Tell us about the film.
I play Addy, a writer working at a magazine owned by her mother (Donna Mills). Addy is a big overthinker and envies the fun relationship her husband (Jilon VanOver) shares with their daughter, Esther (Violet Hicks). She signs up for an improv class to get out of her head, but the class turns out to be taught by her husband’s ex (Krista Allen). It’s about the joy of failing up.
Where did the idea come from?
It was basically “write what you know”—I have a 12-year-old daughter who is just like me at that age. I never wanted to be like my mom when I was growing up, and she’s the same way. And I also took an improv class as I struggled to land acting gigs. So it was drawn from real-life mom fails and improv fails. I knew I was writing the main role for myself; that way, no one could tell me I was too old for it.
How did you go from script to screen?
I had written and starred in a short film, “Mission Disconnect,” which got into the Newport Beach Film Festival in 2016. Through that I met (director) Kuang Lee, and he brought on (producer) Leann Lei. We really had the best crew and cast. Everyone elevated the script beyond what I’d written.
Were you excited to have Donna Mills playing your mom?
My mom used to make me go to bed early so she could watch “Knots Landing,” and she flipped when I told her we got Donna Mills. She won best supporting actress at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival (“Best Mom” won Best Family Film).
See It!
Catch “Best Mom” on iTunes, Google Play, DirecTV, and more streaming services. bestmomfilm.com
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