Julia Louis-Dreyfus Breathes Life Into You Hurt My Feelings
Seinfeld star Julia Louis-Dreyfus delightfully blends humor and grief in her newest comedy from A24, You Hurt My Feelings.
Director Nicole Holofcener is known for her ability to deal with heavy topics, such as aging, marriage, and loss while still maintaining an upbeat tone throughout her films. Holofcener has also earned a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film Can You Ever Forgive Me? starring Melissa McCarthy.
While the film has already had its U.S. premiere, You Hurt My Feelings has been making its mark throughout global film festival circuits. The film has garnered praise from critics and viewers alike, especially for Louis-Dreyfus’ striking portrayal of a woman coming to terms with struggles in her relationships and career.
The film follows Beth, a seasoned writer struggling with her first novel. Her husband, Don, portrayed by Tobias Menzies, is a therapist whose patients don’t seem to be making any progress. The two lead a relatively comfortable life and enjoy a loving marriage. That is until Beth secretly hears Don’s honest review of her work. The film also features Michaela Watkins as Beth’s sister, Sarah, an interior designer with her own marital problems. Also starring in the film is David Cross as Jonathan, one of Don’s clients.
You Hurt My Feelings recently made a positive impression at the Nantucket Film Festival, which is known for highlighting the importance of independent films in the movie industry. The film’s screening was met with praise at the festival, drawing many viewers to Louis-Dreyfus’ performance. The director followed the screening with a Q&A, describing the writing process and her collaboration with the actors.
In an interview with GamesRadar, Holofcener described her experience working with Louis-Dreyfus: “I had told her the idea of the script and she loved [it] and said, ‘I’m gonna be in that.’ You never know once you give [someone] the script, because what if I did a sh*tty job, but she loved it and was excited. We had such a good time – it’s a blessing to work with someone so smart, so funny, so nice.”
Holofcener’s film doesn’t have flashy stunts or intense special effects but creates relatable and realistic characters. Those qualities are what drew Louis-Dreyfus to the film. When asked about her decision to portray Beth in Holofcener’s movie, Louis-Dreyfus stated in an interview with NPR, “We couldn’t help it. We are drawn to her, both Michaela and I. And the movies that she makes are movies that if we weren’t in them, I think we’d be going opening weekend because these are the movies that we like to see – musings on human interaction, thoughtful stories about people who are trying to live their life, making mistakes, warts and all.”
You Hurt My Feelings had its U.K. premiere this past weekend at the Sundance Film Festival in London. The film will be available on Prime Video on August 8. See the newest trailer below and click here for movie times near you.
