Olivia Wilde just hit it big in the snow.
The director and co-star of “The Invite,” a couples drama that unfolds over the course of one night in a San Francisco apartment, released the film at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday. A packed house at Eccles in Park City, Utah, went wild for the project, which also stars Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton.
“It was a dream of mine to premiere here in front of you,” Wilde told the crowd, paying a final tribute to Sundance founder Robert Redford, who died last year at the age of 89. The ensuing 107-minute run follows a down-on-his-luck, resentful couple (Wilde and Rogen) as they entertain their free-spirited new neighbors (Cruise and Norton). The ensuing craziness, passive-aggressive confrontations, food allergies, swapping revelations, rug fetishes, tequila shots, and the concept of pegging earned big laughs and moving reviews for the relatable marriage scenes.
After the credits rolled, Wilde returned to the stage and received a standing ovation. She wiped away tears and asked the audience to sit down so she could call out Rogen, Norton, the cinematographer and production team, and co-writer Will McCormack.
During the final Q&A, Wilde was asked by Sundance program director Kim Yutani how he navigated the range of humor and raw emotion.
“I heard a wise person say this: You’re never more vulnerable than when you’re laughing. And I think what’s great about this group is that we’ve been able to take people on that journey and make them laugh and relax and just punch them in the gut,” she said.
Norton praised Wilde’s third directorial effort, following Booksmart and Don’t Worry Darling.
“Seth and I both direct and act in films, and inevitably there comes a moment where you think, ‘That was a terrible decision.’ I can’t overstate the grace and wisdom with which Olivia performed that performance and guided us through it.”
“The Invite” is on the ground for distribution.
