Julianne Nicholson on Inhabiting the World of Janet Planet

Julianne Nicholson spoke with us about her leading turn in the A24 film Janet Planet, from writer and director Annie Baker.  The film follows a summer in 1991 and focuses in on the strong bond between a single mother and her daughter.  Nicholson spoke to the time period of the film itself, although recent, influencing certain aspects of their life together on screen:  In particular, her character’s endeavor into working as an acupuncturist wasn't perceived as openly as it is today.  Having grown up a similar area to the films rural setting, she was able to dive into her own past to inhabit Janet and the world around her.  One of the things she loved about Annie Baker's directing and the film as a whole, was the vignettes of the smaller moments in life and how these are just as important in building the story.  The mother-daughter relationship portrayed on screen was a natural space for her character to speak to her daughter as a confidante and as an equal, validating her emotions but also sharing her own secrets. 

Watch the full coversation below.

In rural Western Massachusetts, 11-year-old Lacy spends the summer of 1991 at home, enthralled by her own imagination and the attention of her mother, Janet. As the months pass, three visitors enter their orbit, all captivated by Janet.