How Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer waited years for ‘A Bit of Light’ – Orange County Register

The setup of “A Bit of Light” seems very dark.

This poignant and emotionally astute film begins with Ella (Anna Paquin) cratering. She’s newly sober, but also bitter and bereft, spending her days bickering with her worried but helpless father (Ray Winstone) and sitting and stewing on the playground where she took her daughters.

Ella’s mother died of cancer and her father drank. And Ella grew angry, drank too much, lost control and lashed out at her young daughters – until she handed custody over to her ex-husband.

It is on the playground that she meets Neil (Luca Hogan, in a memorable debut), a quirky and precocious teenager, who gives Ella hope.

“A Bit of Light” is adapted from a play by Rebecca Callard. The director, Stephen Moyer, first met Paquin when they starred in Showtime’s vampire hit “True Blood.” Their characters fell in love, and they, too, married in 2010. Moyer made his first directorial job in this series and has since directed a feature film, the well-received ensemble film, “The Parting Glass,” which also starred Paquin.

Paquin and Moyer spoke to us about the new film, which arrives in theaters and streaming April 5, and the conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Q. What appealed to you about the play and the role?

Moyer: I like that we arrive after the fireworks. We meet Ella at this moment where it’s the mundane: “Every day I have to go to fucking meetings that I hate and I don’t want to be in this room.” I don’t want to be with my father. I don’t want to be part of this.

I’m sober. I haven’t had a drink in 23 years. And there are times in the beginning of doing this where you’re like, “Oh my God, it’s only 11:00 and I’m still sober and this is so boring.” »

Paquin: I love how raw and unapologetic and completely broken she is and it doesn’t dress up this ugly, sad moment in her life. We allow her to be everything she tries not to be but perpetuates because she is so full of self-loathing.

Moyer: This idea of ​​Ella going to the playground where she used to take her children to torture themselves, watching other children play, was such a profound moment. And it was such a beautiful idea, the story of a person at their lowest, invisible and broken, but being seen by this boy who decides to try to rebuild them. I loved this idea that even at your lowest, there is someone to help you if you let them. Ella tries very hard to try and get him to leave, but he is relentless.

The irony is that when I read the play, Rebecca had sold the rights, but a few years later, when we got the rights, Anna – who Rebecca considered too young for the role – had reached 39. And Ray Winstone has a daughter called Ellie, who he calls Els and he has another daughter who is the same age as Anna. It was weird how this all happened at just the right time.

Q. Anna, did you like being told that you finally looked old enough for this role?

Paquin: I miss playing against people significantly younger than my digital age. I know you’re never supposed to complain about looking young in my job, but I have absolutely no desire to make myself young again. It doesn’t necessarily fascinate you as you get older and your priorities and your life change. I’ve always waited to grow old into the roles I want.

Q. Meanwhile, the youngest character, Neil, is probably the most mature despite his own struggles in life.

Moyer: I loved the fact that he speaks clearly and like an adult, but he says things that no one else will say – he’s the voice of conscience, if you will, of the whole room, so that is not a normal 13 year old child. old boy.

Q. Like Ella and Alan, he is invisible in his own world.

Moyer: Exactly. I love the idea of ​​Broken Dad being retconned as well. The “little light” in the title could be the fact that there is just this tiny bit of hope that Ella has. But it could also be that wherever Neil, this strange spectral character, travels, there is a little light. Whoever else he meets, he helps them cope with the moment they find themselves in. He’s made it his mission to put Ella back together, but in doing so, he also affects everyone around her.

Q. Ella is in constant emotional turmoil. Was it exhausting and hard to get rid of at the end of the day?

Paquin: I don’t know how to do that. I just give it my best, leave absolutely everything on the floor and walk away. I like this feeling of exhaustion. It makes me feel like I did my job well. But to go to emotionally scary or intense places and really open up, you need to feel safe in your environment. And I feel really safe with my husband as a director. I know he supports me. We met while doing a chemistry reading and were very comfortable with each other from the start.

Q. Is your dynamic the same at home as it is on set?

Moyer: On set I’m adorable, but I’m a monster at home.

Paquin: No, he’s so nice.