicious bites such as arugula pizza, chocolate mousse, and brownies. Gerard Butler joined the rooftop gathering, while Robin Wright, Casey Affleck, Floriana Lima, and Laura James, joined the premiere screening.
To some, the name ‘American Woman’ may conjure up the Lenny Kravitz cover song from 1999. The song does not make an appearance (nor doess the original), so we’re left to decipher what a title like ‘American Woman’ means.
Are we always struggling? Are we subject to difficult relationships? Are we always pushing? Comparing? Rebeling?
No. It’s that we can always seem to find the beauty where there may be none.
Even in a drink called a Dark and Stormy, there’s a bit of mint. Even on a grey night on a rooftop, the Hollywood lights cut through. Even in an emotional scene, there is a tiny green earth worm inching across.
‘American Woman’ continues to find the beauty in the current situation. And that, right now, may be the most American thing of all.
To that end, it’s actually the lyrics of Tom Petty’s ‘American Girl,’ rather than the Guess Who song ‘American Woman,’ that summarize the film best:
Well she was an American girl
Raised on promises
She couldn’t help thinkin’ that there
Was a little more to life
Somewhere else
After all it was a great big world
With lots of places to run to
Yeah, and if she had to die
Tryin’ she had one little promise
She was gonna keep
Oh yeah, all right
Take it easy baby
Make it last all night
She was an American girl
American Woman opens in theaters on June 14th.
