“What I noticed specifically about these three movies is that they're all fun and light,” Glass said. “But inevitably, I think a lot of the discussion around it is very bleak. And I think what turns a lot of people off, especially if they're not queer, is that people get very defensive and have the idea that it's about checking boxes, or something like “eat your vegetables,” which is a nonsense. .”
Emma Seligman, who directed “Bottoms” and wrote its screenplay with Sennott, had a harder time getting the film picked up. Her critically acclaimed debut, “Shiva Baby,” was not yet in theaters when she submitted the script for “Bottoms.” There were so many no's, and then a singular yes, of Alana Mayoanother queer woman, at Orion Pictures.
Queer films “were always considered cult classics,” Seligman said, “because they weren't marketed to a broad, mainstream audience. And then queer people had to discover them over the years. And I think we're in an era now where cult classics happen immediately. Because they may not do very well at the box office, but the intended audience will discover it immediately, simply because of social media.”
Like Seligman, Ethan Coen, a solo director after working for years with his brother Joel, had a difficult time getting “Drive-Away Dolls” off the ground with his wife and co-writer, Tricia Cooke. They wrote the script in the early 2000s, bought it in 2006 or 2007, and just couldn't get anyone interested. That changed dramatically in 2022, when Focus Features was completely receptive.
“I think they're filling a void,” Cooke said. “We have never had lesbian comedies, or not many. And the time had come.” Coen joked: “Everyone should have their stupid movies.” And now, finally, we do it.
