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Lili Taylor captures talk of the town at this year’s Sundance Film Festival

By Daily Bruin Staff

Aug. 25, 1996 9:00 p.m.

Friday, August 25, 1995

Performances in ‘Warhol,’ ‘Girls Town’ earn actor kudosBy
Brandon Wilson

Summer Bruin Contributor

Besides being a darling amongst critics and garnering a
reputation as one of modern cinema’s most formidable actors, Lili
Taylor has had the rare distinction of receiving her due praise
while still in her prime, rather than being recognized years after
the fact.

This praise didn’t come from the hallowed halls of mainstream
Hollywood, but rather from the American independent film world,
where Taylor has been allowed to showcase her considerable
abilities. Her relentless turn as feminist/felon Valerie Solanas in
"I Shot Andy Warhol" and her performance in Jim McKay’s new feature
film "Girls Town" were the talk of this year’s Sundance Film
Festival, causing some to rechristen the festival "The Lili Taylor
Show." Taylor’s work in "Warhol" earned her the festival’s best
actress trophy, and "Girls Town" won the Filmmaker’s Trophy as well
as a Special Jury Prize.

"I thought, this is really nice, I like this recognition," said
Taylor in a recent sit-down with The Bruin. "But I realized I don’t
need it either, that I would’ve been just fine if I hadn’t been the
queen this year. But it was also very nice to be recognized and
acknowledged. It moved me more than I thought it would."

In "Girls Town" Taylor plays one of three high school girls on
the cusp of graduation who are jolted by the suicide of a close
friend. The actress was joined by Bruklin Harris (of "Zebrahead"
and "Juice") and first-timer Anna Grace. In a situation quite
unusual in modern filmmaking, the trio had ample time to forge real
bonds of friendship to work with on screen thanks to the process
director McKay applied to the film.

"The actor’s performance for me was always of utmost
importance." says the director. "I always felt if it came down to a
choice between five more minutes to light the room or five more to
rehearse the take, I would choose the rehearsal. But because of how
we developed the film, a lot of the work was done before the actors
got to the set. They knew the characters well, people we cast in
the extra parts quickly fell into place."

McKay also turned an idea for an honest look at women into an
outline, called "Girls," which he then planned to develop into a
script, during workshops with the actors. "I wrote an outline for
the film, then cast those actors, and over the course of a couple
of months we improvised and videotaped the sessions and then I
transcribed from those videotapes and wrote a first draft for the
script. So the actors were literally writers … It was a little
out of control, kind of scary sometimes, but really fun and
rewarding. I think it’s ultimately responsible for the movie being
the kind of movie it is," McKay says.

Taylor and McKay were friends long before the project’s
commencement in September 1993. McKay approached Taylor with his
outline and his proposal to involve the actors in the creation of
their characters. "We’ve been friends for awhile," says Taylor. "He
said I’m thinking about doing this thing, and I said
absolutely.

"It was amazing to work that way over weeks, specifically just
getting on our feet and videotaping all the improvs, it was very
special, the whole experience from beginning to end. We all
believed in it so much, and I think that faith carried us through."
says the actor.

McKay is currently developing a new story treatment which he
hopes to direct through workshops in the fashion of "Girls Town."
"If I could go back and reshoot scenes, there are a couple of
things I would do," says the director. "But I’m really happy with
the way the film turned out. I think that the process had a lot to
do with it. Normally a cast has a week or two to prep before
shooting starts; you can prep on your own, do research, but
absolutely nothing can replace this process. They worked on their
characters, and they worked together, and they developed a whole
language and physicality with one another."

For Taylor, "Girls Town" will be released in the middle of a
much deserved break. She’ll be seen next fall in Ron Howard’s
thriller "Ransom," which is of course a far cry from the shoestring
budget filmmaking of "Girls Town." But when questions arise about
her ability to play both indie and Hollywood roles, Taylor shows no
concern about spreading herself thin. She says, "I feel that
there’s no rules, so I don’t buy what people say. I always believed
I can do what I’m doing, it can come into fruition, and I can make
a living and be happy. And that’s what’s happened."

Film: "Girls Town," starring Lily Taylor and directed by Jim
McKay, opens Aug. 30.

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