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Erika Christensen and Penelope Ann Miller join Kyle Meredith to talk about their new film After All, a quiet indie that digs deep into family trauma and the ways love survives. Out on digital and VOD on November 7th (pre-order on Apple TV+), the story follows three generations of women forced back together under one roof in small-town Texas, where old wounds and long-buried secrets bubble up. Christensen not only stars but also executive produces the film, saying she was drawn to the material for its grounded truth and refusal to rush. “Movies like this — small, human stories — can still find a place,” she tells Meredith. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts.
Christensen, who plays Ellen, says she felt an instant connection to the flawed, messy character. “She’s been living like she’s still 21, and life finally forces her to grow up,” she explains. “She knows she’s a mess, but she’s like, ‘This is who I am, take it or leave it.’ That’s interesting to me.”
Miller, who portrays Ellen’s mother suffering from dementia, says the film’s emotional depth came from its roots in reality: “It’s loosely based on the writer’s own family, and that authenticity is in every scene. I didn’t want to play a caricature; I wanted her to feel like someone you know.” She laughs about shooting in “a beautiful but brutally hot” Austin house with no central air, adding, “The discomfort kind of worked — it matched the tension of the story.”
Both actresses praise the film’s patience and quiet power, especially in an age of constant noise. “There’s so much drama in silence,” Miller says. “Movies used to let you breathe, and this one does that. You’re right there in it.” Christensen agrees, adding that stories about people “doing their best and facing what they never expected” will always have a place in cinema.
Listen to Erika Christensen and Penelope Ann Miller talk about After All, and more in the new episode above or by watching the video below.
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