“Everyone was really blown away,” says Meyers-Shyer of the performance. “I knew that first take was going to be in the movie. She came out guns blazing.”
Just as Goodrich is finding his footing as a father to both generations of his children, his gallery is shuttering, and his marriage is ending. “When you think about the movie, nothing is going this guy’s way,” Meyers-Shyer says. “I wanted the larger theme of the movie to be that he has everything that he really needs in his life. He just doesn’t know where to look for it.” As the film unfolds, Goodrich gradually enters a new season of life, one where it’s finally possible to root for him. “That’s another really great thing about having an actor like Michael who the audience has a history with,” Meyers-Shyer says. “When you see him cry in the movie, it kills you because you’re kind of used to seeing Michael Keaton be super cool all the time.”
Though Meyers-Shyer started writing the film in 2018, it took her nearly six years to get Goodrich made. She understands that’s the nature of the business these days, especially when none of her characters are existing IP who wear costumes or fly. They shot Goodrich in just 25 days on location in Los Angeles. “One of the nice things about independent filmmaking is they’re so personal,” she says. “Sometimes when you make studio movies, they go through a lot of voices and channels and decisions, and they don’t often trust filmmakers like me who only have one film under my belt. Sometimes they do, and that’s really special. But one of the great things about making independent films is this is really the movie I set out to make.”
