Isabelle Fuhrman & Lauren Hadaway On The New Film “The Novice,” Rowing, Future Projects For Both Of Them & More
The Novice — due out on December 17, 2021 to theaters and via digital outlets, thanks to IFC Films — marks the directorial debut of writer/director Lauren Hadaway. The film was inspired by Hadaway’s own experience rowing competitively in college. The film stars Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan), Amy Forsyth (Beautiful Boy) and Dilone (Halston), and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2021, where it won multiple awards including “Best U.S. Narrative,” “Best Actress” and “Best Cinematography.” Per Kate Erbland of IndieWire, The Novice is “Lauren Hadaway’s tense, often electrifying feature debut.”
In the film, Isabelle Fuhrman plays Alex Dall, a queer college freshman who joins her university’s rowing team and undertakes an obsessive physical and psychological journey to make it to the top varsity boat, no matter the cost. Intent on outperforming her teammates, she pushes herself beyond her limits, alienating everyone around her in the name of success. Furhman’s fierce lead performance collides with Lauren Hadaway’s bold direction and dynamic editing, creating a visceral window into a cutthroat world. Stylish cinematography and a seductive soundtrack complete the experience, evoking the romance and danger of falling in love; the attraction, the drama and the fallout related to such.
Writer/director Lauren Hadaway also has a background in sound editing and mixing. Born and raised in a small town formerly known as Possum Trot, Texas — the local video store carried little more than major blockbuster movies — she developed a love of artsy films by reading about them in the newspaper and tacking clippings to her bedroom walls. She graduated summa cum laude with a double major in business and film from Southern Methodist University, before building a career as dialogue and ADR supervisor for major film projects, including work on Justice League, The Hateful Eight and Whiplash. Hadaway also happens to be a 2018 Outfest Screenwriting Lab Fellow.
On December 8, 2021, I had the pleasure of speaking with both Isabelle Fuhrman and Lauren Hadaway via Zoom, as embedded below. Beyond The Novice, we spoke about rowing, pre-production on the film, and future projects for both the film’s lead actress and its writer/director. More on Fuhrman, Hadaway and The Novice can be found by clicking here, here, here and here.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal.Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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