To sayNancy Meyers'sfilms have a cult following may be an understatement. The director, screenwriter, and producer has created a laundry list of successful movies, includingThe Parent Trap,Something's Gotta Give,The Holiday,它's Complicated, andThe Intern—and in 2000,What Women Wanttook in $183 million in the United States, making it at the time the most successful film to ever be directed by a woman.
Last week, Meyers added yet another film to her portfolio, but this one is especially notable:Home Again, starringReese Witherspoon, is her 30-year-old daughter Hallie Meyers-Shyer's directorial debut, and Meyers served as producer. (The flick came in second at the box office its opening weekend, just after Stephen King's它, making $8.5 million in three days.) Like the majority of Meyers's films, it's a romantic comedy with a strong female lead, and the set—especially the main character's home, which is a Spanish-style hacienda this time around—could practically serve as a supporting cast member. But while Meyers is known for her neutral palettes and perfect vignettes of accents, Meyers-Shyer added a bolder feminine palette this time around. We talked to the mother-daughter duo on weaving in classic set elements of quintessential Meyers films, collaborating together for the first time, the importance ofPinterest, and how Meyers-Shyer's fresh take on the prototypical romantic comedy set may be just whatHome Againneeded.
Architectural Digest:What was your inspiration for the set design? Any real places or things? Was there a house in mind?
Hallie Meyers-Shyer:My inspiration for this story started with [Witherspoon's] character of Alice. I wanted to center a film on a woman who was just separated from her husband and feeling like she needed a change in her life. This comes into play in her house as well. I feel in some ways we wanted to give Alice the house she's always wanted and use the bold feminine palette she's always desired. This is her first house without her husband, so we really wanted to make it feel entirely hers.
Nancy Meyers:The house plays a large role in the movie. It has a Hollywood history; it once belonged to our main character's father in the 1970s and still holds a lot of his memorabilia. This house had to be a location Alice has dreamed of returning to, a place the three boys never wanted to leave, and once Alice's ex-husband arrives, he too wants to stay. It’s a comforting location and a warm space that well represents Alice.