Amy Landecker didn’t set out to direct a feature—but once ‘For Worse’ took shape, stepping behind the camera became unavoidable.
“I just thought there’s a movie in here,” Landecker said. “I just immediately had this idea of an older woman going to a wedding and chaos ensuing.”
In this interview, Landecker discusses the long journey of bringing ‘For Worse’ to life, inspired by her own post-divorce experience attending a chaotic wedding. She reflects on shaping the film as a classic, feel-good romantic comedy while navigating the realities of indie filmmaking, including limited budget, a rushed 11-day shoot, and grassroots promotion. Landecker also explains how her acting background informed her collaborative, actor-friendly directing style, embracing moments of improvisation and creative freedom on set. Initially hesitant to direct, she ultimately found the experience empowering and creatively fulfilling, and now hopes audiences take away a sense of optimism—that even life’s toughest transitions can be met with humor and lead to something meaningful on the other side.
In ‘For Worse,’ a recently divorced mother brings a much younger companion to a wedding, expecting nothing more than a carefree, nostalgic escape. But what begins as a playful weekend soon deepens when she forms an unexpected bond with another guest who’s navigating life after divorce.
Written and directed by Landecker, the actress leads the cast alongside Bradley Whitford, Nico Hiraga, Missi Pyle, Gaby Hoffmann, Kiersey Clemons, Ken Marino, Claudia Sulewski, Simon Helberg, and Liv Hewson.
Brainstorm Media released ‘For Worse’ in theaters beginning on February 27.
Awards Focus: It’s so nice to see you again. How are you doing?
Amy Landecker: I’m good. This is a very exciting thing happening right now, being in the Music Box. I was here with ‘I Love My Dad,’ and I was fantasizing about being able to show a movie here. The fact that I’m here tonight and we’re doing it is really cool. The fact that it’s being released in theaters tomorrow is mind-boggling.
I’m a bit zonked because we have no budget for advertising. So basically, we’re just trying to get the word out, which means I’m pretty much always on my phone or trying to talk to people or trying to encourage people to go to the theater and support independent films.
AF: Which is also a downside of fractured social media these days.
Amy Landecker: Yes, absolutely.
AF: What was the genesis behind ‘For Worse?’
Amy Landecker: I got divorced a while back, and the first wedding that I went to after my divorce was a young person’s wedding. I was twice as old as everybody else in the wedding party. I was not feeling great. I was having a hard night. Instead of just going to bed, I thought the answer was stay up until 4:00 in the morning and make out with strangers and dance on tables. I mean, it didn’t quite get that bad—I’m joking—but I did stay up way too late and ended up having another friend of the bride’s vomit all over me outside a bar. It was that kind of wedding. I just thought there’s a movie in here. I just immediately had this idea of an older woman going to a wedding and chaos ensuing.
It took me a decade to actually write it and get it made. I realized that I wanted to push the rom-com trope structure through that experience. I love wedding movies, I love classic rom-coms. I was trying to write a very classic—some of the tropes in there are very traditional and it’s meant to make you laugh, make you feel good, maybe cry a little, but always with a happy ending.
AF: As you were writing the script, did you have Bradley in mind for one of the parts?
Amy Landecker: Absolutely. Bradley’s the father of the bride. I actually did a short about this idea years ago that was much darker, more indie vibe, and Bradley was in that. I was like, no, I want to do something bright and happy. But I postponed production almost a year at least. We had a little window to make it and I was told if I didn’t make it, then I could lose all the money.
But I didn’t have Bradley because he was doing ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ so I took the risk and I lost all the money. But it turned out great because we ended up making it for less money and I had more creative control. He was worth it. I wouldn’t have done this without him.
AF: You’ve directed shorts and TV series in the past. At what point did you decide you wanted to direct a feature film?
Amy Landecker: I don’t know if I wanted to direct a feature film. I wrote this film and I knew I wanted to be in it because I felt the business might never give me a part like that: the lead of a movie that I liked, that I wanted to play.
I was actually asking other people if they wanted to direct it and they were all saying to me, you need to direct it. I was like, oh G-d, no, I can’t do all the things. But you know what was funny is I thought about James Morosini, I thought about Cooper Raiff. I’d been in both of their films that went to SXSW. I played their mom. They wrote, directed, and starred in their movies. I was like, there is no reason you are not capable of this other than you’re just afraid to do it. So let’s do it. I went in with all the fear and it actually was the easiest part of the whole thing: directing and acting at the same time. I loved it.
I’m so glad I had the directing control that I had. But I almost didn’t want. I mean, it was really like, I wouldn’t even say if I ever wanted to. I just kind of ended up doing it. But I’m happy I did. Now I want to do more.
AF: How did your own acting background influence your direction of the film?
Amy Landecker: I think actors make great directors because they know how to talk to actors. I think what most people don’t realize is no matter how famous you are, how successful you are, all actors are insecure and neurotic and need affirmation and attention. I know Bradley calls it feeding the seals. You want a seal to do a trick, you got to give a fish. You don’t starve the fish. You say you support their craft, you support their talent, you praise their talent. Obviously, you think they’re good or you wouldn’t have put them in your movie. So be encouraging, let them play, particularly if you’re doing comedy.
If you have a Ken Marino in your movie, let Ken Marino say whatever the hell he wants. (Laughs) You don’t constrict it. You let it expand. That’s how I like to work. That’s how we worked on ‘Transparent,’ which was the longest job I ever had that was slightly comedic in tone. I had the time of my life because we were all given permission to be creative and collaborative. I wanted it to be like that and I think I pulled it off.
AF: With a film of this budget, and I imagine only so much time to complete production, how much room was there for improv?
Amy Landecker: There was. Not like you get a whole take necessarily. But within a take, if you wanted to play. We had 11 days to shoot this movie. That’s probably the fastest shoot of any movie that I’ve ever been a part of or ever will be a part of. I knew all the people very, very well.
My first day was with Gaby Hoffman, who I’d worked with for years, and she immediately was just comfortable. We have kind of a shorthand, right? When you have that, you can give them some room. It’s not an improv movie, but there are definitely some wonderful moments that came out of the actors giving me a line in between lines.
There’s a famous one for us that’s Ken Marino. He says, “I’ve heard about your hot to trot status. They were right about the hot. Now I’m curious about the twat trot.” He accidentally says twat. I did not write twat. Ken wrote twat. I burst out laughing, almost ruined the entire take. Luckily, we had two cameras going, so we could leave me off, and we kept it. That’s the kind of thing that I take from him and steal it.
AF: What would you say is the biggest thing you’ve learned from directors throughout year career that you had in mind while directing the film?
Amy Landecker: I think it’s a lot of what I learned was what not to do. I’ve had directors say to me, I just didn’t believe you. Or they hem and haw, and they’re clearly unhappy with what you did, but they don’t know what to tell you. I think because we didn’t have a lot of time, the one part of this film that I wish—I had Beck Baylor, who was my DP, and I also had this incredible music editor, Jason Gallagher, who took the little bit amount of footage that I had that because we didn’t have a lot of coverage, really created magic out of very little.
Next time I would love to have more money, more time, and then really get to implement. I will say one thing I also learned though is Olivia Wilde and ‘Booksmart’ had a great soundtrack and I did spend most of the money that we had on getting music that I wanted. Because I feel like, especially in a rom-com, you want to hear some great tunes. I feel like we have some great tunes.
AF: What do you hope people take away from watching ‘For Worse?’
Amy Landecker: That even from life’s hardest challenges, you can have a sense of humor and you can get through it and it’s all gonna be okay on the other side.