The same movie that forced Laura Dern Films that graduated from UCLA have become part of the university's film curriculum. During a recent conversation with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson on their podcast where everyone knows your nameDern revealed that her decision to take on the role in Blue velvet Her college experience is over. Dern was cast as Sandy Williams in David Lynch's 1986 thriller just two days after starting college, where she was studying psychology and minoring in journalism. She said she was “so excited to go to UCLA” that she asked for a leave of absence, telling the school she would be attending the same university when she returned. Her request was denied.
“I said to him, ‘I have this opportunity,’ and he said, ‘Well, I’ll look at the script if you want to give me the script, but you’re not getting time off. It’s not going to happen. It’s not a medical emergency.’”
After reading the script for Lynch's film Blue velvetThe head of the film department was not impressed with her and told her she would be “crazy” if she left college for film. Big little lies The actress says she was told:
First and foremost, if you make this choice, you will not be welcome at UCLA. You will be expelled. But secondly, after reading this scenario, giving up your college education for this is insane.
Oddly enough, the same film that put a stop to Dern's college ambitions is now part of the UCLA film curriculum, much to the Oscar-winning actress's annoyance, and understandably so.
“I'll end by saying after the two days I've spent today, if you want to do a master's degree in film at that school, when you write a thesis, there are three films you're required to study, and you know what one of them is… That bothers me.”
Blue Velvet's moving journey
Blue velvetThe film follows Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan), a young college student who returns to his seemingly idyllic hometown, where he discovers a severed human ear in a field. The discovery leads Jeffrey to investigate a beautiful and mysterious nightclub singer and the psychopathic criminals who kidnapped her child. Along with MacLachlan and Dern, the film also stars Isabella Rossellini and Dennis Hopper.
When it was released in 1986, Blue velvet The film received a mixed response from critics. While some praised its bold, experimental style, others were struck by its dark, disturbing themes—the same traits that have defined Lynch's career. Despite the mixed reception, Lynch received his second Oscar nomination and the director won several other awards. Dern, for her part, was praised for her portrayal of Sandy. The film has since achieved cult classic status.
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It's easy to see why. Blue velvet The film will be studied on campus, where the film's mix of genres, experimental stories, and surreal visuals provide plenty to analyze. The film's exploration of sinister events in what is ostensibly a peaceful suburban town is also a recurring theme in Lynch's work.
After working on Blue Velvet, Dern and Lynch collaborated on several projects: the 1990s Palme d'Or winner The beast in the heart (which featured Dern's mother, actress Diane Ladd), 2006 Inland EmpireAnd in 2017 Twin Peaks: The Returnwhere Dern plays Diane Evans, the secretary to Agent Cooper (MacLachlan).
