10 Things I learned from Felicity Jones and Lizzie in A Monster Calls

**Disclosure: I was sent on an all expense paid trip to LA for the “A Monster Calls” press day. All opinions are my own.

While in LA I had the pleasure of interviewing Felicity Jones who plays the Mum in “A Monster Calls.”  Felicity Jones also has played in “Inferno” and “Rogue One” that just came out this month.

What I learned while listening to Felicity in our interview:

1. After reading the script she had to excuse herself while on holiday with her friends and went and cried in the ocean mainly because the reality of the script hit her in her heart.
2. She loved being in A Monster Calls because of its authenticity.  It made the movie raw and with so many different feelings.  This was something she was proud to be a part of.
3. Although close to both of her parents, she grew up with her Mom being a ‘single mother’.  She could relate to her part with Conor in the movie.  Having respect and being ‘friends’ instead of Mother/Daughter or like in the movie Mother/Son.
4. Her favorite quote out of the whole movie was, “Not everyone lives happily ever after.  It’s messily ever after.”  And it’s true.  Life gets messy and you’ve got to make the best out of it.”
5. Felicity hopes after seeing the movie that it might move you to want to do something different in your life that you haven’t been doing.
6. So that she was prepared for the part she met with cancer patients to learn about how they dealt, have been dealing with this disease. Also how everyone just wants things to go back to normal.

What I learned from Felicity’s character Lizzie in the movie A Monster Calls:

1. You do whatever it takes to protect your child especially when they are too big to be a kid but too young to be an adult.
2. Make memories so that you can, later on, cherish them.
3. The memories are so important as you never know what will happen in your lifetime that you may need for them for the person you may leave behind.
4. Enjoy all of the little things because someday they will be big things. (she didn’t say this in the movie, but it is my take away).

“A Monster Calls” comes out January 6, 2017 nationwide.

Directed by J.A. Bayona (“The Impossible,” “The Orphanage”)

Written by Patrick Ness, based on his novel A Monster Calls

Starring Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Toby Kebbell, Lewis MacDougall, and Liam Neeson