Cinema Scholars interviews Petunia writer/director Alec C. Cohen and star Charlie McDermott at the Austin Film Festival. The film celebrated its world premiere at the festival, where it is in the Narrative Feature Competition. Petunia stars Charlie McDermott, Vanessa Marano, and John Ross Bowie.
Introduction
As a Gen X girlie, I remember animal-centric entertainment dominating my childhood. Films like The Cat from Outer Space, Flipper, and Benji come to mind immediately. Darker King-creature fare like Cujo, Cat’s Eye, and Pet Sematary also loom large in my childhood memories. Yet none left a mark more indelible than the tragic pet stories Where the Red Fern Grows and Old Yeller.
Though slightly shocking kid’s fare in retrospect, these stories taught an entire generation about life’s challenges and the pain of loss. In Alec C. Cohen’s Petunia, I found myself revisiting these complex themes as an adult. While we gladly accept our fur babies, for better or worse, such a special relationship with an animal can crystallize what really matters in life, even as grown-ups.
Synopsis
Alex (Charlie McDermott) is an aspiring photographer who makes ends meet by working in his uncle’s LA gallery. He shares an apartment with his workaholic girlfriend, Lily (Vanessa Marano), and hones his craft whenever he can. When Lily surprises Alex with Petunia, a male rescue cat, he reluctantly accepts the adorable feline gift, albeit with reservations.
But when Petunia suffers health issues just as Alex and Lily face professional challenges, their mutual love for their cat helps them realize what they really want in life.
Discussion
Petunia is a low-budget gem that shines in its blend of situational comedy and strife. Cohen takes his time setting up more than one emotional trigger. Strained relationships, professional impasses, unavailable parents, and unexpected pet-related challenges set the stage for a circus of subtle dynamics. With so many plates spinning, Cohen’s deft handling of each character culminates in a lovely, meaningful lesson.
As the story unfolds and the characters’ backgrounds take shape, the film takes its time finding its footing. By the time the central conflict comes to a head, however, the groundwork has been carefully laid, allowing viewers to understand the characters’ complex, sometimes maddening decisions. While this approach might seem obvious, many indie filmmakers fail to take the time to develop adequate character motivation, making it difficult for audiences to empathize with their characters.
Performances
A strong performance from McDermott as the protagonist helps bring the film’s various elements together. His character’s generally amiable demeanor is punctuated by ripples of underlying unrest as McDermott expertly navigates a series of emotional trials. When push comes to shove, McDermott’s dramatic depth is on full devastating display.
Though the story doesn’t allow Marano to truly shine until the end, the talented actress handles her character’s initially insufferable antics like a pro. And when Lily is finally allowed to show more than one side of herself, Marano’s performance becomes painfully and believably relatable.
Further Discussion
Beyond its inherently serious themes, Petunia features plenty of other engaging elements. These include a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at an art gallery (complete with a darkroom—what is that?!), the navigation of tricky relationship dynamics at work and at home, and commentary on the hellscape of private equity-owned veterinary care.
As for its shortcomings, the eleventh-hour job drama involving Lily feels shoehorned in near the end. At least this last-minute conflict gives her character more dimension, even if the introduction of a new character and fresh turmoil so late in the story feels strange. Like many indie films, Petunia also suffers from occasional pacing issues, along with some awkward narration at the end that doesn’t feel consistent with the rest of the film.
Conclusion
Despite these missteps, Petunia ultimately proves to be a lovely, relatable film. An unexpected emotional twist near the conclusion works so well that I almost wish it didn’t, given its heartbreaking depth. It also brilliantly reframes Alex’s entire ordeal, making his journey even more sympathetic. While the film isn’t perfect, Petunia sticks the landing with solid performances, strong central storytelling, and an emotional punch that will leave you with a renewed appreciation for your loved ones, especially the furry kind.
Interview
Cinema Scholars’ Rebecca Elliott had the opportunity to connect with Cohen and McDermott following Petunia’s World Premiere at this year’s Austin Film Festival. They discuss the emotional impact pets have on our lives, developing intricate character dynamics, and working with a furry costar.
Rebecca Elliott:
So, are y’all having a good festival so far?
Charlie McDermott:
I am.
Alec C. Cohen:
Yeah, the screening went well last night.
Rebecca Elliott:
I’m so glad! As I was leaving to get here, I was, of course, loving on my dog before I left. She’s been licking a lot lately, so I was literally standing there with my flashlight, checking her skin, etc. So, pet stories are central in my brain right now. Do you have pets? I hope Petunia isn’t completely autobiographical, Alec, but what was your inspiration for the story? And if you have pets, how does that play into the dynamic of the story and your portrayal? I’ll let you start.
Charlie McDermott:
I don’t have any pets at the moment. I have had dogs in my life, though. Yeah, it’s weird. I don’t know if anyone’s asked me this question yet, but I don’t know how to describe it without sounding like I’m pushing back on the question. I wasn’t really thinking about the emotions of it or where it came from, honestly. Maybe it came from somewhere deep, but I wasn’t thinking about my own pets at all. It was really just about the cat in the movie.
Rebecca Elliott:
No, I mean, that’s what it’s supposed to be. You’re supposed to be Alex going through this with Petunia, not Charlie going through it with your animal. But still, it’s interesting how our experiences sometimes inform our creativity and the way we approach tough subjects. What about you, Alec?
Alec C. Cohen:
Yeah, it was autobiographical in the sense of being based on a true story. It was all derived from our experience, and it was really difficult. We were 22 years old, first-time pet owners who had just moved to L.A. My wife was like, “Let’s get a kitten,” and we thought it would be really easy. So I still have two cats. I actually grew up with dogs, but through our experiences with (the real) Petunia and our two cats, I’ve really become a cat person. But I love cats and dogs, and every time I’m back home seeing my dogs, it makes me super happy.
Rebecca Elliott:
Yeah, I love my dog. I have a kid, but even he knows she’s the baby. Okay, you wrote and directed this film. Was there anything on the page that didn’t make it into the final cut? I’m sure there’s so much to tell.
Alec C. Cohen:
The funniest thing is that, in real life, when all this was happening, I was working on the reality show The Bachelorette. Alex’s job was originally that he was a PA on The Bachelorette, and he also had a full-time job. That part was really autobiographical. The first draft was basically just, “Here’s what happened.” Then it got really confusing because it was like, “Wait, does he work on The Bachelorette, or does he have another job?” So I cut all the reality TV stuff. But I do really want to work on something related to reality TV because there’s a lot of fun to be had there. That was a big change. Once we had the locked screenplay, I don’t think we cut any complete scenes from the movie, but there were chunks of scenes that didn’t make it.
A fun anecdote is that, in real life, when we were at the vet, Petunia was next in line to be seen. Then a woman came in with a pug, and it was the most dramatic thing I’d ever seen. She was like, “He’s having a seizure!” It felt like an episode of ER. Oh my God! They rushed to help the pug. We actually shot that scene just as it happened in real life, but it felt so crazy in the finished movie that we ended up cutting it. It was basically the second half of a scene that’s still in the film. Sometimes I miss it, but again, this is my first feature film, and tone is so important. One scene can throw everything off and make the movie feel really uneven.
Rebecca Elliott:
That’s so true. Charlie, I usually compliment people on their chemistry with their co-stars, but you and Vanessa do a really great job with the opposite. It’s almost an anti-chemistry. You build this tension throughout the film. Can you talk about working with Vanessa? I know she’s not here to speak for herself, but did you have a conversation about how to maintain and build that gradual rift between your characters?
Charlie McDermott:
Yeah, we shot it so fast. We had one day of rehearsals, and they went pretty well, so I think both of us felt good going into it. Vanessa and I had known each other from about 20 years ago. We were both child actors, so there was a familiarity there. We weren’t necessarily still in touch, but we knew each other well enough that we didn’t have to jump that hurdle. Which is normally one of the biggest challenges. You’re meeting someone and wondering whether you’ll actually get along.
Rebecca Elliott:
Yeah, actual chemistry, not just on-screen chemistry!
Charlie McDermott:
Exactly. We worked really well together from the jump. Vanessa’s really great. She’s constantly aware of what’s going on, and that was really helpful for me. We shot pretty much all our scenes in the first week. We had a few gallery scenes left, but the bulk of our relationship in the film was shot over five days.
Rebecca Elliott:
Yeah, so you were really locked in together. Literally!
Charlie McDermott:
Literally. We were in one location. It’s an indie film, which I really love. On bigger productions, I guess it’s fun to have a big trailer to yourself. But honestly, it can be pretty isolating. On some productions, that’s good. If things aren’t going well, it’s nice to close the door and zone out for a while. But on an indie film, everyone’s smushed together. And that’s my favorite version because we never really stopped working on it. We’d do the scenes, talk to Alec, and then be up there discussing where we were going in the next scene. There was a lot of dialogue about the work.
It’s hard to remember specifics now. Last night at the Q&A, someone asked about a scene Vanessa and I worked on that changed quite dramatically. I couldn’t remember what it was until I got home that night.
I’ve done a bunch of indie films, and I’ve been on two that completely fell apart during production. I’ve been on some that went well and finished. And others that didn’t go well but still finished. This one was such a good experience. I think it was so strong because we had the ability to move within the confines of the script. We could make small tweaks, and sometimes those constraints or challenges bring out creativity in a different way. Yeah, and that’s a testament to Alec as well.
I don’t want to overstate the changes we made because they weren’t that serious. But we’d work on these tiny little things together. We’d hear a scene out loud and think, “Oh, this feels stronger.” Then we’d go back to another scene, and suddenly it didn’t feel like it worked as well. Having that flexibility was great. Vanessa and I just ran with it, and it was great to have a scene partner who was doing that, too. It was also great to have a production that was receptive and able to go with the flow and pivot a little in the middle of things.
Rebecca Elliott:
That’s so cool. On a bigger set, you don’t always have that luxury. You have to stay on the page and follow the schedule.
Charlie McDermott:
It’s funny because I’ve been on huge productions where you can play around, too. It comes and goes. I love when you get to experiment, but I’m trying not to think of an anecdote that would get anyone in trouble!
Rebecca Elliott:
It’s tricky. You don’t want to throw anyone under the bus. I understand and appreciate your perspective. I often ask performers what it’s like going from television to indie film, or from indie film to a big-budget production. Because I’m sure the dynamics can be completely different. But if you’re working with someone who has a vision and knows what’s going on, that makes a difference. Okay, I always have to ask the nuts-and-bolts questions, especially with animal movies. What was it like working with a cat? How many cats did you have? Tell me some cat stories from the set.
Alec C. Cohen:
Absolutely. Danny played our adult Petunia, and he was an absolute dream to work with. I think he has some of the craziest credits. His IMDb includes The Hunger Games and all sorts of other projects.
Rebecca Elliott:
He’s a pro!
Alec C. Cohen:
We got really lucky. I emailed hundreds of cat trainers in L.A. Literally hundreds of people. We explained what we were doing and what we could afford, and Cathy Pittman responded. She’s the best cat trainer. She likes working with different budgets and different people. And she’s very flexible. She was a dream to work with and told me up front that Danny could basically do three things. Eat, go after food, or sleep. He’ll stay still if he’s eating or if there’s food around. And for sleeping, you have to keep the set quiet, shut things down, and keep it warm.
I could reverse-engineer things around that. When I made a proof-of-concept short film for Petunia, I used my own cat, who wasn’t a trained cat actor. We were just hoping to get three seconds of him sitting still for the shot. So the contrast was huge. It was so nice to work with a professional cat actor. We were with Danny for three or four days. We also got to work with a kitten, and the kitten was amazing. Obviously, the kitten wasn’t trained, so basically all it could do was chill.
Everyone was amazing to work with. The Humane Society was wonderful and helped us keep everything safe and relaxed on set. There are rules, of course, but I thought it was a great experience. They say never put a kid or a pet in a movie, and I thought, “Let me break that rule!” But I had a good time.
Rebecca Elliott:
How was it for you?
Charlie McDermott:
I’d actually worked with the animal wranglers before. They worked on The Middle, so I was already familiar with them.
Rebecca Elliott:
Oh, that’s awesome! What a small world.
Charlie McDermott:
Yeah, the cat was great. For me, it was definitely hard because the scenes were so high-stakes. I’d never had to do that many high-stakes scenes so frequently, so that was already a challenge. Then, when you’re working with a cat, or any animal, there’s a lot of stopping and starting. You’re working around an animal that doesn’t speak English and doesn’t know what’s going on.
There were scenes where the emotions were really high, and we’d be halfway through one before having to pause. I’d think, “Whoa, I don’t know if I can pause right now!” Sometimes, once you start a scene, it runs its course, and you have to reset. That was a challenge, but it went great. The cat was great. I wasn’t cuddling the cat, though.
Rebecca Elliott:
Right, you weren’t hanging out with your costar off set.
Charlie McDermott:
Exactly. But the cats were great. One of my favorite bits was when I got to feed the cat and photograph it. That was fun. That scene was easy and enjoyable.
Rebecca Elliott:
Which perfectly leads me to my next question: Why photography? You mentioned the transition from reality television to photography. But Alex uses film photography in a digital world. My dad was an old-school dentist, so I grew up in a darkroom dipping X-rays and stuff. I’m also old enough to have had a darkroom in high school. So, I hate that people don’t have that experience as much anymore. Tell me about that decision to make photography part of the story. Did it make you a better photographer?
Alec C. Cohen:
He’s a better photographer than I am.
Rebecca Elliott:
Okay!
Alec C. Cohen:
I’m a hobbyist photographer, and I was trying to figure out what would work for the character. I think some movies pull off the idea of having a filmmaker within the movie. But sometimes it can come off as a little corny, with a movie inside the movie. So I asked myself what I knew well enough to write about competently without having to do a ton of research. I’ve always loved analog photography. I started shooting analog during COVID, although I was a digital photographer before that. I’ve always loved photography and what you can say with a single image. One image can communicate so much.
I’ve been fascinated by the medium, and working with analog photography made it feel even more precious to me. Each photograph requires you to pause and be intentional. I thought that would be a good thing to explore in the movie because Alex needs to figure out what he wants to say. I also thought it played into the A-plot really well. To be honest, I hadn’t originally thought too much about what kind of film he would shoot. During prep, my cinematographer, Matt Hood, asked what I thought about making him a black-and-white photographer.
At first, I rejected the idea. Then, at some point during prep, I rewatched Get Out. I love that the photographs in that movie are black and white. Obviously, there’s a different metaphor at work there, but it felt very right for our movie. So, I liked the idea that Alex is trying to figure out what to say, while the photographs themselves are black and white. I thought that was a really strong decision, so I give Matt Hood all the credit for that. I’ve always loved the process of taking pictures and renting the camera. Then I got really lucky because Charlie knew how to do it. At first, I thought, “Oh, man, I hope we can cast somebody we can train to do this.” But Charlie was like, “Oh, yeah, I know how to do it.”
Charlie McDermott:
Yeah, I love photography. So, I was really into film photography, and I pretty much only shoot on film now. I got my Ricoh [pulls camera out of shirt pocket] and I pretty much only use that these days.
Rebecca Elliott:
Okay, so you’re legit!
Charlie McDermott:
Yeah, I was legit. I was really into photography when I was younger, and I was doing digital photography, too. Then, during The Middle, there was a period, I think from seasons six through nine, when I was taking a lot of film photographs on set and posting them as the episodes aired. I loved doing that.
Rebecca Elliott:
That’s cool!
Charlie McDermott:
But I ended up with too many negatives. I was like, “I’ve got to stop, I can’t keep doing all these negatives!” I still have all my film cameras and still use them. But I’m a bit more selective now. I have one camera that I use for double exposures, and that’s kind of it at the moment.
Rebecca Elliott:
Do you have access to a darkroom, or do you send your film out somewhere?
Charlie McDermott:
I send it out. Yeah, I keep talking about setting up an at-home darkroom.
Alec C. Cohen:
We shot at a really amazing darkroom called the School of Light in downtown Los Angeles.
Rebecca Elliott:
I was wondering about that!
Alec C. Cohen:
It was such a dream to work with them. The guy there is amazing. He kept telling me, “Alec, come take a class,” because he does really cool experimental work. I’ve been meaning to make it out there, but shooting there was awesome. He had all the enlargers and different equipment available.
Rebecca Elliott:
Okay, this is kind of a general question. Why do you think animal or pet stories, in particular, are so poignant? Do they mirror or prepare us for loss or life’s challenges? Is it because animals are so sweet and innocent? Is it all of the above?
Alec C. Cohen:
One thing I keep coming back to is that pets are part of our lives, but we’re their whole lives. That’s really resonant. After I wrote the second or third draft of the screenplay, I subconsciously realized that the big theme for me was love. Conditional versus unconditional love. Pets love us unconditionally, and I think that’s what Alex so deeply craves. The feeling of being loved unconditionally. All his relationships with humans in the movie are very conditional. There are all these other things influencing those relationships. But all he really wants is for someone to say, “I love you.” Even though Petunia can’t say it, she expresses that love in her own way.
Charlie McDermott:
Yeah, that’s very well said.
Rebecca Elliott:
He nailed it!
Charlie McDermott:
I think it’s basically the same idea. We have such a unique relationship with these little creatures, and that relationship translates into other areas of our lives in really interesting ways. I don’t have a particularly profound answer.
Rebecca Elliott:
You don’t have a profound answer to my terrible question!
Charlie McDermott:
Well, for me, I’ve had three dogs, and you watch their entire lives. It’s impossible not to become incredibly attached to them. You’re taking care of them, and you get to watch an entire life unfold. You watch someone you love live and die.
Rebecca Elliott:
Okay, time for a sillier question to end on. Aside from Petunia, of course, do you have a favorite animal or pet movie that comes to mind? I grew up Gen X, so I’m thinking of Benji, The Cat from Outer Space, Where the Red Fern Grows, or Old Yeller. Do either of you have a favorite?
Alec C. Cohen:
I love Air Bud.
Rebecca Elliott:
Yes, totally!
Alec C. Cohen:
Air Bud is the best. I’d watch any dog-sports movie. It was the perfect intersection of my interests. So good! Growing up, I was always fascinated by how they got the dog to do those things. It felt like they never used CGI, although maybe the CGI was good, or maybe they just used a lot of tricks. Even when I was really young, I’d think, “How did they get the dog to hit the ball and then make it go into the hoop?” I thought it was crazy. I love those movies.
Rebecca Elliott:
Yeah, I haven’t watched one in a long time.
Charlie McDermott:
I was going to say Air Bud, too. That’s a good answer! Does Flipper count?
Alec C. Cohen:
Yes, it does!
Rebecca Elliott:
Of course it does. That sweet dolphin! There are so many once you start thinking about it. As soon as we leave, you’ll be like, “Oh, why didn’t I say that?”
Charlie McDermott:
I also like Up, with the dog.
Rebecca Elliott:
Squirrel! So good. And Kevin, the weird bird. Yeah, that’s a good one, too. Well, is there anything I didn’t ask that you wanted to talk about?
Alec C. Cohen:
I’ll plug our next screening if that’s okay?
Rebecca Elliott:
Yeah, please do!
Alec C. Cohen:
We’re at the Austin Film Festival, and we just had our world premiere last night. The film plays Monday night again at 6:40 p.m. at the Galaxy Theater.
Rebecca Elliott:
Any word on distribution?
Alec C. Cohen:
Not yet. We’re working on it, though. Feel free to check us out at petuniamovie.com. We’ll have more information about future screening dates. Hopefully, including more festivals and things like that. The Instagram account is @petuniathemovie, and I’m @AlecC.Cohen on Instagram. That’s the best place to find what I’m posting.
Rebecca Elliott:
Okay, great! Very cool.
Alec C. Cohen:
Charlie has a really good Substack, too.
Charlie McDermott:
Can I plug that?
Rebecca Elliott:
Oh, sure!
Charlie McDermott:
I’m begrudgingly back on social media. Literally two days ago, I was back on it.
Rebecca Elliott:
It’s a tool. You almost have to these days if you have anything to promote.
Charlie McDermott:
My name is my profile, Charlie McDermott. It’s the same everywhere. Which is now a marker of your age. It’s your name on something, and people are like, you must’ve been there early on.
Rebecca Elliott:
Ha! I didn’t even think about that. Well, thank you so much for taking time out of your festival schedule to come chat with me. I really appreciate it. Good luck with the film and the rest of the fest.
Alec C. Cohen:
Thank you so much!
Charlie McDermott:
Yeah, thanks for doing this.
As mentioned, Petunia will screen again at the Austin Film Festival on Monday, November 2. No word on distribution yet, so keep an eye out for this lovely gem at petuniamovie.com and @petuniathemovie on Instagram.
