Sofia Coppola is truly a legendary filmmaker. Having some of the most unique-looking and feeling films, she is completely deserving of all of the fame that she has received. She has made iconic films like Marie Antoinette, Lost in Translation, The Beguiled, and most recently, Priscilla, which is quickly becoming one of the most anticipated films of this year. She has also won a number of accolades, including being nominated for an Academy Award twice in her career and winning the same once, in the category of Best Original Screenplay, for her work in the 2003 film, Lost in Translation.
Though these are extremely notable and successful projects, one of Coppola’s most memorable projects is the cult-classic 1999 film, The Virgin Suicides, starring stars like Kirsten Dunst, Danny DeVito, and Hayden Christensen. The film gained immense popularity after its release and has created its own, special place in the history of cinema. With this, it is surprising that Coppola was mortified when she saw the first draft of her film.
Sofia Coppola Was Warned By Her Father
The Virgin Suicides was Sofia Coppola‘s first first feature-length film, made by her family film company, American Zoetrope. Her father, Francis Ford Coppola, is one of the most respected directors of all time, known for directing massively successful projects like The Godfather franchise, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Apocalypse Now, and The Rainmaker. It is not a surprise that when Coppola was making her first film, her father was there, by her side, guiding her on how to do things.
“I remember my Dad telling me that your movie’s never as good as the dailies – everything shot that day – and never as terrible as the first rough cut.”
Amongst his many pieces of advice was one that had to do with looking at the final product of her film. Coppola gave an interview with The Guardian where she talked about the entire process of making this film, including the advice that she was given. She stated that her father told her that her film is never as good as ever she shot on one particular day and it is never as bad as the first rough cut of it.
Sofia Coppola Was Horrified After Seeing The First Draft Of Her Film
It would seem that Sofia Coppola ended up needing this advice desperately after filming finished on The Virgin Suicides and editing started. The director told The Guardian that when she saw the first rough cut of the film, she was mortified. The reason for this was because of how bad this looked. She mentioned that this realization made her doubt her capabilities so much that she was not sure if making the film was a good idea in the first place.
“When I saw the first rough cut, I thought: “Oh no, this is terrible, what have I done? I’ve talked all these people into letting me make a movie and it’s terrible.” Then, little by little, we pieced it together and made it into a film.”
She added that she felt like she had wasted a huge amount of resources and convinced a lot of people to invest in something that would not turn out well. This sentiment, however, changed very quickly as the editing process continued, helping the director gain back her confidence and realize her own skills and capabilities, resulting in the final product that we know and love today.
