April 2013
Contrary to most sound bites, not everyone knows right away that they've signed onto a great film. But in some weird way, I felt like the exception.
I wasn't an actor or screenwriter, and I wasn't even an assistant on the set. My boss was costume designer Michael Wilkinson -- the one who actually signed on to do the wardrobe for "American Hustle"
Yet with David O. Russell as director, the premise of con men and the FBI working together in the 1970s, and with the likes of Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence fitting into wacky 70s clothing -- well, even if the film itself tanked, there's no way the costumes and clothes would.
This was a virtual playground for Michael, and by extension myself as well. We worked to create eye popping 70's fashion -- at least eye popping by 70's fashion standards. But even if it was terrible by today's standards, it didn't matter, which gave us a lot of margin for error. Then again, there wasn't much these actors couldn't make look good in some way.
And it certainly wasn't hard to make Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence look eye popping, in any era. Yet Michael still put in an extra effort, as did I when I was needed.
Together, we created outfits that were sure to be iconic by this time next year. Amy had at least two dresses with some of the lowest necklines I'd ever seen, going almost down to her bellybutton. Her side boobs were only halfway exposed, however -- this was an R-rated film, but not that R-rated.
Still, the amount of skin these dresses showed, and the way they clung to the parts that didn't, would show Amy in a whole new light. Of course everyone knew her as talented, thanks to those four Oscar nominations, beautiful, thanks to that irresistible face and pretty red hair, and even sexy -- thanks to some notable moments in her last film with David. But this was another seductive level.
It even helped fill the plot hole of why Christian Bale would have her as a mistress, when the No. 1 it girl in the world right now was playing his wife.
Or at least it would until they saw Jennifer in Michael's tight, revealing white dress during her big moments.
Like I said, some movies are obviously great right away after all. At least some aspects of them are.
Michael showed his greatness designing and making the outfits, and Amy and Jennifer filled in the rest when they came in to try them out. They came in one at a time, so I didn't see them next to each other in Michael's clothing. That embarrassment of riches would be saved for the set.
For that reason and others I put together, I made my case to be sent to the set in Boston, Massachusetts. I'd watch and make sure the costumes worked perfectly, especially in the big party scenes. These were some of the most fashionable sequences in the movie, so I would report back to Michael and assure him it all looked good.
It also gave me an excuse to watch a more intimate moment set in a bathroom. Not in that way -- although many dirty minds would fill in the blanks when the movie came out. But this particular moment had Amy and Jennifer in a heated confrontation, while dressed to the 70's nines in the bathroom.
Jennifer had on the aforementioned white dress that showed off a good deal of her breasts, and the rest of her sinfully curvy body. Amy had one of those aforementioned plunging dresses -- the sparkly one -- along with unruly curly hair instead of her usual straight style. Jennifer's blond hair was still straight and long, but pinned up for this moment.
With this setup, these looks and these two actresses, there was no doubt fireworks would fly. I had read the script and this scene, yet I knew that wouldn't do it justice. And it didn't.
Especially in the one moment that wasn't in the script. The one where Jennifer planted a full on kiss on Amy before leaving the bathroom.
Well, those dirty minds would sure fill in the blanks now. Somehow, I knew they would.
I tried to ignore my....knowledge until I could leave the set. When shooting was done for the day, I got my stuff together and started to make my way out of the building. But before I got too far, I barely stopped myself from bumping into someone.
That someone being Amy, of course. Her hair was straight and flowing again, while her dress was green and her neckline was normal. "Sorry for....almost doing something to be sorry for," I babbled.
"Then apology almost accepted," Amy played along. She looked pretty chipper, although this wasn't out of the ordinary for her.
"Least I have a preview of how happy Michael will look," I responded.
"Of all days for him not to come himself, huh?" Amy said.
"You said it, not me," I preemptively defended. "When did David come out with that....last minute rewrite?"
"He didn't have to. I did it for him," Amy surprised me.
"Is that what you're gonna say to the press? Should get a good laugh," I checked.
"The funniest things are true," Amy still insisted.
"You're not conning me?" I tried to still be funny, in spite of my shock. "You do know why it's hard to believe....a man didn't come up with that."
"I sure saw why today. I mean, she's so cute," Amy joked. Not everyone could be cutesy while talking about a sexy moment like that -- although it was technically more funny than sexy. But that was just another crazy, cutesy, sexy layer on this whole thing, and on Amy in general.
"Yeah, that's the first word coming to mind," I had to quip, now able to walk down the halls with Amy. "Well, no one will forget your costumes now. Michael will be pleased about that."
"Yep. Now that his clothes will be the enemy of straight men everywhere," Amy kept joking. "Okay, I see the ego and sexism there."
"Maybe. It's kind sexist I'm surprised you came up with....that, though. So we're even," I offered.
"Yeah. I don't know, with something like this, and with David and Jennifer.....you kind of want to push the envelope, you know?" Amy reasoned. "That's been working out pretty well for me lately. And I felt it working today. Still feeling pretty pumped right now, really."
