I sat down with the wonderful Melanie Lynskey to talk about her new Happy Madison family film Don’t Say Good Luck— a sweet, funny, and tender coming-of-age story that had me laughing and crying, guys. 😭🤣

The film — a love letter to moms, musicals, and messy teenage years — arrives on Netflix August 14th, and Melanie gave me the full story behind it (see our interview below).

Why She Said Yes

I asked what drew her to such a raw, emotional Adam Sandler family project. Her answer said it all:

“It was so emotional and so honest,” she told me. “I didn’t know that the script was based on a true story, and then I learned after the fact and I was like, that makes sense — that feels like a very personal story from the writer… It was a very easy thing to say yes to.”

That Mother-Daughter Chemistry With Sunny

The heart of the film is the bond between Melanie and her on-screen daughter, Sunny — and their chemistry is palpable on screen. I had to ask how much of that was scripted versus built between them:

“It’s in the script that they love each other and they’re very close,” she said. “But you do really hope that you have the kind of relationship with the other actor where it’s easy — and with Sunny it was so easy. She’s just such a sweet person, an incredible actor, and we genuinely got close and were very natural with each other.” She added a personal note: “I have a daughter — it’s like another part of you. So it was nice to have that relationship with her as well.”

As for whether Sunny asked her for advice on her breakout leading role, Melanie didn’t hold back the praise: “She does not need any advice. She’s so natural and so sweet and kind to everybody around her. She doesn’t need any help.”

A Role That Wasn’t Murderous, For Once

Melanie’s played her share of complicated moms and wives — so I asked what this one needed from her that felt different. She laughed her way into the answer:

“The thing that felt different is it was a lot less murderous than some others recently,” she said. “It honestly felt very simple — a very simple expression of maternal love. She just felt like a loving, kind person, and I was like, that feels nice.” Coming off a break from Yellowjackets, she added, “I was really grateful to just have something where you just got to be — it was just so easy.”

What She Hopes Moms and Daughters Take Away

With the film about to hit Netflix, I asked what she hopes families talk about after watching it together:

“I just think it’s important to cherish the time that you have with people you love,” she said. “It’s so easy to get caught up in what does my work need from me, what’s happening on the internet — there’s so much taking our attention away from people that we love. I hope it’s a good reminder that you don’t actually know how much time you have.”

The Musical Twist

Waitress plays a big part in the film, so naturally, I had to ask about her all-time favorite musical. Her answer surprised even her:

“I’m not a huge musical lover, I have to say — I did not grow up loving musicals,” she admitted. “But everything changed for me when I saw The Book of Mormon. I was like, oh my god, that cast. I get it, I get it — I think musicals are amazing.”

A big, big, big congrats to Melanie Lynskey on Don’t Say Good Luck — a love letter to moms, musicals, and messy teenage years. And don’t worry, Miss Melanie — I won’t say good luck. 😉

#MannyTheMovieGuy mwah! 💋