Due to the inherently small production crews, independent cinema is a terrific way for filmmakers and actors to expand their reach and sink their teeth into new and exciting roles. IFC Films’ new release Pretty Problems stars Britt Rentschler as one-half of a struggling married couple desperate for success in a world where wealthy folks don’t hesitate to flaunt their success in front of the not-so-fortunate. In addition to playing the lead role, Rentschler also helped with the script and served as a producer. The end result, Pretty Problems, is a must-see for comedy and satire lovers.
From director Kestrin Pantera, the storyline follows Lindsay (Britt Rentschler) and Jack (Michael Tennant), who are stuck in professional ruts. Through a chance meeting at Lindsay’s dead-end retail job, they’re ultimately invited to wine country for a long weekend by Cat Flax (Nolan), an ultra-wealthy housewife who always has a vape pen in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. Upon arrival at the big glass-box house on top of a hill, they’re introduced to Matt Flax (Graham Outerbridge), a self-made billionaire who knows and owns how successful he is — and how privilege has provided for him. Along for the weekend are Carrie (Charlotte Ubben), an actress/model/dancer/whatever who’s the arm candy of Matt’s best friend Kerry (Alex Klein), a trust-fund kid whose grandfather invented — no joke — the tater tot.
Other movies that seem to skewer wealthy people are currently making waves in Hollywood, such as the just-released Triangle of Sadness. Rentschler recently opened up to us about her own film’s look at the high-class demographic that is Pretty Problems. She dishes on the production process and wearing several hats in helping the comedy come to life on screen. Read our exclusive interview below.
Starring In The Film You’re Also Producing
MW: What attracted you to this role? Were you able to draw on any personal experiences to prepare for your character?
Britt Rentschler: What drew me to the project originally was that Michael Tennant is one of my very best friends. We’ve been in acting class together in Los Angeles for a very long time. He was fresh off the bus from New York, I had just driven from Alabama. We both didn’t know what we were doing, and we developed, really quickly, “talent crushes” on each other. We loved to work together, and we shared a lot of the same struggles, you know, working three or four part-time jobs, just trying to get representation, not even auditioning for television and film yet because we couldn’t even get agents or managers! So living through all that together and then, you know, things started to get better. We started working a little bit. He actually got snapped up by a development company and started working for them, which led his way into producing. I started coaching actors on set, and our careers were doing well.
But I think all that journey really helped us trust each other a lot. We have seen each other at our best, so far, and we have seen each other at our worst. We were at each other’s weddings. So when he approached me with this idea of taking a couple to a weekend and kind of testing their marriage, and trying to see how much fun we could have with the comedy but also how much heart we could find for the people that were going through it — I was so excited by it because at this point, I have only worked for other people. And the idea of producing, writing and starring in a feature that was just ours was incredibly intimidating but also very exciting. And ultimately, doing it with someone I had known for so long felt like a trust fall.
MW: You have a story credit on the film, as well as producer. Were there any challenges in working as both the star and producer?
Britt Rentschler: In the beginning, I really loved it because it was such a small sphere that we were working in. It was just Michael and I, and then it was Michael and I and Charlotte. And then once we got the script finished, that’s when we went to the next level finding a director and finding a lead producer to be on set with us. Those beginning stages were my favorite because it was just creativity. It really was. It was all forward momentum and “how much can we dare ourselves to get past those voices in your head that say ‘this isn’t going to be good enough’ or ‘it’s not going to be funny,'” all the things that had kept me from taking this leap before. I really had a lot of fun. “Fun” sounds like a wild word to use, but it really was fun because we got to be so proud of ourselves to get past those hurdles. If you can’t get started, you can’t do anything.
When it started to get sticky for me was once we got to set, and I was still producing, and we were still rewriting stuff on set as we needed to. And I was in almost every scene. I started to get this feeling that I wasn’t able to do any of my jobs well. I wasn’t being the best actor I could be, I wasn’t being the best producer I could be, I wasn’t being the best writer I could be, because I was doing them all at the same time. And I got through that by really leaning on the people that were around me and also just telling myself that I needed to buckle up and get through it because I wanted this responsibility. I wanted to be the person that could urge this project into existence, and it was happening. And I did have a lot of roles to do. And I would say, looking back on the other side of it, if I were to do this again, I would probably cast myself in a smaller role, like a really fun, cameo role, just so I can be more present. Either that or, you know, it is an indie film, so maybe a bigger production team? [laughs]
Highlights From The Shoot
MW: There are lots of fun scenes in Pretty Problems. What was your favorite scene to shoot, if you had to pick one?
Britt Rentschler: My favorite scene ended up being the scene where Lindsay realizes who Daniel [her ex-boyfriend] is. The reason is, because of our shooting schedule, Michael and I shot all of the bedroom scenes in two days because it was simpler and more cost-effective before we brought the rest of the cast up there. It’s like when you’re on vacation, you go into the room and you have your fights. So that was the intense stuff. And then, everyone showed up to set, and everyone’s having such a crazy good time. And we have these beautiful, hilarious actors who are making everyone crack up. And Michael and I are the people who have to be the eyes of the audience, so we’re just receiving. And I felt like I was constantly saying, “Wait, what? What’s going on?” And I didn’t get to play in the same way that these actors got to play. And I created this world, it’s my fault! But the first time I really got to play was in that moment where Lindsay’s facade is broken. She’s trying to be the perfect guest, she’s trying to be this new elevated version of herself. And then Dan just breaks right through and brings up the past. And it was so fun to do that scene with him. Clayton Froning is such an amazing improv actor. He was throwing crazy lines at me.
Looking Ahead To Future Projects
MW: Would you like to share about any upcoming projects you’re working on?
Britt Rentschler: I’m working on a movie right now called Pain Hustlers, directed by David Yates and starring Emily Blunt and Chris Evans. And I’m really, really excited about it. It was a wonderful script that was well sought after, after Cannes. It went into production, and we’re actually wrapping up in the next little bit. And it’s been very cool to go through this journey with Pretty Problems and also be working on that set.
Pretty Problems is available now from IFC Films.
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