In night bitch, Amy Adams stars as a woman known only as Mother. She’s an artist who put her career aside to focus on raising her young son, spending far more time cleaning up messes and driving to mommy-and-me storytimes than experimenting with visual art and dealing with scholars.
Over the course of the film, Mother attempts to foster community with other mothers and thrive as a caregiver and homemaker, all while suspecting that she is turning into a dog at night.
The film is based on a 2021 novel by Rachel Yoder, which Adams and writer-director Marielle Heller both fell in love with after reading. They spoke to Yahoo Entertainment about what the story meant to them and why they decided to adapt a book with such an unconventional premise for the big screen.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What was it like to come across the book? Night bitch by Rachel Yoder, and what did it mean to you?
Marielle Heller: Rachel’s incredible novel was sent to me when I was six months postpartum after having my second child. It was the pandemic and I had moved out of the city and into the woods. My husband went back to work and I was home alone with two children. I had very few friends in the woods and I felt very overwhelmed. Then I read this book.
It was probably the first book I read after having a baby, because my brain shuts down when I’m pregnant and right afterward. I can’t concentrate on a book. Then I read this book and I thought, “Oh my God!” I was lucky that I was sent it before it was published. Amy Adams’ production company had optioned it together with Annapurna Pictures. They both sent it to me and said, “I’m not sure if you think this is a movie, but we love this book and wanted to know what you think.” I was like, ‘Okay, I have to make this book into a movie. It feels so relevant to my life!” I’ve wanted to make a film about motherhood for a long time. This just felt like the perfect piece.
Enter Amy Adams Night bitch. (Anne Marie Fox/Searchlight Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)
What made this story worth telling?
Amy Adams: When I read the book, it had such a unique perspective. The character’s inner monologue was so alive and connected with me in a very profound way. It told this story not only about motherhood, but about relationships and community in a way that I thought was really meaningful. I thought it could translate on screen in a fascinating way.
For people who haven’t read the book, the film’s premise may seem a bit outrageous: a woman turns into a dog. Have you ever worried that something so wild would scare people?
Heller: I was afraid it would be difficult to get out. I think the premise sometimes gives false expectations, as if the movie will be a horror type movie. But the great thing about Rachel’s book is that it is emotionally based on the feelings of loss of identity and the burden of parenthood and the complicating factors that come with it. I felt it so deeply. It wasn’t one of those intellectual, “this makes sense as a metaphor” connection—it was like, “Oh god, this is how I felt as a mother, too.” It was really about capturing the true feeling behind it, and hopefully the rest makes sense because it’s based on emotional truth.
Adams: You know, life is crazy! The perspective of where the character is at and the reason for the transformation was very important to me, and this idea of connecting with wild freedom mixed with anger mixed with frustration and it all coming together. There have been times when I let myself go in a way that wasn’t recognizable to me, where I looked back at myself and thought, “Who was that?! Calm down!” I loved the way the story allowed Mom to live in that place outside of herself. I think we can all relate to that.
Enter Amy Adams Night bitch. (Searchlight photos/courtesy of Everett Collection)
I’ve noticed a few movies coming out lately that explore the extremes women go to just to do what society expects of them. Do you think there’s a reason for that?
Adams: That can be quite a challenge and cause a lot of frustration; we are constantly trying to achieve an ever-changing standard of expectation. I think it’s a conversation that women are having with each other, and that’s why women are having in the broader culture.
I loved how warm the movie was. It could have been very sad and depressing, but the warmth and love of a mother are everywhere. Why did you think that was an important tone to emphasize?
Heller: You know, my experience with motherhood is completely complex. There are a lot of disgusting and sad moments, and there is a lot of humor and joy. I always want my films to be a mix of all genres. I don’t believe anything is just a comedy or a drama. I don’t even know how to write that. I don’t know how to write something that’s just sad! Everything I work on has an element of humor because that’s how I see the world. My family is filled with comedians. I’m married to a comedian [Jorma Taccone]. I find that some of the most disgusting moments in life are also the moments when we laugh the most. So it was important that all of that was part of this.
Night bitch is in cinemas from December 6.
