When it came time to cast Sophie Birenbaum, a high school girl whose life is upended just as she’s cast as the lead in her school musical, Don’t Say Good Luck director Julia Hart had only one actor in mind. “Sunny Sandler was the first and only person we thought of to play Sophie,” Hart tells Tudum. Before you head to Netflix to watch the movie, now streaming, you can get a sneak peek of Sandler’s role with the trailer above.
Thankfully, as soon as Sandler learned of the project, she knew she wanted to join. “I knew as soon as I heard about the idea that I loved it, believed in it, and wanted to do it,” she says. “Then I met with Julia, and it really made me want to do it.”
Playing Sophie requires an actor who can not only lead the film’s in-world musical but also adeptly convey a wide emotional range — from the silliness, embarrassment, and angst of being a teenager to the more heartbreaking beats after her mom Elizabeth’s (Melanie Lynskey) cancer returns.
Hart says Sandler was more than up for the challenge. “I knew she was going to be great, but she absolutely exceeded all of my expectations as an actor, and also as a singer, a hard worker, and an amazing leader on set,” says the director. “In a way that I haven’t really experienced with many actors, Sunny is able to bring any emotion, anytime. It’s remarkable. Her ability to tell different stories in the same scene was truly amazing.”
Sophie’s relationship with her mom is the film’s beating heart. Like Sandler, Lynskey was Hart’s first and only choice to play Elizabeth. “She’s one of the greatest actors of her generation,” she says. “She is so beloved by everyone who sees her work.”
Offscreen, Sandler and Lynskey worked together to create a safe and creative environment for the film’s most emotional scenes. “They have some really tough scenes, and they both just took such good care of each other through all of that,” Hart says. Sandler adds, “Melanie can bring so much out of you that you don’t even know you have.”
Playing opposite Lynskey is Max Greenfield as Sophie’s dad, Ted. “People are going to get to see a totally different side of him because he is capable of so many different things as an actor,” says Hart. “Max has a teenage daughter. He’s an incredible parent, and a lovely human being.”
Greenfield was just as supportive of Sandler as his character is in the movie. The scene Sandler’s most proud of — a gut-wrenching exchange between father and daughter in the car — takes place with Greenfield. Watch Greenfield talk about Don’t Say Good Luck on Therapuss with Jake Shane.
As Dale, Steve Buscemi takes his first turn playing a grandfather, across from legend Bebe Neuwirth as Linda. “They were two actors I’ve admired my whole life, and I still can’t believe I got to work with them,” says Hart. Get a glimpse of them — and the rest of the Don’t Say Good Luck ensemble — below.
On all of her sets, Hart emphasizes the importance of family. Hart’s husband and frequent collaborator, Jordan Horowitz, co-wrote the script along with Laura Hankin, while Adam and Jackie Sandler serve as producers. Many of the cast and crew’s family members also appear as extras, and the walls of Birenbaum’s deli feature family photos from across the production.
It was this kind of personal, family collaboration that attracted Sandler in the first place. “Knowing that Julia and Jordan make movies together, and that all my family does is make movies together, made it a perfect match,” she says.
Keep reading to learn more about Don’t Say Good Luck, which is now streaming.
Sophie Birenbaum is ready for the spotlight as the lead in her high school musical — until suddenly she’s living with even more drama at home than on the stage.
Preview the dramedy at the top of the page.
Don’t Say Good Luck is an emotional tour de force in large part because of how personal it is. Hankin wrote the original draft of the script based on her similar real-life story, then Hart and Horowitz collaborated on the rewrite. “It’s based on Laura’s own real-life story of when she got the lead in her high school musical at the same time that her mom’s cancer came back. Because it was so deeply personal and specific, it just feels so real. Even if it’s not exactly their story, people can feel connected to it,” says Hart.
Hankin’s bravery in sharing her story was the most inspiring — and daunting — part of the role for Sandler. “That was the hardest part for me, to portray a person that actually went through this,” she says. “It was also the most beautiful part of it.”
It’s this vulnerability, Hart says, that drives home the film’s thesis. “The whole point of the movie is that Sophie learns how to work through the difficult things in life and channel her emotions through art,” Hart adds. “It’s a reminder of the power of art. She made something that gave us all such a beautiful community and lifelong friends.”
Hart, Horowitz, and Hankin wrote the script from a story by Hankin. Adam Sandler, Jackie Sandler, Horowitz, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, and Fred Berger produce. Sophia Lin, Judit Maull, Kevin Grady, Barry Weissler, and Michael Roiff executive produce.
The coming-of-age film is now streaming.
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