No one said it would be easy to get a film made starring two women, but screenwriter Phyllis Nagy never guessed it would take 20 years. Based on the landmark 1952 novel “The Price of Salt” by Patricia Highsmith (which sold over a million copies in its day), Nagy was first commissioned to write the adapted screenplay back in 1996.
From 1996 to 2013, a number of potential directors came and went on the project, and each one requested Nagy to write and rewrite the parts of the script that they wanted to focus on.
“There were five major drafts for ‘Carol,’” Nagy said in a phone interview, “and the process always involved trying to get back to the beginning of the journey rather than the end of the journey, and not lose the core story. But by the time [Director Todd Haynes] came on board, the script was pretty much there.”
The story is told from the point of view of Therese Belivet (played by Rooney Mara), a New York City girl selling dolls in a department store. One day, an elegant blonde wearing a fur coat comes in to buy a doll for her daughter — the “Carol” of the movie, played by Cate Blanchett — and Therese is smitten.
“Carol becomes the object of desire,” Nagy said.
The two women begin a blazing affair and eventually wind up on a cross-country road trip. Difficulties ensue with Carol’s husband. The initial meeting is loosely based on a real-life experience of the book’s author, which is about all that can be said of the plot without spoiling anything.
The book’s author, Highsmith, was very open about her sexuality, and screenwriter Nagy is as well.
Nagy had always wanted to write screenplays, but took a roundabout route. She worked as a fact checker for the New York Times for part of the ’80s and then moved to London in the ’90s, where she put her writing talents to work as a playwright, writing over 10 plays that were produced by some of the finest theaters in that city, including the Royal Court Theatre.
The very first screenplay she was asked to write was “Carol,” primarily because the woman who purchased the film rights knew Nagy had been friends with the book’s author for 10 years.
“I had badly wanted to write a screenplay, but I needed it to be the right circumstance,” Nagy said. This was it.
Even though it took “Carol” a long time to make it to the screen, Nagy has been steadily writing other screenplays all along. Although much of her work involves screenplay adaptations of books, she has successfully taken forays into original work. “Mrs. Harris” (2005) — based on the real-life story of a murdered cardiologist, which she wrote and directed — got 12 Emmy and three Golden Globe nominations.
Nagy said the transition from playwright to screenplays was not a big adjustment. The main difference was that, “You can take one year to 10 years to write a play, whereas when you accept a commission to do a film, you’re usually expected to have it done in eight to 15 weeks.” Otherwise, she said the process of sitting down to write is pretty much the same for her.
Even as a playwright, Nagy said she was “always guided by imagery,” and as a result, “it wasn’t as tough a crossover (from theater to film) for me as it is for some people.”
Nagy said that “Carol” was shot in only 35 days — a fast turnaround for a period piece. She spent several weeks on the set, which she said turned out to be “useful” when “actors wanted clarification or background,” or if a set had to be modified.
When asked how she felt when “Carol” received five Golden Globe nominations last week, she said, “It’s great — any kind of visibility for the film is great. The most important thing is that it be seen. We’re all very proud of it getting attention in a crowded season — everyone worked very hard on it.”
“Carol” will show at the Malibu Film Society screening room on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m., located at 24855 PCH. Phyllis Nagy is confirmed for an audience Q&A after the screening.
