The Critic and the Referee recently interviewed Jocelyn Moorhouse, the director of “The Dressmaker,” which stars Kate Winslet! This film also stars Liam Hemsworth, Hugo Weaving, and Judy Davis, among others. Plus, Jocelyn co-wrote the screenplay with her husband, P.J. Hogan. In addition to “The Dressmaker,” Jocelyn directed and wrote the screenplay for “Proof,” produced “Muriel’s Wedding,” and directed “How to Make an American Quilt.” In this interview, she talks about how she became attached to “The Dressmaker,” working with her incredible cast, and more!

About “The Dressmaker”

To listen to our review of the film, click here.

In theaters September 23.

A glamorous, worldly dressmaker returns to her small Australian hometown to seek the truth behind her notorious reputation. This dark and quirky comedy stars Academy Award winner Kate Winslet as Tilly Dunnage, who cares for her eccentric mother (Academy Award nominee Judy Davis), schemes with the local sergeant (Hugo Weaving) who has secrets of his own, and falls for local farmer Teddy (Liam Hemsworth). As she starts to unravel her scandalous past, she transforms the town’s women with her exquisite creations. Armed with only her sewing machine and haute couture style, Tilly shows she is a force to be reckoned with and that revenge never goes out of style. (Runtime: 118 minutes)

Starring: Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, Hugo Weaving, Sarah Snook, Judy Davis, Caroline Goodall
Directed by: Jocelyn Moorhouse
Written by: (Novel by) Rosalie Ham, (Screenplay by) P.J. Hogan and Jocelyn Moorhouse

Our Questions

1. There’s been quite a leap in time from A THOUSAND ACRES — which was your previous directorial credit — to, now, THE DRESSMAKER almost 20 years later. You’ve been writing and producing in between that time, but what particularly drew you to this story that made you want to get behind the camera again? AND Did you find that there was a learning curve to that?
2. You not only directed THE DRESSMAKER, but also co-wrote the adapted screenplay with your husband, P.J. Hogan, from Rosalie Ham’s novel. What challenges did the novel pose during the adaptation process, and how important was it to be faithful to what Ham wrote?
3. There are some pretty stellar performances from a strong and seasoned cast. You have Kate Winslet who shines, Hugo Weaving who gives us a delightful surprise, and, of course, Judy Davis’ unforgettable Molly Dunnage, among others. What was your process in guiding those performances, and how did you make adjustments with the veterans vs. those who are relatively new to film? FOLLOW UP: Did any particular performance surprise you?
4. THE DRESSMAKER is a combination of many different genres: romance, western, comedy, drama, revenge, and more. What did you do to ensure that all of those genres served the same film?
5. Here on Why Watch That, we always end our interviews by asking our guests which movies and TV shows they’re watching right now. So, Jocelyn, what are you watching?