How ‘Bout A Cuppa Tea
By: Susan Brittain
I have been corresponding with Jan Miller Corran for several years--ever since she released the film, Snapshots. I wrote her to tell her I loved the film, and an online friendship was born! So, when I heard she was releasing her next project, How ‘Bout a Cuppa Tea, I asked if I could interview her about the film. We finally met virtually over FaceBook Messenger several weeks ago!
The idea for How ‘Bout a Cuppa Tea came from her and her partner watching a lot of British TV since the onset of the pandemic. She reflected that whenever anyone wants to talk about something in these shows they ask “how ‘bout a cuppa tea” before settling in for their conversation. Jan says she writes with specific people in mind, and in this case, she wrote with Constance Brenneman, who plays Mary Beth Higgins (Anatomy of a Love Seen) and Cathy DeBuono, who plays Wanda Delivery (A Perfect Ending, Then Came Lola) in mind. She encouraged me to interview them as well. What follows is a synopsis of my conversations with each of them.
How ‘Bout a Cuppa Tea follows Mary Beth during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has received the gift of a tea pot from a woman she had a passionate, month long romance with in her 20’s. She begins to reminisce about their time together and why she “settled” for marriage with a man and children. Older lesbians will identify with Mary Beth because years ago it was a very scary proposition to buck the system. We were afraid of people judging us, losing our families, losing our jobs--being ostracized by society.
Constance Brenneman describes Mary Beth as a “creative, dynamic, loving woman.” She has sacrificed a lot of herself to meet social norms. Constance likes the fact that the film touches on the ability for us to change. We can make the decision daily to change. Our choices can be outside of the confines of societal pressure in the era we are now living in. This allows us the potential of real joy. “There’s always another moment and the moment opens. We then make choices from a place of truth.” She believes this is the powerful message of the film. Constance says, “that Jan is good at reflecting life that’s both quirky and deep”. She feels the film could be everyone’s cup of tea.
Cathy DeBuono describes Wanda as “in the moment, present, can’t help being herself, and her life flows like a river. She rides the river without pushing.” She sees the film as a buddy road trip and a Rom-Com adventure. Wanda has a lot of joy which reminds us to enjoy the moment. She says we will discover all the ways people can love each other in subsequent episodes. Jan, given the state of the world, hopes that the film “will help us think about who we are, bring some joy, and help people leave with a smile.” I believe she succeeds in doing just that!
Jan would like us to know that, because of the huge limitations imposed by COVID, this film was made with six people being crew and cast. It was intended to be a stand-alone film, but once completed “we wanted to take Mary Beth on the road and develop her relationship with Wanda, the delivery person.” Coming episodes will be filmed with much better quality.
You can rent Episode 1 on Vimeo for $2. In addition, the movie has been accepted into several film festivals and has already won several awards, including five wins and seven nominations.
AWARDS
2020
Indie Short Fest
Nominated, Award of Merit
Actress: Leading
Constance Brenneman
Nominated, Award of Merit
Film Short
Three Women in a Box Films
Nominated, Award of Merit
Film Short
Cathy DeBuono
2020
Los Angeles Film Awards
Nominated, LAFA September Award
Best Narrative Short
Lee Anne Matusek, Jan Miller Corran
Nominated, LAFA September Award
Best Supporting Actress
Cathy DeBuono
Nominated, LAFA September Award
Best Actress
Constance Brenneman
2020
Mindfield Film Festival Albuquerque
Won, Gold Award
Best Film
Jan Miller Corran Three Women in a Box Films
Won, Gold Award
Best Actress
Constance Brenneman
Won, Platinum Award
Best Supporting Actor
Cathy DeBuono
2020
Montreal Independent Film Festival
Nominated, International Narrative Short
Drama Short
Jan Miller Corran Three Women in a Box Films
2020
New York Movie Awards
Won, July Award
Best Actress
Constance Brenneman
2020
The Monkey Bread Tree Film Awards
Won, Spring Award Short Screenplay