Who would have thought that swapping boxes from Tiffany’s would cause a whole romantic comedy to written, and then, brought to life on screen? ‘Something From Tiffany’s’ started out as a book written by Melissa Hill until Reese Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine, got their hands on the story. Now, the tale has been transformed into a Christmas rom-com starring (and produced by) Zoey Deutch as Rachel alongside Kendrick Sampson as Ethan.
The film starts out with chef/baker Rachel happily in a relationship with her boyfriend Gary (Ray Nicholson) and college professor Ethan planning to propose to his girlfriend, Vanessa (Shay Mitchell). After an accident leads to both men swapping boxes meant for the other person, a funny, poignant and refreshing love story ensues, with plenty of holiday magic and a few delicious pastries along the way.
To chat more about working on the film and their characters, stars Zoey Deutch and Kendrick Sampson dive into the magic of ‘Something From Tiffany’s.’
What made you both want to sign on with this film?
Deutch: My journey with making this movie and working with Hello Sunshine started about four years ago when Reese Witherspoon tweeted that she had seen a movie I did called ‘Set It Up,’ and wondered why there weren’t more great romantic feel-good movies.
That began the conversation between us about making one together. They sent me this book, and I thought it was just so lovely and unlike anything I had done… I wasn’t interested in doing something similar if I was going to do another romantic feel-good movie, and I didn’t want it to be similar to ‘Set It Up.’ I wanted it to feel different, and this one is a classic and timeless holiday movie. So, we’ve been working on this for a while and I’m very excited for it to finally come out.
Sampson: I saw Zoey’s name and Hello Sunshine [attached.] I know a lot of what Hello Sunshine is doing, fighting to create better conditions for us on set. They’re a lot more conscious as a production company, and that was really appealing. [And with the] script, it feels like a classic Christmas rom-com, but at the same time it’s taking a lot of those tropes and flipping ’em on their head while still giving you that feeling of really wanting to pursue this love and not forcing things.
How would you describe your characters and what they go through during ‘Something From Tiffany’s’?
Sampson: Ethan is a young single father…I think of him as a Libra, and Libras probably hate this characterization, but [they] are people pleasers. They always want to find a compromise to the point of detriment to themselves. I feel like he spends so much time trying to please other people and he doesn’t invest in his own desires and what brings him pleasure.
I’m getting deep: You know, some people think that’s how to be morally correct, right? Just please everybody, just be compromising and you don’t realize that the more and more you do that you’re compromising your own happiness and health.
I think through this journey he finds that you can’t always please people, that you do have to invest in yourself, and that that’s the best way. If you’re not being fake and lying to yourself and other people, it’s the best way to build authentic relationships and have a healthy life. I don’t think that it’s outlined like that in the movie, but that’s what I got from Ethan.
Deutch: I think Rachel’s pretty similar in that way. Rachel is a very successful baker and chef—she owns a restaurant and has a store in Bryant Park. I think she’s somebody who gives a lot and does a lot for everybody else and feels very uncomfortable taking care of herself and doing things for herself. She’d be the type of person who would not tell anyone that it’s her birthday and then for somebody else’s birthday have an extravagant party.
In the film, Rachel references a Cornetto as her favorite pastry, and Ethan later also uses the reference at some point in the film for another reason. For ‘Something From Tiffany’s,’ what is your own Cornetto about the story?
Deutch: That’s a good question. I want to articulate my words in a better way, but for me, it’s very beautiful and it’s very classy…it just feels like it flows and there’s depth to it.
Sampson: I would say [I have a favorite] message. It’s a good reminder that when you’re trying to force things, it feels like you’re trying to force things, you know? And when you’re going with the flow and actually letting things organically happen, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s always pleasant, but it feels different. It feels more purposeful, it feels more intentional, and in the end, you feel like it’s worth whatever that journey is and whatever obstacles you encounter in that journey.
‘Something From Tiffany’s‘ launches on Prime Video Dec. 9.
