Structurally, the quick movie, “The One and Solely Herb McGwyer Performs Wallis Island,” is remarkably just like the function model. It is solely 20 minutes lengthy, however lots of the story beats and even jokes and features of dialogue are precisely the identical, so it is a captivating factor to look at the story be expanded and see a brand new character (Carey Mulligan’s Nell) added to the narrative.
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I just lately sat down over Zoom with Tim Key and Tom Basden, who wrote and star in each variations of this story, and requested them in regards to the journey of bringing this mission to life all these years after the quick. Tom Basden defined how the story expanded within the intervening years:
“Once we made the quick, the script was most likely solely about 10 or 12 pages, after which the quick itself got here out extra like half an hour. I keep in mind Tim and I form of taking a look at one another and going, ‘Huh, if we simply did {that a} couple extra instances, we might most likely have a function movie’ […] It sowed the seeds for us, that like, ‘OK, we actually acquired one thing from these characters and actually acquired fairly a particular dynamic there with that quick, so we should always positively come again to that.’ After which, fairly cleverly [sarcastically], we did not come again to it for the perfect a part of about 15 years.
Then in 2020, throughout lockdown — however I suppose we had been form of speaking about it anyway — we revisited the notes that we might made after we completed the quick and had been desirous about it as a function, and we began writing the script and stumble on this concept of Herb having a former bandmate that he was in a relationship with that Charles additionally invitations to attempt to reunite, to attempt to do one thing that is only a bit extra manipulative than simply set up a gig. Immediately, the movie opened up for us, I feel. We instantly realized it was a chance not simply to inform a narrative of an artist and a fan who do not actually get on, however of misplaced love and nostalgia and eager for issues from the previous and shifting on. I feel as soon as we uncovered all of that, we had been actually excited by the size that we felt the movie may instantly have.”
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The result’s lovely and humorous and charming and candy and melancholy, all swirling collectively to make up one among my favourite films of 2025 up to now. You’ll be able to take heed to my full interview with Basden and Key on right this moment’s episode of the /Movie Each day podcast:
You’ll be able to subscribe to /Movie Each day on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and ship your suggestions, questions, feedback, considerations, and mailbag matters to us at bpearson@slashfilm.com. Please depart your identify and basic geographic location in case we point out your e-mail on the air.
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“The Ballad of Wallis Island” is at the moment in choose theaters and opens large on April 18, 2025.
Structurally, the quick movie, “The One and Solely Herb McGwyer Performs Wallis Island,” is remarkably just like the function model. It is solely 20 minutes lengthy, however lots of the story beats and even jokes and features of dialogue are precisely the identical, so it is a captivating factor to look at the story be expanded and see a brand new character (Carey Mulligan’s Nell) added to the narrative.
Commercial
I just lately sat down over Zoom with Tim Key and Tom Basden, who wrote and star in each variations of this story, and requested them in regards to the journey of bringing this mission to life all these years after the quick. Tom Basden defined how the story expanded within the intervening years:
“Once we made the quick, the script was most likely solely about 10 or 12 pages, after which the quick itself got here out extra like half an hour. I keep in mind Tim and I form of taking a look at one another and going, ‘Huh, if we simply did {that a} couple extra instances, we might most likely have a function movie’ […] It sowed the seeds for us, that like, ‘OK, we actually acquired one thing from these characters and actually acquired fairly a particular dynamic there with that quick, so we should always positively come again to that.’ After which, fairly cleverly [sarcastically], we did not come again to it for the perfect a part of about 15 years.
Then in 2020, throughout lockdown — however I suppose we had been form of speaking about it anyway — we revisited the notes that we might made after we completed the quick and had been desirous about it as a function, and we began writing the script and stumble on this concept of Herb having a former bandmate that he was in a relationship with that Charles additionally invitations to attempt to reunite, to attempt to do one thing that is only a bit extra manipulative than simply set up a gig. Immediately, the movie opened up for us, I feel. We instantly realized it was a chance not simply to inform a narrative of an artist and a fan who do not actually get on, however of misplaced love and nostalgia and eager for issues from the previous and shifting on. I feel as soon as we uncovered all of that, we had been actually excited by the size that we felt the movie may instantly have.”
Commercial
The result’s lovely and humorous and charming and candy and melancholy, all swirling collectively to make up one among my favourite films of 2025 up to now. You’ll be able to take heed to my full interview with Basden and Key on right this moment’s episode of the /Movie Each day podcast:
You’ll be able to subscribe to /Movie Each day on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and ship your suggestions, questions, feedback, considerations, and mailbag matters to us at bpearson@slashfilm.com. Please depart your identify and basic geographic location in case we point out your e-mail on the air.
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“The Ballad of Wallis Island” is at the moment in choose theaters and opens large on April 18, 2025.
