Exclusive: Connie Britton & Sofia Carson on ‘The Life List’: “Thrilling Yet Nerve-Wracking to Get It Right”
While the notion of a “bucket list” is nothing new, the concept takes on new meaning in Netflix’s undeniably charming new film, “The Life List”.
In it, Connie Britton and Sofia Carson star as Elizabeth and Alex, a mother-daughter duo whose grasp of each other’s deepest desires illuminates just how deep this sacred bond can go.
“The Life List” Premise
Here’s the official logline: “When Alex Rose’s mother sends her on a quest to complete her childhood bucket list, it takes her on a journey that will make you both laugh and cry as she uncovers family secrets, finds romance, and discovers herself along the way.“
“The Life List” does indeed serve up laughter and tears in spades, but the thing that makes this story particularly poignant is the way it recognizes the multiple layers of its female characters and highlights the complexities of becoming who you are.
PopViewers Exclusive Interview with “The Life List” Cast
When PopViewers sat down with Connie Britton and Sofia Carson to chat about the film, both ladies agreed that the project gave them a lot to ponder.
“I think that was part of the beauty of this journey. Alex was a beautiful mess when we met her and then she embarks on this journey that flips her world upside down simply with the loss of her whole universe and then learning that she isn’t who she thought she was and her mother wasn’t who she thought she was,” explained Carson.
“To get through the hardship of life with wit on your lips and a smile on your face because life is hard. I could never play her too sad or too happy or too funny. It was all the colors of the rainbow all at once, always kind of coexisting within her. It was exciting to play but also nerve-wracking to get it right.”
Those numerous and often conflicting personality traits are part of what make Carson’s character so relatable, as well as the fact that she’s contending with a reality we’ve all faced or have at least anticipated facing; losing your mother. On the flip side, Britton’s character had to walk the line of leaving space for her daughter[s grief and giving her a much-needed kick in the pants, even from beyond the grave.
“I think sometimes we forget that we can dream our way into reality,” said Britton. “As a mom, the thing that we do is we want to protect our child and make them safe and we want to nurture them in the best way we can. She’s gonna be grieving…so what my gifts her mom can be is to let her know that she will always have the safety of my love…It’s a little bit of a mind-bending thing.”
Despite the devastating details that lead to this emotional journey, Carson’s character is never completely consumed by her grief. Instead, what we see is a much more accurate depiction of what happened when your whole life stops and the world keeps turning. There will be moments of despair, moments of joy, and places for love and laughter to creep in. That’s the truth of the human experience; that these things exist simultaneously. That life never stops, and that our own insecurities are much bigger roadblocks than the tragic moments we can’t control.
“I hope it makes people think about what it was that you really wanted out of life before you got jaded by life,” said Sofia Carson. “As we grow up, life just gets harder and scarier and all those dreams that felt so boundless feel impossible or scary.”
“The Life List” is streaming now on Netflix. It shot to number one quickly after release over the weekend.
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