Write On: 'May December' Writer Samy Burch

“A lot of the scenes are [shot in] one take. The space that they
hold, the amount of air that they let sit there before saying
their next line. I mean it’s an incredible amount of tension and
intimacy,” says screenwriter Samy Burch about her new film May
December, which streams on Netflix December 1st.  


It sounds so simple and commonplace, but it's a lesson in not
only great acting but also writing great subtext. Directed by
Todd Haynes and starring Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman, May
December is about Gracie (Moore), a middle-aged woman who seduced
and later married a 13-year-old boy. Natalie Portman plays
Elizabeth, an actress who gets to know Gracie so she can play her
in an upcoming film. 

In my interview, Burch talks about taking inspiration from the
real-life story, handling delicate material and finding the dark
humor in this strange story of human folly. Samy also breaks down
Elizabeth’s powerful monologue at the end of the film which is
both hilarious and heartbreaking. 

“I think it's an intersection of a lot of things. I think it's
the climax of Elizabeth's performance. I think we get the sense
that it's she's never going to do better than this, she's never
going to feel as confident.” 

To go deeper into the script, take a listen to the podcast.