Sophia Bush, Violet McGraw and Jerry O’Connell talk playing a family on-screen and working with Wynonna Earp’s Melanie Scrofano and Emily Andras
BY NIC CROSARA, IMAGE BY TUBI
While Tubi’s hilarious and charming new family comedy is in no way a queer film, there’s lots for DIVA readers to enjoy. Summer’s Last Resort sees Wynonna Earp’s Melanie Scrofano and Emily Andras work together again, as director and writer, respectively. The film explores the relationship between the buttoned-up teen, Summer, played by Violet McGraw (Obsession, M3GAN) and her free-spirited mother, Milly, who is played by the openly queer Sophia Bush (Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill).
The film follows Summer as she finds herself trapped on a vacation with her mum, brother and her mum’s new boyfriend, Glenn – played by Jerry O’Connell (Stop! That! Train!, Billions). Oh, and Glenn also happens to be her vice principal, and he’s only been dating Milly for three months. (It’s great to see some “U-Haul dating” representation outside of the queer community!). On top of all this, the bisexual icon Clara Alexandrova (Bet, Danger In The Dorm) delivers comedy gold as Glenn’s chaotic daughter. If you love flicks like The Parent Trap and Blended, then you’ll love this.
Getting the chance to speak with Sophia, Violet and Jerry ahead of the film’s release, it’s immediately clear to me how playing an onscreen family has bonded them. It’s no surprise when Sophia shares that she’s now close with Violet’s mum, calling her “one of my most cherished people”, or when Jerry tells me he went with Violet, her mother and sister, and his wife to watch Obsession.
The film’s opening confirms that Violet is a Virgo with stress eczema, after searching Violet’s star sign online (she’s a Taurus!), I’m curious to ask if she relates to Summer’s Virgo Earth sign energy. Violet tells me she’s more relaxed than the character she plays. Jerry jokingly reassures that “Violet’s not nearly as evil as Summer in some of those scenes. Summer is downright diabolical.”
The mother-daughter relationship between Milly and Summer is very moving and is something that resonates with Violet. “I can relate to her relationship with her mum. The relationship between Summer and Milly is very special,” she tells me.
Summer’s Last Resort isn’t Sophia’s only film this year that explores mother-daughter relationships. In Broad Trip, she plays a tightly wound daughter on a road trip with her easygoing mother. Sophia’s dubbed this her “year of mums” and shares that she’s loved it. “It’s really funny because people will ask me if I relate to Milly, and I’m like, ‘Actually, I have stress eczema’. But it was so fun to play this woman who is so free and also really vulnerable without feeling self-conscious about how she’s trying to figure it out, how she’s trying to make better choices, how she didn’t always make the right ones.”
All the performances in this film are top-tier. I’m eager to find out what it was like sharing a screen with the bicon Clara Alexandrova. “It was so fun watching the film because I watched Clara go through her physical transformation. Her character is wild and pretty flamboyant, but it wasn’t until I watched the film that I realised she was really going for something,” says Jerry. “It was really fun. That’s where the fun in Summer’s Last Resort lies. It’s broad at times, but also somewhat emotional. Someone like Clara really helped us make it broad.”
There’s a lot of Canadian talent behind this film. It’s written by Emily Andras and directed by Melanie Scrofano, and they are not the only Wynonna Earp alum as part of the project, as Tim Rozon, who portrayed Doc Holliday in the show, plays the sleazy Otto in Summer’s Last Resort. There are a lot of Canadian characters and jokes at their expense. Jerry laughs as he tells me about watching the screening of the film with his teenage daughters. “They were like, ‘I can’t believe how rude you were being to Canadians in that movie. I was like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. It was made by all Canadians. All Canadians make those jokes.”
Violet’s previous projects, The Haunting Of Hill House and M3GAN, are horrors which are hugely popular among LGBTQIA+ audiences. As someone who is used to watching Violet on screen while partially hiding behind my hands due to jump scares, it’s great to see her in a comedic role. “I’ve been wanting to do comedy for the longest time, so getting the opportunity to finally be a part of one is so cool,” she reflects. I must ask what type of role she’d like to take on next. Her answer? A romcom. This leads Sophia to show enthusiasm for a potential Summer’s Last Resort sequel. “I feel like as Summer gets older, the family vacation can turn more into a rom-com for you.”
Summer’s Last Resort is undeniably the type of comedy film that I’d love to see further instalments of. I want to see these characters and their dynamic evolve throughout the years. And, of course, we could never get enough of Sophia Bush on our screens.
Summer’s Last Resort is now available to watch on Tubi. You can watch the trailer below.
Love media made by and for LGBTQIA+ women and gender diverse people? Then you’ll love DIVA. We’ve been spotlighting the community for over 30 years. Here’s how you can get behind queer media and keep us going for another generation: linkin.bio/ig-divamagazine
Did you know that DIVA has now become a charity? Our magazine is published by the DIVA Charitable Trust. You can find out more about the organisation and how you can offer your support here: divacharitabletrust.com
