Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau discuss the relatability of Babes, as well as finding the perfect balance between the comedic and emotional beats.
BABES follows inseparable childhood best friends Eden (Ilana Glazer) and Dawn (Michelle Buteau). The two grew up together in New York City but are in different phases of adulthood. Dawn is married and having her second child at the start of the film, while Eden is single. Their friendship faces its greatest challenge when carefree and single Eden decides to have a baby on her own after a one-night stand,
We sat down with writer and star, Ilana Glazer, and co-star Michelle Buteau to talk about how relatable Babes is. They also reveal how they found the balance between the comedic and the emotional beats.
Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau Talk Babes
This movie made me both laugh and cry. Can you talk about finding the balance between the comedic and the emotional moments?
Ilana Glazer: Michelle and I have been doing comedy for literally decades, a combined over 50 years. It’s a lot of comedy. But I’ll tell you the emotional and the making the space for people to cry for myself, I crept in this movie, just because it feels good to let it out. I’m so proud of it.
Michelle, there is one scene where you are talking to your husband, and I felt it in my bones.
Michelle Buteau: Right, you’re just overwhelmed. You have a never ending to do list. You want to show up for your husband, you want to show up for yourself. You want to not be this tired person for your kids. And you don’t even know how to make time to rest. I think we have to give ourselves just more space and more license to say, I don’t know.
Ilana, being the writer of the movie as well, is there anything you didn’t want to cut, or did you let Babes find itself while filming?
Ilana Glazer: I would say one of my strengths as a creator is cutting stuff. I’m actually so embarrassed to be like, keep it. It’s so embarrassing. You know what I mean? Also, we shot this movie in 25 busines days. We had Michelle for 15 days. I had two weeks of crazy stuff, like the Claude stuff, but then also just weird me in a bath, and me to shower. So also happy to cut. As it was, it was a really challenging shoot. New York City Film crews are warriors. It is like Mad Max badass. Whatever can make it more doable, I’m actually happy to do.
Was there a lot of improvising when filming Babes?
Ilana Glazer: Yeah, we’re such old friends. We’ve been friends for almost 20 years. It was so fun. It’s almost like we’re just chatting between takes and saying funny things, like, “Ooh, save it for the stage, sweetheart.”
Michelle Buteau: Yeah. And also that’s the sweet spot about a comedy, right? Josh and Ilana, work so hard, and knew exactly what they wanted to get, and so when we went in with those crazy 25 business days, it’s like you get what you need, how it’s written, and then you play a little bit. That’s the real fun part about it. Playing. I feel like you really learn how to play when you know your voice and you have something to say. It’s like, why not? Just try.
Babes hits theaters on May 17th.
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About Babes
BABES follows inseparable childhood best friends Eden (Ilana Glazer) and Dawn (Michelle Buteau), having grown up together in NYC, now firmly in different phases of adulthood. When carefree and single Eden decides to have a baby on her own after a one-night stand, their friendship faces its greatest challenge.
BABES delves into the complexities of female friendship with a blend of laughter, tears, and labor pains. From co-writers Ilana Glazer and Josh Rabinowitz and directed by Pamela Adlon, BABES is a hilarious and heartfelt comedy about the bonds of friendship and the messy, unpredictable challenges of adulthood and becoming a parent.
Babes hits theaters on May 17th.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.