When the free-living and party-loving Jonah (Ryan Kwanten) discovers that he has cancer, his life takes a serious turn. Jonah realises that he won’t be able to have children after having the surgery he needs, and he decides to ramp up his final month of unhindered procreation to extreme levels, as he tries desperately to convince his old flames, friends, and even random strangers, that he would make the perfect daddy.
By Keeva Stratton
His flatmate and best friend Stevie (Sarah Snook) watches from afar as Jonah fails to convince woman after woman to try for an instant baby. Over time, Stevie starts to see the merits of having a baby with her best friend, and begins to warm to the idea of being the baby mamma.
Can this long-term platonic friendship survive the shift to a physical relationship, and will they be able to conceive in time?
We sat down with the very beautiful and poised Sarah Snook, who plays Stevie, to talk about her first feature film role, the full frontal scenes in the movie, and the evolution of parenting.
RESCU: What message does the film offer about modern parenting?
Sarah Snook: It shows that modern parenting these days has the potential to be as diverse as we want it to be. As long as it’s a safe home that offers love, then who’s to say it’s wrong.
RESCU: If you were in Stevie’s situation, would you consider having a friend’s baby?
Sarah Snook: (Laughs.) They would need to be a very good friend.
RESCU: Was the nudity a challenge for your first film?
Sarah Snook: It was very challenging on a personal level for a first film, but the filming was not done without due care from the cast and crew.
The awkwardness of the scenes when shooting was quite true—we were able to use that in the scenes. The characters had been friends for a long time and shifting the relationship to an intimate one would be awkward. If the scenes hadn’t had the integrity they have, they wouldn’t have been believable.
RESCU: Why do you think the cancer storyline was important?
Sarah Snook: The cancer lends immediacy and a weight to the film that would otherwise be considered to be light. From the moment of his diagnosis his life is going to be different. It makes his actions make sense.
RESCU: You’ve been compared to Cate Blanchett and Emma Stone. Is that difficult for a young actress breaking into films?
Sarah Snook: Yeah it is in a way. If I could be lucky enough to have a career as successful as either of those two, it would be a blessing and a gift. But it is something to strive for.
RESCU: How have you found the experience of making your first feature?
Sarah Snook: It’s been pretty challenging and exciting and new, but it’s been a good challenge.
RESCU: What was it like working with Ryan Kwanten?
Sarah Snook: Ryan is such a polite and gentlemanly person, and he really commits his time to you. As an actor, you really appreciate working with people like that.
Directed by: Peter Templeman
Starring: Ryan Kwanten, Sarah Snook
Rating: MA15+
Runtime: 96min
Release Date: 12 July
Reviewer rating: 3.5/5
