LAURA DERN’ S TOUGH TALE
She’s been chased by dinosaurs in Jurassic Park and navigated primary school politics in Big Little Lies. Now Laura Dern takes on her most intense role to date – and it has earned her an Emmy nod for Best Lead actress.
In telemovie The Tale, the 51-year-old plays documentary filmmaker Jennifer Fox. After finding a story she wrote when she was 13, Jennifer has flashbacks of what she remembers to be her first real love with her running coach, Bill (Jason Ritter). But the more her buried memories surface, the more she realises what she actually experienced was child abuse.
Playing the role was even more challenging for Laura as the movie was written and directed by Jennifer Fox herself.
‘It’s like the most meta. That person whose eyes I’m looking in, who is my director, is the person I’m playing,’ Laura told The Hollywood Reporter.
The subject matter of The Tale has seen it described as ‘harrowing’ and ‘controversial’. Laura explained to USA Today: ‘The film is about memory and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. I think we all find that relatable, not just people who have experienced sexual abuse or assault.’
The actress was recommended to Jennifer by director Brian de Palma. ‘[He] said, “Laura Dern, she’s the only one with the guts to do this,”’ the filmmaker revealed.