"Tell the truth! But not all of it..." Such is the sage advice actress Zoey Deutch gives her mother, Lea Thompson, when ET has the women -- with Thompson's other daughter, Madelyn -- interview each other about The Year of Spectacular Men, a dramedy in which Madelyn plays Izzy, newly single and suffering from so-called millennial-itis, with Zoey co-starring as her sister and Lea as their mom. The rom-com, out this Friday, came about because of the same spectacular women: Madelyn also wrote the script and Lea directed, marking her feature debut. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity," Lea tells her daughters. "After -- whatever -- 40 years in the arts, to get the first chance to create something from scratch is really a profound experience. It really changes my whole perspective of myself. I feel like I haven't taken myself as seriously as I should have for my career. I'm proud of you guys and the way you take yourself so seriously. You know, we joke a lot but you guys have really taught me a lot." "Madelyn," Thompson began at another point in the interview. "You wrote a role for me as your mother and you wrote a role for M-- Zoey." "My name is Zoey! I came out of you! You held me for so long in your stomach. You know my name," Zoey exclaimed. "And honestly if you call me Mabel one more time-- Like, it's so messed up. I'm not my dog!" Read on for an expanded version of the Q&A as the women talk Jaws 3D, dating Dennis Quad (before Thompson went on to marry director Howard Deutch), lying on resumes and streaking -- and find out what made Zoey scream, "Cut! Cut! Nobody needs to know!" Lea Thompson: What was it like having your mom direct you? You've both worked in a lot of different things -- Maddie, you've done a lot of movies, you've done a series. Zoey, you've done so many beautiful movies and worked with so many great directors. So, how did I fit in? Zoey: As a human being, I don't think people like when their mother is right all the time. You want to be able to say to your mother, "You don't understand what I'm going through! You don't understand me!" And it was difficult, because you were always right and you did understand me. Because you do understand what it's like to be a young actor and you do understand what it's like to be in the position we were in. So, I think it mostly was just challenging because I wanted to scream at you, but I couldn't. Once I got over that, we were chill. Madelyn: But also you understood the material so well. Who else was going to understand the script as well as you did? So, if you challenged me -- which you did. I mean, I did more rewrites on this than I think is legal in the Writers Guild -- but when you challenged me on stuff, I knew it wasn't, like, an ego thing. It wasn't a power thing. It was because you genuinely understood the story. Zoey: Nothing mom does is out of ego or power. Madelyn: There's a lot of dialogue in the movie that is about female friendships and sticking together. Like, "bitches need bitches," that line. Do you feel stuff like that comes up for us in everyday life? Do you feel like we try to like be each other's hype men? Lea: Absolutely. That's what I love about this movie. I love that we all lifted each other up, we gave each other jobs no one else would give us, and one thing I really learned about female empowerment is that it's harder for women to take partners, it's harder for women to accept help sometimes, and so what we did was we took each other as partners and you guys really inspired me. I never had the confidence to make my own film, you know. And-- I'm getting verklempt. But you guys gave me the confidence. Zoey: [Imitating Lea's pose.] What is this? Madelyn: Be nice! She's crying. Zoey: I know. I'm so sorry. I got scared, but I think it's beautiful. Madelyn: Cover your face. Go away. Lea: I think that, yes, that bitches need bitches, for sure. And you guys were awesome. I'm really proud of the fact that we stood together and we went through some really hard times. It was a lot of physical labor and a lot of mental gymnastics that we had to go through to make this movie and get it all done. Madelyn: Mental Gymnastics is the title of my autobiography. A hundred percent. Lea: And you guys were really there for me, so thank you. Madelyn: We like you a lot. You're a mom. You've been our mom. You continue to be our mom. Zoey: Lea, now that I have you here, I have a question for you. What is the worst luck that you've ever had with a guy before dad? Lea: Wow. I don't know. Zoey: Yes, you do! Tell us the truth. Lea: I think the guy just before Howie, mister Dennis Quaid, was a little more difficult of a dude than your dad. Madelyn: Naming names! Lea: That made me really appreciate your father in a lot of ways. Madelyn: Savage Zoey: Savage. I feel like an investigative journalist who got real dirt and I don't know how to handle it! I'm just used to actors saying safe answers and I'm so grateful that you finally opened up to me and I'm honored that you feel safe in this vulnerable setting. So, thank you, Lea. It's safe with me. No one will ever know! Lea: I just said he was difficult! He was an actor. We were young. Your dad was just a much more stable dude. Zoey: I love it! Lea: It's my turn to ask a question! Zoey: Yes, ask us a question. I'm ready. I want to tell you something I shouldn't. Lea: So, you wrote a role for me as your mother and you wrote a role for Zoey. Why is your dad, Howie, dead in the movie? Why is the dad dead? Zoey: Jesus. But answer the question! It's a funny answer, I think. Madelyn: First off, the movie isn't directly autobiographical. I, on purpose, wrote a part for you and Zoey that were parts you weren't getting offered at the time. Zoey was not getting offered more comedic roles and I was like, She's the funniest person on the planet of Earth, how come? So, that's why I wrote a more comedic part for her. And for you, I feel like you've been in this business so long, people see you a specific way, which is lovely. They see you as more all-American -- I know that phrase is so trite -- they see you as a great mom and an amazing person and you are all those things too, but you're also a brilliant actress and so I thought, Can we do something else? For some reason, when it came to the dad, I always thought of our real dad and he's such a character, I didn't feel like I'd know how to write him. I really feel like my magnum opus will be the day I figure out how to write my dad. I want to ask you this because you don't tell us anything in real life, but it is on the card and I want to know: You've got a scene where you dance on the bar. I do a lot of crazy stuff in the movie. Zoey does some fun stuff in the movie. What's your most vivid memory of being wild during your younger days? Zoey: Be careful. Lea: Now that you know I'll say anything? Zoey: Yeah. Tell the truth, but not all of it Madelyn: I set her up to really give us the juice Lea: Well, there was a whole streaking time, you know, in the '70s. Zoey: Mommm! What? Cut! Cut! That is it. Nobody needs to know that! Thank you so much for being here with us at ET. We had a wonderful time. It's done. Over! Madelyn: I want to know about the streaking! Lea: I streaked across the entire Mississippi River once. Zoey: Mama! Wait, across the river? You can walk on water? Lea: No, there is a bridge! Zoey: Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I am learning a lot about you. Lea: You were not even a gleam in your father's eye. It was very freeing. Madelyn: Do you want to ask mom a question? Zoey: I think I am good. I am good here. But you? Lea: What is the first film or TV thing you remember of mine or your dad's? Zoey: I think I was quite slow in terms of my brain growing, because I remember so vividly, like, telling someone to turn off the TV during the morning news because it was stressing me out and I was like, "They need a break! They have been talking in there for so long, so let them have a snack or something." I thought they little humans lived in my TV and were performing for me whenever I wanted. So, I clearly didn't understand what you did until-- Actually, you were working on this lot right? Lea: Caroline in the City. Five years. Yeah, you were born right before I started Caroline in the City. Zoey: And you would breastfeed in between live tapings or something. Lea: Yeah, during network notes. It was very controversial at the time. Madelyn: OG feminist! I remember vividly dad doing Grumpier Old Men, because we were in Minnesota and we were in this, like, cookie-cutter gingerbread house. I remember they put us up in the house and dad's assistant got us Barbie dolls and I was like, I'll be hanging out on the Grumpier Old Men set for a while. But I remember that, I remember Caroline in the City. I remember you always treating us with a lot of accountability and dignity as children. Like, you would put us in video village and give us cans and be like shhh when they started rolling. I think that is really good for kids, because it gives them a sense that they can handle themselves in an adult environment or in a professional environment, which I appreciated. Zoey: I have one more question. I just wanted to ask you who is your favorite child? Lea: [Laughs] Zoey: Come one, there's an answer. Lea: There really isn't an answer. You're both so different and you're both so amazing and at different times, I have to say. I love one of you more for maybe a week and then the other one for a week. It trades off but maybe it adds up. RELATED CONTENT: A Convo About Pickles and Sex With Lea Thompson and Madelyn Deutch (Exclusive) Ava DuVernay, Lea Thompson and More Women Who Are Changing the Tide in Television Summer Film Preview: 27 of the Most Anticipated Movies of the Season!<doc-sep>She was an Eighties queen of the silver screen who starred in films such as Back To The Future and Some Kind Of Wonderful. But Lea Thompson found herself on the other side of the camera when she signed on to direct The Year Of Spectacular Men starring her daughters Madelyn and Zoey Deutch, 27 and 23, respectively, who look more like her sisters than her children. The 57-year-old actress-director joined her two children on the Today show to discuss their collaborative effort. Later they hit Sirius XM. Scroll down for video Family affair: Lea Thompson found herself on the other side of the camera when she signed on to direct The Year of Spectacular Men starring her daughters Madelyn and Zoey Deutch, 27 and 23 respectively Lea was dressed in a black skirt that fell to her knees and showed off her slender calves. Her top was covered in bursts of various colors and she added a pair of dark, open-toe heels that gave her a couple more inches. Black framed glasses lent to the ensemble's sophisticated air, and the proud mother-of-two couldn't stop smiling as she entered the studio ready to discuss her directorial debut. Proud mama: The 57-year-old actress-director joined her two children on The Today Show to discuss their collaborative effort Slender: Lea was dressed in a black skirt that fell to her knees and showed off her slender calves Zoey glowed underneath the flashbulbs as she entered the studio donning a frothy lavender dress that fell to just above her knees. A thin belt wrapped itself around the Before I Fall star's waist, helping to showcase her slender physique. Adding a couple inches with pretty black heels, she pulled her brown tresses into an elegant bun. Her rosy cheeks blushed as she couldn't stop herself from grinning with excitement about the film, which she also co-produced. Glowing: Zoey glowed underneath the flashbulbs as she entered the studio donning a frothy lavender dress that fell to just above her knees Blossoming: A thin belt wrapped itself around the Before I Fall star's waist, helping to showcase her slender physique Adding a couple inches with pretty black heels, she pulled her brown tresses into an elegant bun Sister, sister: Madelyn wore a blue, shin-length dress with splashes of orange that was fitted around her torso, helping to show off her lithe frame Madelyn wore a blue, shin-length dress with splashes of orange that was fitted around her torso, helping to show off her lithe frame. She added a pair bright brown heels and her long blonde locks cascaded down her shoulders and onto her chest. The older sister looked like she couldn't wait to talk about the film, which she stars in and also wrote. Pen in hand: The older sister looked like she couldn't wait to talk about the film, which she stars in and also wrote 'My greatest accomplishment are these two,' said Lea as she sat next to her daughters on the couch. 'And my second greatest accomplishment is getting them together and making this movie What to do: 'I got out of college and I was just the typical millennial. I had post college pre-real life millennial-itis,' said Madelyn when asked about how she came to the ideas behind the film 'My greatest accomplishment are these two,' said Lea as she sat next to her daughters on the couch. 'And my second greatest accomplishment is getting them together and making this movie. 'I got out of college and I was just the typical millennial. I had post college pre-real life millennial-itis,' said Madelyn when asked about how she came to the ideas behind the film. She then jested, 'it's actually a real disease.' Family affair: Lea, Madelyn and Zoey later held hands at a screening of their movie by The Cinema Society in New York City Family resemblance: The actress and her daughters shared striking resemblances Family affair: Howard Deutch, 67, caught up with his wife and daughters at the screening Acting sisters: Madelyn and Zoey followed their mother into acting 'The audition process was very grueling, it took me 23 years to get this part,' joked Zoey. The Year of Spectacular Men is about 'a recent college graduate returns to her family for support,' explained host Carson Daly at the beginning of the interview. The film initially debuted at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June of 2017, and is now set to hit theaters nationwide on June 15, 2018. It is a complete family affair as Lea's husband, Howard Deutch, who is also father to the two starlets, is also helping produce the movie. Spectacular: The film initially debuted at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June of 2017, and is now set to hit theaters nationwide on June 15, 2018 Posing: Her top was covered in bursts of various colors and she added a pair of red heels that gave her a couple more inches Her rosy cheeks blushed as she couldn't stop herself from grinning with excitement about the film, which she also co-produced<doc-sep>
The dramedy “The Year of Spectacular Men” is a family affair. The film, which opens Friday, was directed by actress Lea Thompson and written by her daughter Madelyn Deutch, who also wrote the music and costars in the film with her sister Zoey Deutch, who co-produced it along with their father, director Howard Deutch. So what’s it like to work on a labor of love with your family? We asked all three to write about the experience. For the record: The headline in an earlier version of this article misspelled the title of the movie “The Year of Spectacular Men” as “The Year of Spectacular Me.’ Lea Thompson, director: From its first breath as just a title, “The Year of Spectacular Men” has been a part of our family for over four years.When Madelyn let me read the first draft, I was blown away by her skill and honesty. I had never directed a feature and I was honored she trusted me enough to partner up. When it actually came together, I knew it was important to create a space for my young writer to tell her own story with her own words because in my ingenue days every one of my words was written by an older man. I envisioned it to be elegantly shot — the sets would be lush and tell their own stories. The “Spectacular Men” would each be distinctly wonderful, and we would shoot it as written, in four cities (New York, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco and L.A.) in all four seasons. All that for the same budget that “Dancing with the Stars” has for sequins. Thankfully, our producers at Parkside Pictures were amazing and so committed to the difficult scope of our project. And we had such a fantastic cast — Avan Jogia, Nicholas Braun, Jesse Bradford, Cameron Monaghan, Brandon T. Jackson, Zach Roerig — and crew, who somehow trusted us enough to sign on to such a unique collaboration between family members — the kind of thing that could end in tragedy, but luckily it was some kind of wonderful. The creation of this film has taught me so much about myself, my craft, and most importantly, the mysterious inner workings of my daughters’ minds. After working in the arts for over 40 years, it has been invigorating to not only learn new things but to get my chance to help create something new from scratch, and tell a fresh story using all that I have been given from the thousands of people I have worked with as a dancer, singer, actress and director.Making this film with my daughters, whom I deeply respect and admire, is a blessing come true. And also … #funfact: “Daughter” and “laughter” are just one letter apart. (L-R) Madelyn Deutch, Zoey Deutch, and director/actress Lea Thompson on the set of “The Year of Spectacular Men.” ( MarVista Entertainment ) Madelyn Deutch, writer, composer, costar: Making “The Year of Spectacular Men” felt like being a little kid again. Every room we went in told us female-fronted comedies were the riskiest investments. But the more we were told no, the scrappier we got, the harder we trudged. So you can imagine that by the time we sheer-willed our way onto set, it felt like we had tricked the establishment and gotten away with it. Here we were, with a female director and producer and writer and composer and ... it was a snow day. It was ditching school for the beach. Playing hooky sans consequences. A series of small miracles that deter you from your ordinary. The best damn sleep-away camp of your life — and you didn’t even get homesick. I remember crying when we wrapped shooting in San Francisco. I had just done one of my last scenes as “Izzy,” the film’s lead, and I had no idea how to say goodbye to her. She became that friend from camp I shared the same scrapes and inside jokes with, who was down to drink too much Captain and Coke, and braid tacky rainbow-colored lanyards. The friend who slept in the top bunk with me, even though she had her own. I didn’t want to climb down that ladder and go back to trying to be an adult. Still, I feel so much joy for what we accomplished. Completing a project like this is often a years long journey and I’m proud that our mission statement remains true: We made the movie we intended to make.