Tea, Tears & Tenderness: Why Liam Neeson & Lesley Manville Took On Cancer Story Normal People, First Look & Deals
Bankside Films
EXCLUSIVE: When Liam Neeson sits down to read a script he often tests it. If he doesnt have to get up to make a cup of tea within ten minutes, he knows its worth continuing.
When his old friend Bono sent him the script for Northern Irish drama Normal People, Neeson must have been slightly sceptical. The actor hadnt made a film in his homeland, Northern Ireland, for more than a decade, and the intimate two-hander was a far cry from the hustle and bustle action films he has been known for recently. But he quickly knew he was onto something.
“I went straight through this one,” the Schindlers List star told me. “I knew it was special. The subject matter is heavy but its a beautiful love story. Its invested with Irish humour and it made me cry a little. I knew I had to do it.”
Normal People is the story of Tom and Joan, a long-married couple whose world is turned upside down when the latter is unexpectedly diagnosed with breast cancer. The script comes from acclaimed Irish playwright Owen McCafferty and is partly based on his own experience.
As soon as Neeson put it down, he thought of Lesley Manville, who had recently wrapped on Paul Thomas Andersons Phantom Thread. He called his agent to make sure the project got to her. McCaffertys script had a similar impact on the English actress. “It was a very emotional script to read,” she confirms. “I cried a number of times.”
The script was unusually shoot-ready. “We changed very very little on Owens script,” explains Neeson. “From my experience, the only other film I can think of where virtually nothing changed in the script was Schindlers List. It was ready to shoot the next day.”
The project has been shepherded by Northern Irish filmmaking duo Lisa Barros DSa and Glenn Leyburn (Good Vibrations) — who tell me “the film acknowledges the dark times we have to go through sometimes as human beings and how we can find the light and commonality between each other to help us through those times — and producers David Holmes (known as a composer on movies such as the Oceans franchise), The Wife and Churchill producer Piers Tempest and rising filmmaker Brian J. Falconer (who was making shorts only 18 months ago and turned down a job on Game Of Thrones to pursue his own producing career).
The films subject matter hit home for both actors. “Ive had four relatives who have died of cancer, three of them of breast cancer over the last few years,” says Neeson. “Im very aware of it. People still whisper about cancer. But why do we speak in hushed tones about a disease which is so prevalent and attacks so many we know? Were all one degree of separation away from this experience. Millions of women go through this particular cancer (its so important they are regularly tested for it). Were representing the story of what they go through. It can be ugly and brutal but theres an extraordinary love and humour channeling through their experience. Its essentially a love story about two normal people: lower middle-class, ex-civil servants.”
“Hardly a family escapes without someone getting cancer”, adds Manville, who spent hours in hair and makeup each day to portray her characters hair loss and the scars following surgery. “We know how cancer can affect you physically, but it affects people in many different ways. My character is resilient: she has already suffered tragedy in her life. Its also refreshing to show a relationship on screen between people over the age of 60. Theyre not stuck together because they have nothing better. They share a great connection, mentally and sexually.”
Manville concurs that on paper, at least, this is a movie that is an antidote to Trump-world bombast and megalomania.
Despite the films serious subject matter, the set was a happy one. “Egos were left at the door,” says Neeson. “We had humour between takes. Some actors like to go heavy throughout. I like to find some humour between takes even on heavy movies.”
The actors recent action roles even proved a subject of levity. “I joked on set, Please guys, lets just put one scene in where I beat up a doctor? Im sure there will be some in the audience expecting me to pull out a gun at some stage [the Taken and Non-Stop star admits he loves making action films and working with the likes of Studiocanal on them but confirms there wont be a Taken 4, “Christ, theres only so many times your daughter can get taken”, he laughs].
The Normal People experience was a liberating one, both actors tell me. “My main preparation for this film was to make sure not to get in the way of the writing,” says Neeson. “Im not speaking in funny accents. Im being myself and speaking in Owens words. Our characters speak in their own accents. It was freeing not having to think about pronunciation.”
The film shot in only five weeks this summer. “I wish we had some drama for you,” both actors tell me. “Im afraid not,” explains Manville. “It was one of the best experiences Ive had on set,” concurs Neeson. “The crew were excellent. Many of them cut their teeth on Game Of Thrones.” As a parting gift, the actor ordered a waffle truck to come to set on the last night of shoot.
The film was an eye-opener for Neeson in a number of ways. It also served as a way to reconnect with his homeland. “Ive been offered a hundred things over the years to do with the IRA and the Troubles and I wanted to avoid it. Now that there is a real peace there and a new generation in Ireland it feels like there is a youthful energy about Belfast. Its great.”
Joining Oscar-nominees Neeson and Manville in the cast were Amit Shah and David Wilmot. Backers include Head Gear Films, Northern Ireland Screen and the BFI. Above is a first look at Neeson and Manville in the movie.
The project has been a pre-sales hit for Bankside which has closed deals in Spain (Inopia), Scandinavia (Scanbox), Latin America (California Filmes), Switzerland (Praesens), Israel (Forum Films), Greece (Tanweer), Turkey (Tanweer), Ex-Jugoslavia (Fox Vision), Middle East (Front Row), China (Blue Share), India (PVR), South Africa (TMF), Indonesia (Sahamongkol Films) and Taiwan (Vie Vision). CAA reps domestic.
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