The Women Press Conference
How did you deal with the pressure of remaking a Hollywood classic?
Diane English: "I read an interview with George Cukor who actually didn't particularly like the movie he'd made. He'd been fired from Gone with the Wind and stepped into this movie and he felt the costume designer had taken over the movie. And also the Hays Code was in effect so this movie was in some ways somewhat more tame in its content than the play was. He was not that thrilled with the end result. I felt at that point the door was open. It was safe to go in and remake it. I consider it, I know it's a beloved film to a lot of people, but it really is more a camp classic than a classic on the order of Citizen Kane. I don't think you should ever remake a movie unless you have something new to say. I think this one definitely did."
Meg Ryan: "There are certain observations that I thought were interesting in the movie. Sometimes we disagreed on whether she should stay or go in the marriage. One thing from reading the script I appreciated, Diane was trying to make a case for both with the X factor being the fact that she was in love with her husband. When this occurs in a woman's life, it's an enormous thing to happen. Your husband is cheating on you. What do you do? Who are your allies? Who comes to your aid? All of these things are relevant and equally true now. It's just a different observation on an age-old trouble."
Cloris Leachman: "If men weren't still playing around, you couldn't make this. Thank them for that."
Meg, how was working with Candice Bergen again?
Meg Ryan: "My first movie was Rich and Famous which George Cukor directed and Candace played my mom."
Have you stayed in contact?
Meg Ryan: "No. It was just a silly, like, 'We did meet 20-something years ago...'"
Do you think men still have a problem dealing with successful women?
Diane English: "It's something successful women grapple with. I just finished reading a book called Girls Like Us, which is about Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and Carole King. Just reading that, they all had that issue. It's very difficult when you start to eclipse your husband. It's certainly something that women of my generation have grappled with. It might be easier for the generations coming up behind me because the women's movement has occurred and everyone's evolved, and I'm hoping it'll be easier for everyone else."
Meg Ryan: "I think it's definitely something women deal with still. I don't want to generalize, but with men it's easier to be outwardly defined. Women find their value in a lot of other different ways. So when a woman is eclipsing a man in the marketplace, it definitely is trouble in a relationship. It's something that needs to be coped with as intelligently as you can."
Debi, what was the difference in working on The Women with an all-female cast and Entourage which is mostly men?
Debi Mazar: "Going to work on any set, you have men and women. Entourage is testosterone driven but I hold my own. When I come here, it's hormonally driven, but at the end of the day, they're all artists. Although she's a female director, her stakes are just as high. It's not really, to me, a big difference. My big difference personally with women supporting women is that I auditioned for this 13 years ago, and she cast me 13 years later without seeing me. I'd had two kids; I'd changed. The fact that she called me and gave me the part, that's women supporting women. It's a lot more fun hanging around this lot than the boys - for obvious reasons."
Eva Mendes: "We all saw (Debi's) audition. It's amazing because she looked exactly the same. It's unbelievable."
What frustrates you about roles you get offered these days?
Eva Mendes: "For me it's the lack of range. I would be an idiot to pass up this role. It's an opportunity to work with everybody and also to be a total supporter. I was telling Diane earlier, I'm excited for this premiere tomorrow night and not just to see my girlfriends and wear a pretty dress, it's to support Diane because I don't think I could have waited 14 years (to make a movie). That's just unbelievable. Anyway, back to me, for me I feel like there's a lack of range. It's not like I don't want to do these kinds of roles. They're fun and I get to work with amazing women…"
Cloris Leachman: "You'll have to be blonde."
Eva Mendes: "No, I can't. I'm terrible. I'm too dark."
Cloris Leachman: "If you want to change roles."
Eva Mendes: "Oh, I do? No, I would really love more range. I want to get stuff that Drew Barrymore gets offered, a girlfriend of mine."
Debi Mazar: "You want her roles?"
Eva Mendes: "No. You know what I mean. I want to be considered for more American girl-next-door roles."
Debi Mazar: "Me too. You know, the problem is the ratio of the amount of parts that are available to women is the frustrating part because per movie, you've got 20 roles for men and then there's like two female parts - or you're just background. So that's an issue."
Eva Mendes: "Just more range."
Meg Ryan: "It's important to be careful of boys vs. girls. I get a lot of that, 'Was it different to work with all women or a female director?' I think ideally, and I think it is true, gender is more fluid than that. I've worked with male directors with very pronounced feminine aspects to them and women who are very masculine in certain ways. I like the interchange, this balance, that creative people have. It's so much about who you're with and not the gender. I think it's important to distinguish. We're not anti-male. We love them."
Cloris Leachman: "I am. Maybe you're not."
Meg Ryan: "Okay, Cloris is."
