The hype... HOW TO BUILD A GIRL
Caitlin Moran’s BESTSELLING NOVEL IS ABOUT TO BECOME THE FILM OF THE SUMMER. HERE SHE EXPLAINS WHY BEANIE FELDSTEIN WAS THE ONLY WOMAN FOR THE LEADING ROLE...
‘That literally happened to me,’ says author Caitlin Moran of the standout scene in How To Build A Girl (out now), which sees Beanie Feldstein, playing 16-year-old rock critic Johanna, being asked to sit on her magazine editor’s knee to discuss a promotion. ‘I slammed myself onto his lap and bounced, shouting, “It’s weird, because none of the men here are sitting on your lap – they all have chairs – but if this is how it works, enjoy!” A minute later, his legs had lost all circulation.’ Needless to say, Moran (and Johanna) got the promotion.
Adapted from Moran’s bestselling autobiographical novel of the same name and directed by Coky Giedroyc, How To Build A Girl brings us the ultimate coming-of-age film. This is 2O2O’s answer to Ladybird, Clueless and Feldstein’s previous hit Booksmart, celebrating the sheer tenacity of teenage girls.
Choosing Feldstein to lead the film was a no-brainer for Moran. ‘We held open auditions, we got people to send tapes, we looked at every possible British actress… But from the minute you see Beanie in everything, you’re just on this girl’s side, no matter who she’s playing or what she’s doing,’ she says.
The film has an equally starry cast, including Paddy Considine, Chris O’Dowd and double Academy Award winner Emma Thompson. ‘When I was young, I had a “God wall” in my bedroom, just like Johanna does in the film,’ Moran says. The wall was collaged with photos of her heroes, spanning everyone from Sylvia Plath to David Bowie. ‘The day I went for my first job interview in London, I needed extra courage and nobility, so I took my picture of Emma Thompson off the wall – and ate it.’ This anecdote was the reason that Thompson agreed to take a role in the film. ‘We usually had 1OO people on set, but on Emma Thompson’s day, there were suddenly 5OO people there who all had “vital roles”.’
As for her hopes for the film, Moran says it has a universal message for us all to ‘share the love’. ‘Every 16-yearold in the world has a platform to write about their opinions: social media. We all follow the same journey – we start off cheerful, posting pictures of breakfast and dogs,’ she says. ‘Then we get trolled and we become a bit snarkier. But the problem with cynicism is that it swiftly traps you, and you can’t dance in armour. So, one day you have to have the lady balls to be joyful again and say: “These are the things I love.”’