Film Synopsis:
When Vaughn invites his closest friends to a cabin in rural Texas to meet his fiancé, he expects a relaxing weekend reminiscing about the old days. But when a friend arrives with his ex-girlfriend, long repressed feelings are reawakened and his engagement is suddenly thrown into doubt in this subversive romantic comedy.
About the Film:
The debut feature of writing/directing partners Andy Irvine and Mark Smoot, The Love Inside premiered at the 2015 Dallas International Film Festival, where it was awarded a Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Performance. Before production, the film received an Austin Film Society Grant, and the filmmakers were accepted into Austin Film Society’s inaugural Artist Intensive Workshop.
The Love Inside is a modern take on the classic “love tangle” comedy in the tradition of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Woody Allen’s A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy, and Ingmar Bergman’s Smiles of A Summer Night. Inspired by these seminal works, the film explores contemporary attitudes towards love, sex, and monogamy.
The story of The Love Inside is one of flawed people in flawed relationships. Each of the film’s three couples is in a state of crisis, whether they’re conscious of it or not. Over the course of a weekend, their deep-rooted relationship issues come to the surface, often manifesting in the bedroom. Issues of compatibility – sexual or otherwise – are confronted, revealing fears of intimacy, of commitment, and of seeing one’s partner for who he or she truly is.
To depict the messiness of their dysfunctional relationships, the film doesn’t shy away from those moments when the couples are at their most intimate and vulnerable. Sex is portrayed in in all its variations, from the passionate to the routine, when sex is at its most romantic to when it’s at its most absurd. The film’s naturalistic aesthetic and handheld camerawork serve to heighten the intimacy and reflect those little moments that only couples share.
“The movie, and my character, deals with sexuality in a very open and honest way,” Ashley Spillers said in an interview with Slackerwood’s Elizabeth Stoddard.” I just really had to dive in to that one, and luckily had incredible directors to help guide me – all of us, really – on that journey.”
The Love Inside was shot on location at a ranch in the Hill Country of Texas, a rural area known for its scenic landscapes, where every member of the cast and crew lived during production. This seclusion from the outside world fostered a rich creative environment in which everyone banded together to make something personal and unique. What transpired over the course of the three-week long production was a truly special and rewarding experience for all involved.
In collaboration with Gravitas Ventures, the filmmakers, cast, and crew of The Love Inside are proud to share their film, a subversive romantic comedy described by The Dallas International Film Festival as “a hilariously irreverent yet poignant look at modern sex and romance.”