Diane Lane hadn’t made a film since the pandemic until Birthday came her way — a breakup that proved, unfortunately, eerily fitting for the dystopian thriller, which spans five years and examines the breakup of an American family amid the rise of an authoritarian regime. Directed by Jan Komasa (the Oscar nominated film Corpus Christi) and starring Kyle Chandler, the film identifies pockets of modern radicalization before imagining what might happen if they begin to seize real political power. Lane’s matriarch, a Georgetown professor dealing with a former student’s rebellion, adamantly disputes this notion.
This might seem like juicy fodder for a polarized cultural moment, but in a conversation a few months after the film’s brief theatrical run, Lane admits with some weariness that Birthday I wasn’t able to make much noise at all. (It’s currently available for digital rental.) Whether this has more to do with the difficulties of marketing such a controversial drama, or the current brutal realities of the independent film landscape, remains to be seen. But for Lane, an Oscar nominee who recently earned an Emmy nod for her turn Feud: Capote against the swansthis rare big screen leading role is worth talking about and celebrating, even with all the challenges that come with it.
Kyle Chandler and Diane Lane in “Birthday”
Owen Behan
How did you experience the release of Birthday?
I got several answers that I never got about this film. People have contacted me saying, “Well, I know you had a movie coming out. Where is it? Where can I see it?” It was a unique experience for me. (Laughter.) I had people even in Germany when it was there saying, “It says it’s new, and it’s showing at a screening in the middle of the day. Is it an art film?” I said, “I don’t know. I mean, it certainly encompasses some art in the story…”
This was made up for by receiving these amazing texts from people I didn’t know who had my phone number way up there. “Thank you for this film. It’s important. As a human, as an American, and as someone who has been in this industry for a long time, good for you for that.” It doesn’t happen like that very often, as we all know. Access is granted within our industry in a different way than the pop generation.
This dynamic you’re talking about, people not knowing how to see films that they know are out – that must seem strange.
It’s incredible. I didn’t even know there was a thing called “The Store” on Apple TV. I didn’t know about those little icons on the left of my screen or the gems there, because you wouldn’t know. This is a design flaw, in my opinion. There was a little sign store in my small Georgia town where I lived, and it said on their sign: “A business without a sign is a sign of no business.” »
I’ve lived in many different zip codes and know this country pretty well, even though I live between two realities. It’s interesting that some people have access to things and others don’t. I’m going to leave it there on this topic because it’s an umbrella of truth, for many ingredients under that umbrella.
When I saw the film, it stood out for a few reasons: you have a great role, and it hits the pulse in a pretty terrifying way.
We thought we were doing something much closer to fiction. We showed people disappearing – although I guess in our film it’s dated because their faces are exposed. That was very affirming as to why I said yes to the film. Jan Komasa is an author and he has the right to experiment with his palette. It wasn’t about the money, as they say, and convincing people wasn’t difficult because the material allowed us to feel that we were going to see American fears and American pain – the fragility that we endured was accentuated because of the pandemic.
Every actor was fully utilized to their capacity, and that’s what I love about working for Jan. It allows you to find where your 10 is on your dial. We don’t offer this to you all the time. I was grateful for the tension we could create, for how to make that palpable, for the start of our meeting and our summons to Ireland.
Your dial hits 10 with an incredible ear-piercing scream. How did you get there?
You only have one in you. I’m not a trained crier. I didn’t go to RADA — I didn’t have the opportunity to train properly as an actor, because if it was a play I wouldn’t have done it. I would have known how to make it sustainable. But it’s not a marathon, it was a sprint.
It’s not a linear story like people might rightly expect when they go to see a movie. I always wondered if the title was going to be useful or conversely useful, because when you celebrate an anniversary of something, it involves revisiting the question: “How are we doing compared to five years ago?” For example. This film covers about five years, the genesis part of the story was that Jan noticed her family changing while looking at photographs over time and before people changed – and hence the change in the film, which is called “The Change”.
Some people were upset that we didn’t describe what it was. Well, excuse me: don’t you bring anything when you sit in a theater, on your couch, or wherever you look? Are you not bringing your experience and feeling the parallels in your life? Otherwise, I don’t know what to say – maybe choose another genre of storytelling. I think it’s nice to feel seen in terms of emotions that we keep at bay by being polite, and families aren’t polite. This is the truth in many families.
This is the first film you’ve shot since the pandemic. You’ve worked in television, but given what you were talking about, the promise of this role, was it a matter of waiting for the right moment to present itself?
When you cover a lot of ground as a worker, other times you have to take into account — for example, you are a reservoir that needs to refill its reserves, to be replenished. I’ve been through a lot of changes in my life, so I appreciate how this informs my choices. Sometimes we ask ourselves the question: “Who do I think I am?” » and then other times, you say to yourself: “I like a little sugar in my bowl. »
Well, and then there’s that visibility issue that you were talking about, when you get that.
I just watched Jay Kelly and I enjoyed it. Awards season is a really exciting time because you get a flood of everyone’s best or proudest work, whether it’s a company or an individual. I understand it’s a crowded field and we say, “Hey, we’re this way!” We’re here at one point and saying, “We just want you to know that this movie exists.” »
You were executive producer on this project. What does it sound like on a tight indie like this?
I don’t know how to convince other actors to come at the same price as you. (Laughter.) It’s kind of funny that I wanted them to know I’m not scamming the baby. This is all out of love on the part of all of us. If you like the material, I’m the first on board. I will carry the load and promote it. I’ve never been in this position before, so I’m a little sweaty, but it’s a good kind of sweat. I like it. I don’t know if it’s addictive or not. I’ll let you know. It could be one-off. I don’t know if I’ll sign up for more roles in this industry, maybe because my father got his wish: I’m a lifer, and that’s okay. It’s fun and I love the people I work and play with. Sometimes you find yourself in something you really care about, and it’s a blessing.
