Marriage equality is a topic on the mind of many Americans these days. In 2012, with the historic ruling by the Supreme Court in favor of the LGBT community’s right to express their love in marriage, there was a striking victory for anyone who believes in an individual’s right to marry whoever they want. In the midst of this political climate, director Jeff Nichols began work on the movie “Loving”, starring Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga. It is the story of the Lovings, an interracial couple whose arrest over their marriage led to a pivotal Supreme Court decision to legalize interracial marriage in every state in the union.
We sat down with the director and lead actors of the film at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills to talk about what it was like to make a movie that featured such an important moment in American history.
“When you get all the words taken away from you, and you play a person who thinks a lot but says very little, you have to be very focused on the specificity of what silence is or means,” said Joel Edgerton, who plays the stern and soft spoken Mr. Loving. “I guess in some way [you have to write] the speeches that weren’t being said and [have] a very clear idea… about the energetic nature of the silence.”
When it comes to portraying characters that had actually lived through such an emotional and often traumatic experience, the actors made no secret of their commitment to the authenticity of the characters.
“I would have to say definitely you want to do the character justice, you want to honor their legacy,” said Terri Abney, who plays Mrs. Loving’s sister. “And you want to tell the truth and so it is intimidating.”
“The easy part of it is that it narrows the field of options,” Edgerton added, “you don’t have to create a character out of nothing. You don’t have to draw any picture on a blank page, you’re told what picture to draw.”
Ruth Negga spoke of how she was completely moved by Lovings, saying, “I was really floored by this couple, both by their individual spirit and their love for each other. And I think that that was very important for us, we wanted to capture and recreate that, because it was so beautiful.”
She added, “You realize that they treated one another as true equals. The goodness is coming off them in sheets.”
The director, Jeff Nichols, also talked about his preparation for the movie, which brought him to many of the actual places that were integral to the Loving’s story: “[Virginia] was the first place I went,” said Nichols. “[I went] to the courthouse that they were tried in, [and I went] to the jail where they were held. All of which were used in the film. [I went] to the home that they lived in, hiding in (sic), which was about a three minute walk from the field in the film where he proposes.”
Nichols says he came up with the idea for the movie when he watched a documentary about the Lovings, realizing it’s potential for resonating with a modern audience: “I saw what I think is one of the greatest love stories in American history, just sitting there in front of me. And nobody knew about it. And in 2012 they were taking marriage equality rights state by state… you look at this story and you think, wow, their relevance is palpable.”
The author, with actors, director and Influencers
The story of the Loving is a story of American progress, leaving behind harmful traditions in favor of new laws that ensure true equality for all. But in the end, it is also a simple love story that offers reverence to the power of true love.
Abney touched on this idea, saying, “We pick and choose to teach, and what we think the idea of historical figures are. And this is a love story. And so at the center and the core of these people, love was the basis. They didn’t set out to be civil rights leaders. They could care less about it. They wanted to go home… they were extremely brave… they risked everything for love.”
“Loving” is an inspirational love movie that is great for any occasion, whether a night out with the family or date night. Watch the trailer below and don’t forget to share this article with your friends!
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