Diablo Cody Talks ‘Tully,’ Feminist Filmmaking, And The Underrated ‘Jennifer’s Body’ [Interview]

Something else that struck me about this film, and which I’ve seen throughout your body of work, are these themes of sexism, girlhood, and how growing up female is a particular experience – and often a particularly difficult experience. Marlo says girls don’t have it easy, and that “girls don’t heal.” Why are these stories so important for you to tell?
I guess because – obviously there are a lot of incredible stories about women out there, and stories by them, but – I do feel like there are certain, specific stories that are still not being told very often. For instance, I know so many people who’ve gone through weird shit after having a baby, whether you want to call it postpartum depression or whatever, and yet I haven’t really seen a movie about that. I’m sure there’s one that exists, but it just feels underrepresented in cinema when you consider how many people it happens to.

Or, you know, I did this movie “Ricki and the Flash” that was about, like, how women are considered selfish if they pursue a creative passion. Whereas, when guys do it, it’s just like, “Oh, this is what Dad needs to do to be happy.” And it does feel unfair sometimes. It really feels like, even as we make so much progress as a society, that still, deep down, people want women to be selfless caretakers. And I’m happy to be a selfless caretaker when I need to be – I love being a mom, actually – but there’s also a side of me that is selfish and impulsive, and I don’t want to be demonized for that.

Speaking of demons, “Jennifer’s Body” is one of my favorite movies of all time—
Oh, thank you so much. I wish I could hug you through the phone, like, that means so much to me.

Yeah! So I want to talk about how, when that movie came out in 2009, it was totally panned. But now, almost a decade out from the theatrical release, I’m seeing certain circles of the Internet – particularly millennial women, and especially gay women – start to really appreciate it as this campy, secret work of genius. Why do you think nobody “got” “Jennifer’s Body” back in 2009?
I mean, honestly? People like familiarity, generally. They like what they’re used to being fed. Karyn Kusama did such a killer job directing that movie, and I think it was so unconventional, and so specifically about the girls in a way that excluded a lot of people – and in a way that I love, because I’m all about specific art. I would rather make something that ten people adore than make something that 100 million people like enough to buy a ticket to. So I just think it’s a very specific piece.

At the time, there was a lot of negativity around the movie, because I was very outspoken at that time – I’ve since learned my lesson. Megan Fox was very outspoken at that time, and was talking about Michael Bay and all kinds of shit. And, by the way, I love it. I could read Megan Fox interviews from 2009 all day because I love that she was speaking her mind. But she was punished for it. People don’t like women with big mouths, and there were a lot of them on that project. So, you know, let’s chalk it up to misogyny. But I’m so glad to hear that you think the movie’s finding an audience, because I sense a little bit of that, too, and it just thrills me. It’s very special to me.

And you’re right that what Karyn Kusama did with that movie was incredible. I think people are just figuring out that she’s good because of “The Invitation.” She’s always been good!
She’s been good, I agree, she’s fucking great! I will say that nobody involved in that movie, except for possibly Fox, thought the movie was going to be commercially successful. Like, we all knew what we were doing. It wasn’t a huge shock when that movie didn’t set the box office on fire, I’ll tell you that much. But I’m really happy we made it.

Unfortunately, “Jennifer’s Body” isn’t the only thing you’ve made that’s been a little too real for society: Amazon recently dropped “One Mississippi,” which deals with sexual abuse and harassment. Have you had to pay a price in the industry for making feminist work?
Yeah, I think so. On the other hand, I can’t forget the fact that “Juno,” a movie that put its best lines in the mouth of a teenage girl, was what got me here and allowed me to continue working. So in a way, I guess my voice has been a blessing and a curse – but I can’t forget about the blessing part.

“Tully” opens on May 4.