"It Might As Well Be You": Molly Fisher

TWENTY-SOMETHING-ELSE

Twenty-Something-Else is a series highlighting native West Hartford 20-somethings, all being fabulous while proving that early adulthood has a ton of different faces. In each feature, you will hear a little bit about this person’s approach to “emerging adulthood” through either personal narrative or interview-style discussion.

Molly Fisher graduated from Hall High in 2006. In 2010 she graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Dramatic Writing and was awarded NYU's John Golden Playwriting Prize and a Founders' Day Award for academic achievement. Currently she is a New York City -based independent filmmaker and freelance screenwriter. She is a founding member of the nascent film collective Strawtooth Films. She likes Vitamin Water, cute dogs and could kick your butt at Scrabble.

 And now, get to know Molly, who tells it like it is, reminding fellow twenty-somethings that "in the future, someone is going to be doing what you want to do and it might as well be you.”

Emma Staffaroni: How do you respond to the question "What are you doing these days, Molly?" when asked by someone you haven't seen in a while? Do you answer differently if its a peer, an adult, your dentist?

Molly Fisher: Regardless of who I'm talking to, I say, "In the year since I graduated from NYU I've been juggling freelance writing gigs and a day job. And I recently started a film collective, Strawtooth Films, with two talented friends of mine, Zach Fleming and Linzi Silverman. We're making four short films this summer, submitting them to festivals, and then moving on to bigger projects. We recently shot the first of the four shorts, "I Like Your Face," which I wrote and directed. It's a really exciting time. I am excited." Then I start crying and rambling about how I hope the world doesn't end in 2012.

ES: When you were younger did you have expectations for your 20s? If so, was this vision idealistic, realistic? Accurate?

MF: I once dreamed of being a professional basketball player. But I didn't grow past 5'3. For awhile I wanted to be a neurosurgeon, but I did not exhibit an aptitude for science. In high school I decided that in the future I wanted to be making movies and living in New York. I am doing both of those things so apparently it was a realistic goal.

That all being said, for me, "growing up" has been the slow process of accepting that life doesn't feel the way I imagined it would when I was a kid, that the world isn't governed by the ideals, values, and rules I was raised to believe in.  I think it's also a strange time to be a young person living in America. There was that whole financial crisis thing and the federal debt is terrifying and there are crazy zealots claiming doomsday is around the corner and we've yet to figure out how it's all going to impact our futures.

ES: Who is your hero and how does s/he inform your choices as a 20-something?

MF: I have a few heroes . . . Katharine Hepburn, for being a strong woman who wore pants when most women didn't dare. John Cassavetes, for his bravery and his uncompromising vision and because he made the most honest, emotionally-raw movies I have ever seen. Woody Allen, Charlie Kaufman, Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini and Michelangelo Antonioni for making films about how miserable people are and how beautiful life can be. Alexander McQueen, for always being someone who had something to say. Sofia Coppola. Quite a few great female directors have emerged in the past 5 - 10 years, but when I was in high school, there were very few auteurs who were both female and making movies that I thought were cool. Sofia is a female auteur and the films she makes are cool and moving, so growing up, I really admired her. And lastly, my parents, because they are such generous, lovely people.

All of my heroes are people who have or had strong senses of self. Their work reflects their points of view. I try to keep in touch with my "vision," with what inspires me, what scares me, what pisses me off.

ES: What are some of your biggest priorities at the moment?

MF: After 23 years of scouring life for alternative sources of meaning I came to the conclusion that in order to not be miserable I have to be writing and producing screenplays. So, right now making films is my top priority and it informs all of my decisions. Having said that, being in the moment, taking things in stride, and having balance is crucial. Ya gotta have fun and whistle while you work and if you don't have wonderful people in your life, then what's the point of it all? So I make a point of spending time with the people I love.

ES: Which question asked by acquaintances and relatives causes you the most ennui, and how do you deal with it?

MF: "Isn't the film industry really competitive? Don't you worry you might fail?" I had absolutely no idea the film industry is competitive. Thank you for that valuable information, Acquaintance or Relative. What would I do without you.

I usually laugh off questions like that off. The reality is: no matter what kind of career you're interested in, in the future someone is going to be doing what you want to do and it might as well be you. Once you decide what you want, get the necessary training, and dedicate yourself to working really hard, it will seem less and less intimidating, and the more you work at it, the better you will get – at least, that's my philosophy.

ES: In what ways has a "West Hartford upbringing" shaped who you are and what you’re doing today? Do you see yourself returning to ol’ Weha anytime soon? [Be nice!]

MF: There's no denying West Hartford is in the fabric of who I am. Every time I write on some level I reference my childhood experiences and memories. The willowy trees, the personalities, the catty middle-aged women who I would hear gossiping as they power-walked by my house on summer mornings --it's all used as material. 

There were a lot of things I hated about about Hall, but I can say with confidence that the rumors are true: West Hartford schools prepare you well for college. My course load at NYU was not as challenging as my course load at Hall. I also had great teachers who supported me and gave me opportunities to explore my budding interests: when she was in charge of the acting department the amazing Kathy Keith let me write and perform my own monologues; Carol Blejwas made me feel confident in my writing; when I was a senior Sean Harris allowed me to direct a musical I had adapted from a short story," The SantaLand Diaries."

However, I'm not going to pretend West Hartford is some suburban Connecticut utopia. It's possible I would have felt this way no matter where I'd grown up, but growing up in West Hartford, I felt like a pariah. I felt different, I felt I didn't fit in. Overcoming alienation has made me who I am. It forced me find ways to work through that pain, it forced me to go to New York to seek people with similar interests who I could connect with and collaborate with – and those people ever did I find.

ES: OK, lastly, imagine you can go visit your 16-year-old self for ten minutes. What would you say to teenage you?

MF: Get a haircut. Stop scowling at everyone. Get out of your head. Stop taking yourself so seriously. Go have some fun. Stop trying to be someone you're not; it's a waste of time. Give your parents big hugs: they're great people and they have been putting up with your "young tortured artist" antics for too long. Appreciate the people who are genuinely nice. Never take anything or anyone for granted. Figure out what you want, embrace it, and be prepared to work really, really hard. Don't let the manic guidance counselors freak you out: you will get into college. Keep writing, keep watching movies, keep reading books, keep experiencing life with eyes wide open, taking it all in. Learn how to meditate. Take things in stride. Be in the moment. Enjoy doing the silly, sloppy things that teenagers do. Enjoy the ride. Follow your instincts and be true to yourself and you'll be fine, Little Molly.

To keep tabs on Molly Fisher and watch her upcoming short films, become a fan of Strawtooth Films on Facebook by going to facebook.com/strawtoothfilms.