Hitfix caught up with Mary Elizabeth during her SMASHED press junket the other day & she talked about what it was like filming the movie in 19…yes, 19 days, what she did before filming began, such as attending AA meetings, and how challenging it was to play the role of a drunk. She also said that she’s looking at other projects that’ll challenge her, whether it be another indie film or a big studio film. You can check out the interview below:
Yeah, Mary! In a new interview with Elle, the site & Sundance Film Festival all agree on one thing–Mary’s the festival’s “Sundance darling.”
Listen closely to the whispers at various Sundance events this week and you’re likely to hear the name Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
Starring in James Ponsoldt’s Smashed, the 27-year-old actress—previous credits include Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World and Live Free or Die Hard—plays Kate, an alcoholic whose relationship with her husband Charlie (Breaking Bad‘s Aaron Paul) is based on their mutual addiction. When Kate decides to get sober, the foundation of their marriage is called into question. Winstead’s controlled and affecting performance has already elicited phrases like “breakout performance” and “Sundance darling” from audiences; Rosemarie DeWitt, who’s here starring in Nobody Walks, told us, “She’s incredible. Just go see it.”
We did. Then we asked Winstead a few questions.
ELLE: Who are Kate and Charlie?
MEW: For a young couple they are really a lot of fun, but their whole marriage is really based around drinking. At a certain point, Kate’s life starts to spiral out of control and she decides to get sober. But Charlie is not really on board because he loves the life they have together. So the film is about them trying to make their relationship work in spite of these challenges. It’s a role that was totally challenging and terrifying to me in a lot of ways. I really wanted it.
ELLE: What was it like acting opposite Jesse Pinkman?
MEW: [Laughs] It was amazing. He’s so warm and giving and willing to do whatever for the sake of the character. That’s exactly what you need when you do a film like this. He was just so kind and when you play this kind of part you really want to make sure you’re surrounded by people you feel comfortable around. But it’s so funny walking around with him here—he gets stopped constantly!
ELLE: Is this your first time at Sundance?
MEW: I actually grew up in Salt Lake City so I used come and walk around Main Street, but this is my first time here as an actress. The premiere last night was just so incredible and emotional. It was one of the best moments…ever. But it was such a nerve-racking and emotional day that at the end of it all I was exhausted. I just went home and crashed.
ELLE: Are there other films or performances you’re most excited to see?
MEW: I have a lot of friends who have films this year so it’s really exciting. My friend Aubrey [Plaza] has Safety Not Guaranteed. Mark Webber has three films here! I want to see Nobody Walks and Hello, I Must be Going. I’m staying through the end so I’m going to try to see it all later this week.
ELLE: The red carpets here are pretty casual. Was it hard deciding what to pack for your first Sundance?
MEW: It’s definitely hard to be super high fashion because you have to be functional. But I brought things that had a bit of a pattern or a pop of color to bring a bit of interest to what I’m wearing. And obviously you need a good parka and good boots—then you’re set.
Another day means more new positive reviews for Mary’s amazing performance in SMASHED. Before I post them though, I’ve added new photos of Mary visiting the Bing Bar at Sundance 2012 where she was doing a press junket for the film. You can see the pics in the gallery or click on the thumbs below:
Now onto the new reviews, the first from THR.
Continue reading Mary Elizabeth Visits the Bing Bar at Sundance plus More Positive Reviews
A new video interview from the Sundance channel has been uploaded, where the SMASHED cast all talk about what attracted them to the film and their roles. In the interview, Mary admitted she didn’t think she’d get the part because she was always up for parts where people didn’t think she’d be “edgy or dark enough.”
I do wish the interview had been longer though. The best part of the interview is that we get to see two new stills of Mary in the film. Check out the video below for yourself:
Pictures from that interview are here.
Yay, Mary! Today, a couple of new reviews post-Smashed screening over at Sundance FF 2012 have been published, and they’re nothing short of amazing. Here’s the first one via Slashfilm:
Filmmaker James Ponsoldt‘s feature debut Off The Black premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006. It was met with a lackluster response, but everyone seemed to praise the performances despite the troubled screenplay. After seeing last year’s heavily buzzed-about film Like Crazy, Mary Elizabeth Winstead contacted producer Jonathan Schwartz and Andrea Sperling because she wanted to be in a film like the one they produced. This year, Ponsoldt, Schwartz and Sperling returned to Park City Utah with Smashed, which features a must-see tour de force performance from Winstead.
The character-driven script follows a teacher dealing with alcoholism, and the problems that her marriage poses in her efforts to become sober. Winstead plays the teacher, and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) plays her almost-always drunk husband. The story is basic and obvious (as in that it has the standard after school special character arc) but the details are polished and authentic-feeling.
The screenplay also features some nice moments of comedy. For example, when Winstead’s character turns up hungover to work and vomits in front of her class, she lies about being pregnant to keep her job. This lie snowballs into some funny bits later on. The fact that the film has comedic moments shouldn’t be surprising considering it was co-written by sketch comic Susan Burke.
But the film is Mary Elizabeth Winstead‘s to own. Winstead’s performance is powerful, moving — a must see. It will bring you to verge of tears. Aaron Paul has a nice turn, but nothing out of the realm that we’ve seen in Breaking Bad. It’s also worth noting that Octavia Spencer (The Help) has a nice supporting performance.
/Film Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Continue reading More Awesome Reviews of Mary’s SMASHED Performance!
Last night marked the first ever premiere for Mary’s new movie SMASHED and was welcomed with amazing reviews! That said, I have added several photos from the premiere to the gallery. If I come across more, I will be sure to add them.
You can see the premiere photos by clicking on the thumbs below:
I’ve also added some new SMASHED photo portraits:
Some new pics of Mary and Aaron playing Jenga at the T-Mobile Google Music Village at the Lift:
And finally, more pics from the Sorel at VEVO Lounge:
I’m so happy as I write this whole post up because this is the type of news I love to hear when it comes to Mary’s professional career. We first told you that Mary was already getting early buzz for the film, but now it’s official.
SMASHED finished premiering over at Sundance for the first time ever and after the screening, Mary has received several amazing reviews from various people. Below are some of the following reviews she got:
From Marie Claire magazine:
Mary Elizabeth Winstead kills it in Smashed! #Sundance
Hitfix:
Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays cinema’s most adorable alcoholic in “Smashed.” She’s also mighty good.
From FirstShowing.net
I have added even more photos of Mary at the Sundance Film Festival. The first set features Mary and her SMASHED co-stars as well as the film’s director attending the Variety Studio At The 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Moreover, pics from a cast interview at the Sundance channel, a SMASHED photoshoot and Mary attending a Grey Goose Vodka event have all been added to the gallery!
“Smashed” Portraits
Grey Goose Blue Door event
The Sundance Channel Interviews the cast of “Smashed”
This is super exciting! Smashed is only a few days from premiering at Sundance 2012 and Mary has been getting a bunch of early online buzz for her performance as well as one of the films to check out if you’re attending Sundance. Huge congrats Mary! This is only the beginning of one heck of an amazing career! We’ll keep you posted on all Sundance updates and photos of Mary!
THR for one, named Mary as one of the six faces to watch out for:
Although the 27-year-old actress has done her share of studio work (The Thing, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Final Destination 3), her raw performance in the competition film Smashed as a woman struggling to shed her marriage’s dependence on alcohol showcases stripped-down dramatic chops that could open doors.
NextMovie also praises Mary’s acting, saying it’ll show audiences her acting chops. Something we’ve all known she’s always had. 😉
Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“The Thing”) has long been one of our favorite young actresses, but up until now she’s never really been given the chance to show what we knew she had all along — real acting chops. That all looks to change with her reportedly harrowing turn in “Smashed,” an intense drama in which she stars as Kate, a hard partying elementary schoolteacher forced to get her life on track. Winstead is the reason we’re psyched to see this, but the film also boasts a solid supporting cast that includes Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad”), Octavia Spencer (“The Help”) and “Will and Grace” funny-lady Megan Mullaly.
FilmSchoolRejects also echoes the same feelings…
While many films look at addiction and the downward spiral it can send users into, Smashed looks to focus on the point between rock bottom and recovery as Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) sobers up and realizes that her marriage to Charlie (Aaron Paul) may have been rooted in booze rather than love. Paul has been getting critical acclaim for his work on AMC’s Breaking Bad and it should be interesting to see him playing against Windstead (whose performance was one of the highlights in last year’s The Thing) with TV royalty Nick Offerman and wife Megan Mullally rounding out the cast.