“Uncle Frank” Interview

First stop of our interviews, Paul Bettany and Alan Ball. Bettany is fantastic in the title role of Uncle Frank, a closeted gay man from the 1970s looking for acceptance from his southerner family. This is from writer/director Alan Ball who gave us “American Beauty,” “Six Feet Under,” and “True Blood.” Take a look at my interview with the director and his muse about the making of the film and its brilliant dialogue.

Sophia Lillis, fresh from the success of the “IT” franchise, is back on the big screen in “Uncle Frank” as Beth Bledsoe, the smart and fierce niece of Uncle Frank, played by Paul Bettany. Peter Macdissi, the real-life partner of writer/director Alan Ball, is Wally, Uncle Frank’s lover. But this was set in the 1970s, long before having LGBTQ partners and lovers are accepted. We still have a long way to go but it’s important to see a movie like “Uncle Frank” to feel alive and thankful today.

It was such an honor to talk to the legendary Lois Smith! She’s a 90-year-old actress who starred with James Dean in “East of Eden.” And now, she’s Aunt Butch in Alan Ball’s “Uncle Frank.” Judy Greer, who I always love, is Kitty Bledsoe in the film, a southerner with a great big heart. Take a look at my interviews with the actresses about their interest in the film, and the LGBTQ theme of the movie.