Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Sidney Flanigan is a musician from Buffalo , New York , andNever Rarely Sometimes Alwaysmarks her playacting debut . For her first part , Flanigan really dive into the deep death of the pool , landing the lead use in an intimate coming - of - old age dramatic play about a pocket-size township Pennsylvania teen who travels to New York City with her in force friend in an attempt toterminate an unintentional pregnancy . Despite her want of experience in the acting field , she delivers a heartfelt and sincere carrying out as a youthful womanbesieged on all sides by a societythat seeks to crush her , suppress her right wing , and prey on her fear .
Written and directed by Eliza Hittman , Never seldom Sometimes Alwaysis an unflinching portrayal of what it ’s like to be a little girl immobilise ina patriarchal lodge . As the follow - up to her old films , It Felt Like LoveandBeach rat , Never Rarely Sometimes Alwaysfeels like the third entry in a trilogy aboutyoung people regain their wayin a modern America that is more real than older generation might be willing to take .
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While promoting the release ofNever seldom Sometimes Always , Sidney Flanigan spoke to Screen Rant about working on the film . She discusses how she , a teenaged musician from Buffalo , wind up up catching the eye of Hittman , and how she applied her musical breeding and knowledge to the spiritualist of celluloid and the craft of acting . She also spill the beans about the themes of the piece , from her character ’s uncomfortable interactions with the men of the movie to the uncompromising realism of the film ’s portrayal of New York City .
Never Rarely Sometimes Alwaysis out now in select theaters .
Could you mouth a bite about how this part came to your attention ?
I was about 14 age erstwhile . Eliza ’s partner , Scott Cummings , was making a film in Buffalo , forebode Buffalo Juggalos . And he was mainly shoot at this house in South Buffalo , where I develop up . Where all these juggalo people lived . I was see someone at the sentence who was crash at this star sign , and I would be there , hang out . I was kind of on the outer boundary , because they were film there a lot . I was n’t in it , but I was there . And there was a backyard wedding there , one Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , at this house , and Eliza was there , and I guess she spotted me and retrieve I was really , ( laughs ) , really in over my head . She and Scott followed me on Facebook over the year , and they would keep an eye on the videos I posted of me playing euphony . And they reached out to me to audition for this flick last year . At first I was kind of hesitating because I had never acted before , had n’t considered it . But after talking to Eliza and reading the book , I was really draw to how herculean the story was . I refer with my Friend and family , and they all told me I should go for it and give it a stab .
Wow . I had assumed you were , like , a theater kid or something , because of how good you are in it !
Thanks , that intend a set !
Could you talk a bit about Eliza ? There was apparently a degree of faith from her , since she got you to try out , but do you think she had you in mind even before then , when she was writing it ?
She said , when they were roam , she keep telling her producers and poppycock , " We ’re kind of seem for someone like this girl , Sidney . " And they were all just , like , " Well , none of these miss are Sidney . " And she was like , " You know what ? I ’m just gon na get Sidney . " I think , yeah , she did have me in mind to some extent . It ’s very strange to me , because she ’s a person who , all these years , I did n’t realize was find out me !
It ’s one of those things , like , even if you do n’t know what " it " is , you ’ve got it , and she saw it .
Right . I entirely put my faith in that , and as much into myself as possible , and dived in .
Was there a encyclopedism curvature ? Were you on needles and pins on the first day ?
Yeah . I by all odds watch a lot as it went on . To some extent , I feel like … I ’m already a performer . I ’m a musician , and I ’ve been playing show since I was about 17 . I ’m not afraid of performing in front of other people . I did n’t have stage cargo . I get more and more comfy with it as the days went on . With the acting itself , I feel , as a player , I do n’t bang , I ’ve taken on personas or had to mount into certain emotional capitulum spaces for deliver a song a sure way . So I feel like they kind of go hand - in - hired hand in that room . I just try my sound to enforce that method acting I use for music , to move .
A big part of this movie is having that sisterhood . In this case , it ’s the full cousin , the best friend . Do you have someone like that in real life ?
Yes ! I ’d say I have a few . Most of them are women , but there ’s a good fistful of acquaintance I have who are man who can be that person for me . I ’m favorable to have a really skillful support system in my life . But not everybody is so lucky .
I ’m a Ci guy , so a lot of stuff kinda go away over my head . Guys , I think , do n’t realize how daunting and scary they can be . Obliviously forbidding . I mean , I ’d like to think we do n’t see , because if we do realize it , and do it anyway , then that ’s much worse . This movie does an amazing job at pass water multitude see how scary it can be to be a womanhood in the city , and how every guy is potentially super dangerous .
It is a very daunting way to arise up . It ’s very much a advent of years story in the signified that these girls are learning about the hostile environment they ’re really in , and how man have , whether it ’s designed or not , there ’s go away to be these post you ’re go to run into , whether they ’re microaggressions or really strong aggression . It ’s something you ’re always go to run into . At the same time , I retrieve it ’s a good representation of what that ’s like , and I also trust that , you acknowledge , peradventure it can give men an insight , to have them get laid what it ’s like to be in our place and to have sort of an understanding of our sensing of the creation .
There ’s a whole succession near the end of the film that ’s completely masterful where the characters have to deal with Théodore Pellerin ’s character , a boy who can help them , but who also wants certain thing from them . I do n’t desire to spoil too much for the Screen Rant reader , but it ’s harrowing and profound .
I intend , in my opinion , his role … At first , I do n’t think he ’s specifically rapacious . But at the same prison term , he ’s a little … I think he has a smugness about him and thinks he ’s so charming . I think he does n’t realize that he ’s being a short intrusive . I think there ’s component part of him where it ’s unplanned because he ’s so up in his own head . But at the same time , it get to the point where he ’s very unyielding .
Yeah , that persistence can puddle the cable between consent and enthusiastic consent , correct ?
Right .
I ’ve got little nieces and cousins , and they ’re emphatically go to see this movie . You know , I can say them things and give them advice , but there ’s always go to be an element of , " Yeah , whatever , you ’re almost 30 , you ’re old , you ’re a boy , who care . " But movies have the power to really transcend that and get the message across . Even if it ’s rated R or whatever , teen girls are whole the target hearing , right ?
It is actually PG-13 .
Oh , that ’s fantastical !
We only had to voiceover replace a duad of f * * * * . It ’s really great .
Can you talk a moment about some of your favorite movies , maybe some that breathe in you while you were working on this fictitious character ? Maybe some movies you ’d also recommend to untested girls ?
There were n’t any specific flick that I ’ve watched that I ’d say informed the character . I watched Eliza ’s other movies to understand her vogue . I would very much recommend Eliza ’s other movies . Beach Rats and It palpate Like Love . I think she has a really amazing way of telling these add up - of - age stories about struggling with this internal excitement you have in adolescence . Like , she ’s really dear at that . It ’s the type of stuff I would show teenagers , because I feel like it ’s more realistic than Hollywood film that make child think high school day is a certain path that ’s completely unrealistic . I think it render masses certain false expectations of the mankind . I really like picture that are more grounded in reality . I was really into John Hughes movies growing up , and I was really sad that detention was nothing like The Breakfast Club !
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