Jane Anderson

Scriptwriting for The Wife in Los Angeles

Jane is the author of the script The Wife. When I got into the process of making this film, there already existed 10 script versions. I immediately saw that the character Joe Castleman was written in such a way that you preferred him to expire on page 3. Such a part would not attract any talented actor to the film. In addition, there was an incredibly annoying voice-over throughout the film. This was a result of the previously involved directors' adaptations.

The collaboration with Jane was incredibly invigorating and inspiring. We came up with three more versions until we nailed it and had a viable shooting script. Towards the end it was all about shortening the script, partly in terms of reducing the costs.

Today, I regret that we left out one sequence: the one where we follow where Joan Castleman hails from, from which social class and background. When The Wife premiered, Glenn Close remarked that it took 14 years for this film to be completed, typical of the opposition to a film of this kind. But the truth is rather that from when I got on board the project, it took only 2 years before we commenced filming.

In the end, it was the producer Claudia Bluemhuber and the company Silver Reel that, together with Embankment Films in London, succeeded to arrange the necessary financing. After our acclaimed premiere in Toronto, Jane came up to me at our great banquet and gave me a long kiss on the mouth. I took this as proof of a cooperation well-accomplished.