Danielle Savre and Skye McCole Bartusiak discuss American Primitive
American Primitive is a film based on the teenage years of the director Gwen Wynne who had just moved with her father and younger sister to Cape Cod after the death of her mother. It was at this time, that Gwen discovered that her father was gay. In her film, Wynne's aim was to create a credible and relatable family with Tate Donovan, Danielle Savre and Skye McCole Bartusiak. It's this unit, particularly the relationship between the sisters, that is the heart and soul of the film.
Recently at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, I had the chance to sit down and talk with the two "sisters" Danielle Savre and Skye McCole Bartusiak, 14 and 18, respectively when they played their parts. Skye who splits her time between Los Angeles and Texas, has been in the business since she was 6 months old doing commercials. She started modeling with her brother and then moved on to films like The Patriot with Mel Gibson.
Danielle Savre started with print and commercials when she was 7, landing her first gig as Mattel's Barbie. Growing up in Simi Valley, CA, "a Pleasantville sort of place" as she calls it, her family wasn't crazy about her becoming an actor. She only began doing film when she was 15, and worked on a Gavin O'Connor pilot, Murphy's Dozen. So when she got to the American Primitive set she was "gaga" as she puts it over the fact that people had worked with Gibson, Paul Newman and other big names.
However, the American Primitive shoot was done in two phases and in between Danielle landed an MTV series called Kaya, about a punk rock singer, which is much beloved by many including Skye McCole Bartusiak who is "obsessed" with it. "It was a great script by Debra Joy Levine, Tony Krantz produced it, but they put it on after The Hills and people just did not tune in." On the other hand, it seems to have accumulated a devoted following on the web.
Danielle landed the part in American Primitive after being "sixth on the list" as she puts it. "I was head over heels for the project and Gwen didn't know who I was." When she finally went in the fact that she knew so much about the script and the project really impressed the director and she was hired immediately.
Skye had read the script a number of years before and had met with Gwen but then the project had "kind of disappeared". When the financing did come through, Skye was read to go. "I loved this script for a very, very long time." Skye felt that the story about a gay father is something that needs to be seen widely because it's an unacceptable but common form of prejudice. Skye has a favorite Bob Marley saying which she thinks is applicable here, "Before you point the finger, make sure your hands are clean."
Skye and Danielle also love the way sisterhood was depicted in the film. "I've never really gotten to do that in a movie," says Skye, "and we got along right from the start." This is what is remarkable about the film: the way in which the two really are sisters, when in fact, they don't really look as much alike away from the film as they do in the film. And it turns out Danielle always wanted a younger sister so took over bossing Skye around and taking care of her during the shoot. Now, of course, they're sisters for life.
There are a lot of midnight phone calls, given the difficulties of the acting life and Hollywood, especially when you've grown up in it. "It's hard to find someone you can trust and have that good bond with in this town." Danielle and Skye credit strong family anchors as the key to survival. Skye says that 90% of her friends are outside the business and that she will very likely go to college back home in Texas. "I know who I am and intend on staying that person."
Since the film is set in the 1970s and Danielle and Skye were born in late 80s and 90s respectively, I wondered what they thought about the period details. "I'm very 60s and 70s oriented so I was there" says Skye. Danielle didn't seem quite as enthusiastic about the outfits actually saying spontaneously to Skye at one point, "No, you're not wearing that" and it landing in the film. Unfortunately for Danielle she was called upon to play tennis in an early scene in bell bottom jeans and platform shoes, which she handled mightily. Her feet weren't too happy at the end of it though.
Both Skye and Danielle describe the set as "nonstop laughs" with everybody. One of the reasons the family relationship, which is key, works so well is that the closeness was established immediately and the care was genuine. "We all just sat down for rehearsal with Gwen and it was immediate." Both girls cried their eyes out that first day, requiring an intimacy that brought them close together.
What's up next for these two exceptionally talented, bright and charming young ladies? Skye has a web series in the works which she can't really talk about. Danielle has spent the past year focusing on music because she's an accomplished singer. "I call it pop with an edge." She says it's not exactly punk and not exactly pop and cites Pink as an influence. She has a music deal with MTV because of her work on Kaya. She also worked on a film with Ed Asner and Rue McClanahan which she describes as a blast and will get back to more acting this year.
Watching these two young women in American Primitive is a revelation. Talking to them is refreshing, given their energy, enthusiasm and sense of humor about themselves and the business they're in. I'll keep an eye out for them as everyone should. And when you get a moment, check out Kaya.
American Primitive is on the festival circuit and currently at the Queer Lounge at the Sundance Film Festival.
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