August1,2012

BreakingtheMoldbyWritingaPartfor
Herself
ByMELENARYZIK

RashidaJoneshasagoodsenseofhowdirectorsseeher.Iamgenerallycastasthe
dependable,affable,loving,friendwifegirlfriend,shesaid.AsAnnPerkinsontheNBCseries
ParksandRecreationMs.JonesisthevoiceofreasonamongherloopiercostarsAmy
Poehler,NickOffermanandAzizAnsari.Butinhernewmovie,CelesteandJesseForever,
comingoutonFriday,shehasthechancetounravelthatpersona,inwantonfashion.Shestars
asCeleste,whoisinthemidstofalingeringdivorcefromJesse(AndySamberg).
Inherscreenwritingdebut,Ms.Jones,36,wrotethecomedywiththeactorWillMcCormack,
whoplaysherbuddyonscreentheyreliedontheirownrelationshipsasfodder.(Wedated
forliketwoweeks,shesaid,andthenafteraslightadjustment,webecamefriends.)
CelesteandJesse,directedbyLeeTolandKrieger,wasmadeinatight23daysforlessthan
$1million.Wedidgetanofferfromastudioatacertainpointforthemtoreservetheright
tocastsomebodyelseiftheyfeltlikeIwasntfinanciallyviable,Ms.Jonessaid.Aftersome
consideration,shesaidno.IfeltlikethiswastheonlyopportunityIhadtoplaythiskindof
part,shesaid,acharacterthatsmaybelessthanlikable.
LastweekshespokebyphonefromLosAngelesaboutrelationships,feminismandher
writerlyambitions.Mypetpeeveandmygoalinlifeistosomehowgetanadjectivefor
integrityinthedictionary,shesaid,goingontoexplain:Truthfuldoesntreallycoverit,
orgenuine.Itshouldbelikeintegritus.Consideritacampaign.Hereareexcerptsfromthe
conversation.
Q.Whatmadeyouwanttowritethisnow?

A.Iwantedtowriteforalongtime,butIhadalotoffearbecauseIhavefriendswhoare
professionalwriters,andIfeltlike,theywerethatandIwasnt.Ihadthisideakindofbased
MOREINMOVI
onpeoplethatIknew.Theyhadpurgatoryrelationshipstheywereintofortoolongortrying
FallFilms
tooutsmartthepainofbreakingup.IaskedWillandwemadeapactthatwewouldwrite
ThanPop
everyday,andifitwasterrible,wewouldthrowitinthetrash.Wewroteinmybackyard,on
ReadMore
mycouch.IhaveacouchinmybackyardbecauseitsCalifornia.Notrubbingitin.

Q.Howdidhavingawritingpartnerhelpyou?
A.Ithinkthefactthatitwasforbothofusafirstattemptatreallyfinishingascreenplaywe
weresupportive.Whenyourebyyourself,yourcriticvoiceissolouditsimpossibletoget
anythingdone.HeandIhavehadourshareofunhealthyrelationshipswithexes.Itsa
generationalexchangeforprobablywhatwasyourfirstlove50yearsago.Butbecausewedo
thatdelayedadolescentthing,thisistheversionoffirstlove.
Q.Wasittherapeutic,writingthis?
A.Very.Iwasforsureexorcisingsomedemons.IwasinalotofpainwhenIwrotethismovie
lifestuff.Iunderstandhowpeoplesaytheartisticprocessiscathartic.
Q.Youwerewritingaroundthetimeoftheeconomicdownturn.Didyouhavetroublegetting
financing?
A.In2009wesoldittoFoxAtomic,asubsidiaryofFox.Wewerelike,Thisissoeasyhow
awesome.Andthenamonthlatertheyfolded.AndwesolditagaintoOvertureFilms,and
theyclosedtheirassets.Aboutsixtimesthathappened.Itwasfrustrating,butIreallywanted
tomakethefilm.Atacertainpointmyresolvebecamenotthatfunforpeoplearoundme.
Q.SinceitsaboutCelesteseparatingfromaman,notabouthersearchingforone,didyou
thinkabouthowitfitinthecanonofromanticcomediesoraboutsubvertingthose
conventions?Itseemslikewereseeingmoreofthatonscreen.
A.Wetriedtocreateanelementofsurprise:Heshergaybestfriend,buthesnotverygood
atbeinggay.Womenhavebeeninterestingforever.Ivehadsomanywomencomeuptome
andsaytheywerebeingfullyrepresented,thattheyrecomplex,anditsO.K.tobecomplex,
anditsO.K.tobeemotionalonemomentandreallypragmaticthenext.Weregoingthrough
amajorevolution,andmenhaventhadthesameevolution.Atsomepointweregoingtohave
todosomethingtobringthemalong.Whataretheydoing?Getittogether!Weregoingto
haveanentiregenerationofsmart,stablesuccessfulwomengowithoutmen,becausetheyre
justplayingvideogamesanddatingyoungergirls.
Q.ThereistheApatowdudeposseoffilms.Doyoufeellikeyourepartofaladycomedycrew
withpeoplelikeAmy,MayaRudolphandKristenWiig?
A.IwilldefinitelyletyousaythatImapartofthatcomedycrew.Amysoneofmyclosest
friends.Forheritsimportantthatourrelationshipontheshowreflectsthepositive,
supportivearcthatwomenhaveforeachother.Wedonthaveconversationsaboutwomenin
filmandtelevisionandwhatthatmeansbecause,honestly,youtalkaboutdynamicsand

peopleandthethingsthatinterestus,andthatprobablytranslatesintothethingsthatwe
write.Ithinktheresjustaninherentburdenofbeingaliveandbeingawoman.Nomanwould
everadmitthat,butIthinkwomenknowit,whichis:Youknowmorethanmen,youknow
morethanmostpeopleyouredealingwitheveryday,andyouknowthatsituptoyouto
makethingsmoveforward,andyougetpaidhalfasmuch,butyoujustdoit.Butitworksout,
becauseifyoucanfigureouthowtoharnessthatfemininitytheressomethingwehave
thatssomysterioustomenthatifyoucanfigureouthowtousethat,youregoodtogo.
Q.Onthatnote,letstalkaboutoneofthefunniestmomentsinthemovie,whenyouandAndy
takevegetablesandothersphericalobjectsandhowcanwesayit?getbawdywiththem.
A.Pleasure?HaveourwaywithaChapSticktube?WillandI[masturbate]vegetableswhen
wewritetogether.Wegotothefarmersmarket,andwetargetinnocentvegetablesandbring
themhomewithus.Wedoitwhenwerebored.Itspathetic.Sowhydontwesharethatwith
theworld?