Interview: Mia Sara Returns to the Screen in Mike Flanagan’s ‘The Life of Chuck’ [VIDEO]
Mia Sara may forever be known to a generation of film lovers as Sloane Peterson from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), but in Mike Flanagan’s latest film, The Life of Chuck, she takes on a very different role—playing a warm, whimsical grandmother to the title character, Chuck Krantz.
At a recent press day, I spoke with Sara about her experience returning to the screen for this deeply emotional and unconventional story, which is told in reverse and based on a novella from Stephen King’s If It Bleeds.
In a film centered on memory, time, and life’s quiet moments, Sara reflected on something that would surprise her younger self. “Which was not something that I thought a lot about in Brooklyn,” she said, referring to the fact that she was doing the interview from the English countryside.
When asked what chapter of someone’s life she’d want to play, Sara didn’t hesitate. “It’s funny when you look back on your life, it doesn’t really feel linear, does it?”
She also reminisced about her very first film, Ridley Scott’s Legend (1985), in which she starred opposite Tom Cruise and performed several dance-heavy scenes. “So it was wonderful to get to work with Mandy Moore, who is such an extraordinary choreographer, so that was pretty thrilling, and I do love to dance,” she said. Moore, best known for her Emmy-winning choreography on So You Think You Can Dance and La La Land, choreographed the film’s much-talked-about dance sequence.
Returning to acting after a long hiatus wasn’t without its challenges. “I was really scared because I have not worked in so long and I just didn’t want to let Mike down,” she shared. One of her most cherished moments on set came from Flanagan himself. “I know you’re not happy with this but you’re going to have to trust me, I got what I need,” she said Flanagan would say. “Okay, I’m going to trust you,” she recalled telling Flanagan on set.
With The Life of Chuck, Flanagan not only reunites with many of his frequent collaborators but also welcomes new voices like Sara back to the screen—proving that every chapter, no matter where it falls in the story, can still shine.
NEON will release The Life of Chuck in theaters on June 6.
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