One of the many things to world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival wasState of the Union. The ten episode series, written byNick Hornbyand directed byStephen Frears, takes place in a British pub in the ten minutes before a married couple (played byChris O’DowdandRosamund Pike) goes into their therapy session across the street. Over the course of the series, we learn what drew them together, how they ended up in therapy, and if they will be able to work out their differences. As you might expect from a series written by Nick Hornby, the dialogue is quick and sharply worded and it allows both leads to each shine. I breezed through the series in one sitting and definitely recommend checking it out when it premieres on SundanceTV.
Shortly after seeing the series I sat down with Chris O’Dowd for an extended interview in the Collider studio at the Kia Supper Suite in Park City. During the wide-ranging interview he talked about how the series happened, the challenge of learning twelve pages of dialogue a night, what it was like working with Rosamund Pike, his drink of choice, and so much more. In addition, he revealed the real reason Guinness tastes better in Ireland and played “Get To Know Your Sundance Attendee” which includes a number of questions like what TV show they’d like to guest-star on, what’s their favorite fantasy or sci-fi movie, what film scared them as a kid, their first movie or TV show crush, if they preferGame of ThronesorBreaking Bad, what got them interested in the entertainment industry, and a lot of other fun stuff.
I’d also like to take a moment to give special thanks to our Collider Studio partner, the all new2020 Kia Telluride, which was transporting filmmakers to our studio in celebration of the debut of the all new model, Kia’s first eight-passenger SUV that is several inches longer and wider than the brand’s award-winning Sorento.
Libations flowing at the Collider studio and parties were provided byLIFEWTR, Tequila Comisario, Sensi Tuscany Wines, Blue Moon Belgian WhiteandDragonfly Coffee Roasters. Food during the evening parties was provided byGreene St. Kitchen of Palms Casino Resorthelmed by Chef Du CuisineLanny Chin. Brand partners also active during the day-part includemou, a luxury footwear and accessories line, andThe Wild Immersionendorsed by Jane Goodall who was on-site with the world’s first ‘virtual reserve’.
Check out what he had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about, the synopsis, and some more info on the series from Exec Producers Hakan Kousetta and Jamie Laurenson of See-Saw Films
Chris O’Dowd :
How the show came together:
“We had been talking to nick on and off about how to do a relationship show that could be about people and not their jobs - so often things have to be about worlds and precincts. Nick was inspired by the possibilities that the short form shape offered to keep the characters and their emotional dilemmas to the fore.”
Landing that cast and overall team etc:
“It was relatively straightforward to pull the team together. The quality of Nick’s writing is undeniable and was a huge draw for each of Stephen, Rosamund and Chris. The cutting edge nature of the format was also intriguing and attractive to all of us - it really did feel like we were at the beginning of something. Short form has been around for a while, but this might be the first that has brought together such a high caliber creative team.”
One other anecdote:
“I guess an interesting thing is the unexpected challenges of a short form piece - the demands on actors in what is essentially a two hander - meaning they had pages of dialogue to learn every night; and on Stephen as director who had to adapt to the rhythms of a piece that is quite unique. The result was that everyone found it much more challenging than they expected so, whilst the format is of itself simpler, making it was much more complex.”
Here’s theState of the Unionsynopsis viaSundance:
New to counseling, Tom and Louise meet in a pub before their weekly marital-therapy appointment to fortify themselves with drink and get their stories straight. These informal pub-based sessions slowly reveal the shape of their relationship, as long-running resentments fight for space next to newly discovered complications—all of which are equally fueled by their sharp wits, their bruised emotions, and white wine. With blame and guilt being thrown from both sides, an unexpected energy starts to reemerge in their partnership, revealing who they have become and potentially building bridges back to who they once were.
