Indie director Ry Russo-Young talks about friendships, respecting the teenage experience, and BEFORE I FALL. 

It should be safe to say that young adult adapted films will always be around, especially if we have directors like Ry Russo-Young taking up the call to create another excellent adaptation of another YA book. Before I Fall was optioned back in 2010, the same year the book was released. However, it didn’t go into production until 2015.

But luckily, waiting seems to have worked well for Ry and the cast she was able to work with to create a refreshing and honest approach to the source material.

MTV got to speak to Russo-Young about the movie and what brought her to directing something that’s not quite an indie in the general sense of the genre.

MTV News: You are usually known for being an indie director. Was going the YA route a conscious choice for you, or was it the script that drew you to the role?

Ry Russo-Young: It was completely the script. I read a lot of scripts, and this one really struck me emotionally and surprised me. When I was reading it I didn’t see where it was going. I think that is true of the film as well: You think it’s one thing, and you think you have it figured out and you know who these girls are, and then that starts to change over time. I had the same experience reading the script, I thought, Oh wow, this is surprisingly deep and emotional. That was really what I was attracted to and wanted to do justice to in the making of this movie. It had nothing to do with the fact that it was YA. I think the whole young adult thing has a bad name for whatever reason, and the genre has certain expectations. But to me it’s more about the youth experience. I mean, is Ordinary People a young adult movie? No. Is Stand by Me a young adult movie? No. The John Hughes movies? We just have a weird label right now for movies about a certain age group that’s a very commercial label that has its own baggage.

That’s such a good point about the John Hughes movies. Those movies treat the teenage experience with such respect, and I thought that this movie did too. Are there misconceptions that you see a lot about teenage girls that are being perpetuated in movies right now?

Russo-Young: Yes. I mean, you really hit the nail on the head when you said “respect,” because that was a big thing. And belittling the teenage experience, that was something I really didn’t want to do. A lot of YA movies are belittling, or they talk down to their audience. I wanted to dignify the teen experience. When you’re a teenager it’s a really intense and angsty, dark, kind of melodramatic time, right? You are going through crazy shit! And I wanted to handle this with that intensity and darkness. There’s another thing that happens when you’re a teenager, which is that you kind of leave your parents, and your friends become your new universe. These girls are at that time and I wanted to capture the warmth, and the excitement, and the stakes of this new relationship.

That’s such a good point about the John Hughes movies. Those movies treat the teenage experience with such respect, and I thought that this movie did too. Are there misconceptions that you see a lot about teenage girls that are being perpetuated in movies right now?

Russo-Young: Yes. I mean, you really hit the nail on the head when you said “respect,” because that was a big thing. And belittling the teenage experience, that was something I really didn’t want to do. A lot of YA movies are belittling, or they talk down to their audience. I wanted to dignify the teen experience. When you’re a teenager it’s a really intense and angsty, dark, kind of melodramatic time, right? You are going through crazy shit! And I wanted to handle this with that intensity and darkness. There’s another thing that happens when you’re a teenager, which is that you kind of leave your parents, and your friends become your new universe. These girls are at that time and I wanted to capture the warmth, and the excitement, and the stakes of this new relationship.

You can read the rest of the interview here.

You can get a copy of the book right here.

Before I Fall hits theaters March 3, 2017.