Lovelace

In 1972-before the internet, before the porn explosion-Deep Throat was a phenomenon: the first scripted pornographic theatrical feature film, featuring a story, some jokes, and an unknown and unlikely star: Linda Lovelace. Escaping a strict religious family, Linda discovered freedom and the high life when she fell for and married charismatic hustler Chuck Traynor. As Linda Lovelace she became an international sensation-less centrefold fantasy than a charming girl-next-door with an impressive capacity for fellatio. Fully inhabiting her new identity, Linda became an enthusiastic spokesman for sexual freedom and uninhibited hedonism. Six years later she presented another, utterly contradictory, narrative to the world-and herself as the survivor of a far darker story.

Perfect in the role

Seyfried is perfect in the role and her commitment to bringing the character to life is evident; her immersion from the very beginning - taking voice lessons, studying, reading every book there was about Linda paid off. Although Seyfried's fans will remember her for her darling roles of innocent characters in films like Mamma Mia, Letters to Juliet, Les Miserables and Red Riding Hood, she also played more controversial characters in films like Chloe, where she played an escort hired by a successful doctor to test her husband's fidelity.

Although at first Seyfried had a 'lack of inhibition', she proved that she was really ready to tackle this story with all that she can give. After a lengthy dinner meeting with Epstein and Friedman, Seyfried was impressed by the directors' 'perfect vision and meticulous preparation'. It became clear to the actress that she was going to completely commit to making this character come to life.

A tale of survival

Says Seyfried: "This was the first time I've stepped out of my comfort zone. Playing someone who existed comes with a lot of responsibility. Linda worked so hard for so many years for someone to listen and to find a voice that was going to be heard. It's a tale of survival and it was important to me to validate everything she went through, because it is told from her point of view."

As Seyfried was not born when Deep Throat premiered, she had to do her research from scratch. "I knew nothing about Linda Lovelace and I think most people only know the idea of her. Yes, she was a porn star, but it comes with so much more." Seyfried had access to the original copies of Lovelace's autobiographies as well as exclusive footage over the years, from the time she was in Deep Throat to the point she died. "I had a lot to draw from, and her accent is ingrained in my head." Seyfried ended up watching the infamous Deep Throat only halfway into the filming of Lovelace. "It was really intense and hard to watch, knowing what happened and the story behind that movie. But at the same time it helped me to completely absorb what Linda was about."

If there's one other reason to watch Lovelace, it's for Peter Sarsgaard's riveting performance as Linda's husband, Chuck Traynor. The filmmakers were looking for a leading man, as well as a character actor, perfectly capturing the two contradictory sides to Chuck - the magnetic, charismatic personality, but also the tough and abuse force who was controlling Linda. In exploring their characters, Seyfried and Sarsgaard knew very early on what Chuck and Linda's relationship was like.

They are both deeply naïve

"Master and servant," observes Sarsgaard. "They are both deeply naïve and I see them as a little girl and a little boy." He didn't let her out of his sight and wouldn't even let her go to the bathroom without his permission. So when she became famous, there were so many other people involved that she almost felt like she was escaping it in a way. It allowed her distance from Chuck and from the reins of him, and that ultimately saved her life."

In addition to being the right actors for the roles, the chemistry between Sarsgaard and Seyfried was vital. Both actors had mutual admiration for each other, which helped in making their characters even more believable. Says Seyfried: "I could never believe that someone so charismatic can play such a menacing, evil monster. I mean, this guy was so unpredictable and weird, and Peter completely captured that. He absolutely understood that the audience needs to see that side of him that Linda initially fell in love with."
Sarsgaard in return was "inspired by her enthusiasm by someone who hasn't been in the business for ever. I'm experiencing things for the first time with her. She's making things seem brighter for me, and is more spontaneous and alive".

Epstein and Friedman's compassion in depicting complex characters, combined with detailed and engaging storytelling, made the captivating life story of Linda Lovelace a perfect subject for their second feature.

The sexual revolution

"Linda had an amazing life and she was a pivotal cultural figure at a time when society's sexual awareness was really blossoming," says Epstein. "There's the period we think of as the sexual revolution, which segues into the rise of feminism, and Linda was an important character in both those instances."

In summing it up, Seyfried adds that in the end "it's about this woman's journey and this relationship that was unbelievably foul and impossible. It's a character study, and we are finally getting Linda's story told the right way".

Lovelace is not a film that exploits its subject matter in any way, but an insightful and truthful exploration of the porn industry, taking us into the heart and soul of a world that feeds fantasies and provokes revulsion.

Ultimately, it's the Cinderella story of how we will go to the ultimate to fulfil our dreams, and how important it is to step outside our comfort zone so that we can truly understand who we are and how the decisions we make can severely impact on the world we live in. As Lovelace clearly shows, everything we do shines a light on our future.

Read more about Lovelace and other new films opening this week at www.writingstudio.co.za.