‘Ella McCay’: Emma Mackey and James L. Brooks on finding America’s ‘heartland’ while filming in Rhode Island
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Emma Mackey in “Ella McCay.”Claire Folger
Complicating matters more, her estranged father (Woody Harrelson), who cheated on her mother, wants to weasel his way back into her life, while a mistake involving Ella and her overbearing husband (Jack Lowden) also hangs over her head, threatening to derail her career. Thankfully, Ella has her aunt Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) as her rock through stormy professional and personal weather.
“A little of it is autobiographical,” Brooks said of the film’s story, noting how Harrelson’s character is partly inspired by Brooks’s father, who abandoned his family before Brooks was born. “I had a dad like that, and I had two women, my mom and older sister, who got us through when it was tough to get us through.”
Hopping back into the director’s chair for the first time in 15 years, Brooks wanted to take viewers to an era when we “weren’t divisive,” according to the 85-year-old mastermind behind hits like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “The Simpsons,” “Terms of Endearment,” and more, seeing the 2008 political landscape as a time before “we lost our way about being together as a people.”
“To me, the most powerful thing the picture says is in the first 30 seconds: we still liked each other,” said Brooks, referencing the film’s opening narration by Julie Kavner, with the voice of Marge Simpson appearing as Ella’s feisty secretary.
Explaining that, in his view, there was nothing to get out of naming the film’s setting outright as any particular state, Brooks just wanted to showcase the “heartland” of America — which he found in Rhode Island.
“I’d never been there before … I spent time in Los Angeles, in New York, and then I go to Rhode Island, I say, ‘Oh, I’m in America,’” said Brooks. “That’s it. That’s what it’s like in America, you know.”
From left: Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Mackey, and James L. Brooks at an event at the Rhode Island State House in Providence on Feb. 1, 2024.David L. Ryan/Globe Staff
“It was very good to live there,” he added, noting how he spent time on his porch on Saturdays, getting to know the folks who walked by. “It helps the spirit of your life.”
The warm welcome extended to the halls of the State House in Providence, according to Mackey, where several scenes were filmed. Brooks called it the “perfect location,” noting the lucky timing of the production, as the State House was “vacant during a month of our shooting.”
Other notable locations featured in the film include Blithewold Manor in Bristol, which stood in as the governor’s mansion, according to production notes, and the fictional Helen’s 445 Tavern, the bar run by Ella’s aunt. Despite the New England pub decor like a noticeable Narragansett Lager sign, the tavern was a work of fiction, built specifically for the film. However, the space on Broadway now serves as home to Sawyer’s, a market, café, and wine bar.
From left: Woody Harrelson, Emma Mackey, and Jamie Lee Curtis in “Ella McCay.”Claire Folger
While finding filming locations for “Ella McCay” seemed like easy enough lifts, casting the right person to play the main role was a bit more difficult, according to Brooks.
The Oscar and Emmy winner wanted to channel the fast-paced, “screwball comedy energy” of films that Katharine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn would star in, but “combine that with enough real-life crap that we all have to go through to make it real and to make it relatable.” After an exhaustive search for an actress, Brooks admitted he was a bit worn down. That was, until Mackey auditioned, where she impressed him with her take on a monologue scene.
“I almost didn’t believe my eyes, because I was beaten down a little from looking [for the right actress]‚” said Brooks, who also praised Mackey’s ability to play the character’s younger self in flashback scenes. “People think we did something with technology or something. It’s all acting.”
Emma Mackey as Ella McCay in 20th Century Studios’ “Ella McCay.”20th Century Studios
Mackey, who’s perhaps best known for her four seasons of work as teen troublemaker Maeve Wiley on “Sex Education” and will soon reteam with “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig in next year’s “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew,” calls landing the role of Ella “a big step” and cherishes the feeling she got while making a comedy icon like Brooks laugh during her audition.
“To be championed by someone like that, and to be able to make him laugh … like, I love this feeling. I want to do this again all the time,” said Mackey. “It was quite addicting.”
The actress praised Brooks for his continued enthusiasm for the craft and for being so open to collaboration.
“I feel like we were really each other’s buddies,” said Mackey.
“He’s still so proactive and so buoyant and so curious and has such incredible experience that I had everything to learn,” she added. “But I really felt like we were learning from each other, and that we both were in this thing together.”
Ayo Edebiri in “Ella McCay.”20th Century Studios
“Ella McCay” has plenty of laughs to go around, with Dorchester native and “The Bear” star Ayo Edebiri making a brief appearance as the love interest of Ella’s brother Casey (Spike Fearn). Brooks noted that Edebiri “was one of the first ones cast” and hailed the actress for her improv comedy talents.
“She’s a dream and she trusts her impulses, and her impulses are great,” said Brooks.
Curtis also showcases her comedic skills as Ella’s aunt, with their relationship serving as the heart of the film. The veteran actress proved to be just as caring and supportive off set when Mackey briefly fell ill during shooting.
“When she found out, 15 minutes later, there was a basket on my front door with hair things for me, broth and graham crackers and a book, and I cried,” explained Mackey. “That’s so wonderful, when you’re far away from your family and you’re on your own … to have someone like that who’s able to bring you a bit of comfort and reassurance in a moment, is so lovely.”
From left: Jamie Lee Curtis and Emma Mackey in “Ella McCay.”Claire Folger
For Brooks, even after all these years, he still loves working with actors and enjoys seeing the magic of a scene come together. But he’s not resting on his laurels and knows just how hard it is to get a movie made, especially now.
“There’s no high horse here,” said Brooks. “It’s always a struggle. It’s always human beings coming together and trying to make it work. … Everybody sweats and gets dirty and tries to do the damn job.”
Mackey said making “Ella McCay” was “really a labor of love” for Brooks, praising him for fighting to get it made and seeing his vision through with the same passion that Ella brings in the film.
“[Ella is] someone who works consistently, achieves her goals with some struggle, but keeps going,” said Mackey. “That’s all we can do, is keep going.”
Matt Juul can be reached at matthew.juul@globe.com.
