John Early and Kate Berlant are promoting their new film Maddie's Secret at the Toronto Film Festival. The movie, which marks Early's directorial debut, follows a food influencer with bulimia in a wild flip on modern melodrama.
The Film's Unique Tone
Early plays Maddie Ralph, a bright-eyed ingenue who works as a dishwasher but dreams of becoming a food influencer. The character is endearing and protective, drawing audiences in despite her struggle with an eating disorder. Berlant plays Deena, Maddie's spicy lesbian best friend.
The film moves to a singular tempo, balancing pointed satire, rosy melodrama, and affectionate tribute. Early disappears into the role, with humor derived from retro movie tropes rather than the sight of a man in a dress.
Inspirations and Influences
Early drew from old TV movies like Kate's Secret and The Secret Life of Mary-Margaret for the film's soft-focus, melodrama-indebted style. He notes that these films, though presented as educational, were often lurid and sensationalistic.
Berlant and Early discuss the diet culture of the 1990s and how body image issues persist today. Early says the film is liberating in its honesty about worrying about weight, contrasting with modern discourses of radical self-acceptance.
Balancing Comedy and Tragedy
The film transitions from zany comedy to dramatic mode as Maddie is admitted to a treatment center. Early explains that he didn't worry about blending genres, instead going hard in both directions to make things both funny and tragic.
Laughs come from Early's mannerisms, but the film also earns empathy as Maddie puts her health on the line for her career. Early credits his intense performance to his work in an off-Broadway play by Wallace Shawn, which left him feeling vulnerable.
Peer Inspiration
Early is inspired by friends like Cole Escola, whose play Oh, Mary! won Tonys, and Berlant's one-woman show Kate. He sees a pathway for risk-taking films like Maddie's Secret to thrive.
Maddie's Secret is out in the US on 19 June, with UK and Australian dates to be announced.
