It took me a while to figure out the romantic leads in It’s Been Too Long, Krista Jensen and David Ebert, are married in real life. Of course I should have known this – the sizzling chemistry is right there on screen for all to see.
Selected as part of the competition line-up at this year’s Femme Filmmakers Festival, It’s Been Too Long is directed by Amber Schaefer. A comedy of old errors, potential new ones, and all those in between.
I had the pleasure of sneaking away to a secluded cabin to resist my urges and fire some questions at actress Krista Jensen about the film, working with her husband, well, go have a read:
Robin Write: To begin with, let’s touch on female filmmakers. In your view, how has the climate for films directed by women changed in the last ten years?
Krista Jensen: It feels like stories are slowly being told by the people who should be telling them. Films like Booksmart, directed by Olivia Wilde, and all of Greta Gerwig’s movies can only be done right by women. It’s nice to be reclaiming and creating new art that should have always been made by us in the first place.
What are some of your favourite films directed by women?
I have a little daughter who’s big into Frozen, so I have to acknowledge it. It gets a lot of eye rolls, but at its heart it’s a story of sisters with a challenged but loving relationship. And I think it’s only as successful as it is because of its female director. I have always loved Big, by Penny Marshall. And Mary Harron’s American Psycho, a movie that has no right to be so fun based on its source material. It’s a masterpiece.
Did you want to be an actress as a child? Any particular movies or actors inspire you to pursue it?
Oh yes, I put on a lot of shows for my parents. I was allowed to watch the season finale of SNL when I was in 5th grade and loved the female cast then – Ana Gasteyer, Cheri Oteri, Molly Shannon. Molly Shannon would knock over literal bathroom walls in her Mary Katherine Gallagher sketches, then smile and wave so sincerely during the goodnights. And I thought it was perfect. Lovely and genuine in reality, and loud and a total maniac on stage. Just perfect.
Tell us a bit about your acting background? Is comedy your forte?
I did improv comedy all throughout college, and took UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade) classes as soon as I could when I moved to the city. I took acting courses in school, and did a few one act festivals there. But most of my performance training has been in improv in New York.
How did the role in It’s Been Too Long arrive? Did you already know the director?
It’s Been Too Long began its life in a live show at UCB. My husband David [Ebert] and I wrote sketches where we could take advantage of our comfort with one another, ie: we could be gross and weird to each other physically in ways that others couldn’t. Months later I was at home with our new baby and David was away for work. I was feeling sad so to cheer me up, David adapted the script into a longer, film ready version and emailed it to me with plans to produce it.
The incredible Amber Schaefer is a director David has worked with before, and he assured me that she’d be the only one for the job. Amber jumped on immediately, and we owe the film’s success to her. She’s fantastic.
How is it working with your real-life partner? Or are you just like that in reality?
I will let David answer this one.
David Ebert: It feels like coming home when you’re going to work.
The film is ever so funny. Did you model your performance on any particular acting or film style?
Much of this character is based on a fabulous aunt of mine, the rest is a fantasy of a woman I would very much liked to be, but am too afraid.
How do you prepare for such a film role?
Bufinda is a dream woman. Once I put on her all-sequin blazer jacket and teased my hair, I was her. Logistically, preparing for a film in which my husband and I both were on set 100% of the time meant finding an appropriate solution for our family. I hired a friend to watch our toddler, and I ran back to her during breaks to put her down for naps, etc. Now we’ve got two babies, so future projects will require even more planning.
How did you keep a straight face shooting this? Please tell me there were outtakes?
We had a masterful editor, Josh Rathmell, who cut around our laughter. The outtakes will be available on the limited edition It’s Been Too Long blu-ray.
How much did you contribute to the script? Any ad libs?
Not much was improvised, some little ad libs made the cut, but when you love the script as much as we do, you try not to stray too far.
Tell us about the film’s reception? Any festivals? Awards? What have people said to you after seeing it?
The reception has been really incredible. We’ve been screened on both coasts at a variety of festivals, and it’s super rewarding and validating. Especially when the movie it as silly and bizarre as this one. People respond very positively to Bufinda’s spins and body language. David is lauded for being a tremendous comedic actor, and Amber’s direction is always celebrated.
Will you be following the Femme Filmmakers Festival?
Absolutely! I look forward to discovering new names and people whose careers I should be following. Thank you for including us!
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