Whit Stillman: The filmmaker Greta Gerwig called one of her “favourite people who ever lived”
Before Greta Gerwig created Barbie, which became the highest-grossing film by a female director, she was well-known in the indie mumblecore movement, where she starred in many low-budget films, wrote various scripts, and even co-directed a movie, Nights and Weekends, with Joe Swanberg.
Her time spent playing complex characters, where dialogue and normal, everyday life took precedence, prepared her for an illustrious directorial career that has earned her various Oscar nominations so far. Her 2017 coming-of-age comedy-drama Lady Bird established Gerwig’s ability to make a heartfelt, charming, witty, and meaningful film that has stuck with many viewers since it was released.
From there, she made Little Women, an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel of the same name. It’s a warm and comforting film, with strong performances from a loveable cast, including Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Timothee Chalamet, and Laura Dern.
Of course, Barbie, which emerged as a huge cultural phenomenon in 2023, seems to be Gerwig’s defining work. Posters for the film were everything during the run-up to the film, which encouraged a celebration of girlhood and togetherness. To many, however, Gerwig had sold out, making starkly different creative decisions – working with an enormous budget and a lucrative company, Mattel – compared to back in her indie days.
Whether you agree or not, it seems as though Gerwig won’t be starring in any indie pictures anytime soon; she’s got too many big-budget productions, such as a Polly Pocket film and a Chronicles of Narnia reboot to think about. In many ways, it’s a shame that Gerwig has put acting on the backburner for now. Her performances in movies like 20th Century Women and Frances Ha were incredible.
However, one of her favourite directors she worked with during her indie days was Whit Stillman, an underrated filmmaker who collaborated with Gerwig for the 2011 film Damsels in Distress. Talking to Complex, she explained, “Whit’s one of my favourite people who has ever lived. I love him. I really love him as a person, I love him as a director, and I think more than anything I love him as a writer. It was a real dream come true and I think maybe one of the best parts I’ve ever gotten the opportunity to play. He did a tremendous job heading the ship.”
Damsels in Distress also starred Adam Brody, Lio Tipton, Aubrey Plaza, and Zach Woods. It takes place at a college, where three young women work together to help the depressed students, soon welcoming a new member to their group. Yet, as they strive to change the extremely male atmosphere of the campus, issues relating to love, friendship, and conflict get in the way.
It’s a funny and slightly offbeat film, charming most audiences with its wittiness and compelling storyline. It was Whitman’s first film in 13 years, following his 1998 film The Last Days of Disco, starring Chloë Sevigny and Kate Beckinsale. Before then, Whitman had released two indie comedies: Metropolitan in 1990 and Barcelona in 1994.
Whitman has since released Love and Friendship, also starring Sevigny and Beckinsale, in 2016. While he’s not a prolific director who is widely known, Gerwig has always greatly admired his skills, which remain underrated.
