Every journey has a beginning, and the beginning of A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is a car rental agency run by a strange cashier and a mechanic, played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Kevin Kline respectively. The odd pair offers character David (Colin Farrell) a 1994 Saturn GL, a car way past its prime, insistent upon adding a retro GPS with the package. It’s this vehicle that propels David, joined by Sarah (Margot Robbie), a stranger he met at a mutual friend’s wedding, on A Big Bold Beautiful Journey.
Director Kogonada wanted actors with theatrical experience to add whimsy into the eccentric roles, Waller-Bridge and Kline having expansive and award-winning careers on stage. “Phoebe and Kevin are from the theater, and that scene called for a certain kind of theatricality and playfulness that for me was central to this story,” Kogonada says.
The duo indeed added a touch of fun and fantasy into the film, with writer Seth Reiss (The Menu) loving how his characters were brought to life by Waller-Bridge and Kline. “It was such a joy to look at the monitor when they were filming this scene and see Phoebe and Kevin sitting behind a desk, having a blast, and Colin having a blast with them,” says Reiss. “They created a great and surprising dynamic.”
Producer Bradley Thomas stresses the importance of the pair’s roles in setting the tone for the movie. “Phoebe’s and Kevin’s roles are pivotal,” says Thomas. “They’re the first characters David meets, and they propel him on this adventure. When Phoebe and Kevin show up, you just know you’re in for something smart and fun.”
The GPS that the rental agency added to David’s car is also central to the movie, starting off David and Sarah’s adventure with the question, “Do you want to go on a big bold beautiful journey?” “There’s something playful about this device,” Kogonada explains. “We had the GPS designed to resemble a Nintendo game controller and HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The GPS is helping them navigate the world both geographically and existentially in order for them to move forward romantically.”
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is on the horizon as it arrives in Philippine cinemas on September 17. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #ABigBoldBeautifulJourney @columbiapicph
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