In Ella McCay, Academy Award-winning writer, director, and producer James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News, As Good as it Gets) presents his “portrait of a modern woman” with a heartwarming story about understanding and surviving the ones you love. To dig into what makes Brooks’ films rewatchable classics, Collider’s Steve Weintraub sits down with stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Albert Brooks, who round out a stacked cast led by Emma Mackey.

In the movie, Mackey plays the title character, Ella McCay, a 34-year-old woman who’s just become the governor of her home state. On top of her new responsibilities and determination to do good in the world, Ella is attempting to navigate tough family dynamics and all the hilarity and heartache that entails. The movie also stars Woody Harrelson, Ayo Edebiri, Jack Lowden, Spike Fearn, Kumail Nanjiani, Rebecca Hall, and Julie Kavner.

Check out the full conversation in the video above or the transcript below, where Curtis and Brooks break down a meaningful scene between Curtis and Mackey, discuss the brilliant writing of James L. Brooks and why unforgettable rom-coms and comedies seem rare these days, and crack each other up.

Albert Brooks Brings a Blend of “Smarts and Sass” to ‘Ella McCay’

“A lot of the men in Ella McCay are either poo-poo heads or douchebags.”

COLLIDER: If someone has never seen a film that Albert has done, what’s the one you think they should start with? And I’m going to flip it: if someone has never seen anything that Jamie has done, what do you want them to start with?

JAMIE LEE CURTIS: Well, I want them to start with Ella McCay, and I want them to start with Ella McCay because Governor Bill, the part that Albert plays, is such a delicious blend of smarts and sass. There’s this sage quality to him, to his character. A lot of the men in Ella McCay are either poo-poo heads or douchebags, and what I love about Governor Bill is that you ride this rail of self-interest and actual love. I actually believe you love Ella McCay. Love her. And so there’s that beautiful combo platter.

ALBERT BROOKS: What did you hear? [Laughs]

CURTIS: I didn’t hear anything. So I would say start with that. Because to go into the work that he’s done as a writer-director, I would say start with Ella McCay. That’s how I’m going to answer that question.

BROOKS: Well, I’m going to give a stupid answer and say Trading Places, because she was the most beautiful woman.

CURTIS: And I’ve had to cover everybody up.

BROOKS: It’s all uncovered.

CURTIS: I covered it all up.

It’s funny, I just spoke to Eddie Murphy for his documentary two days ago, and he’s such a nice person.

That ‘Ella McCay’ Scream Wasn’t for Jamie Lee Curtis

It’s just a “lovely added bonus” that she’s the Queen of Screams.

You’re a very famous scream queen, but I did not expect to get another batch of screams in this movie. So I’m just so curious, what do you actually do right before you’re stepping on set to deliver? Because you’re so famous for that.

CURTIS: It’s just not what I think about. I just don’t think about it at all. What I’ll tell you is that that sequence in the movie was one of the later scenes that were written, and I think it was because Jim [Brooks] was really working out this portrait of a modern woman, which is Ella McCay — which is Emma Mackey, who’s brilliant — and this conflict between ideas and reality, and wanting to play the game, but really having this complication when she becomes governor, and sitting on it. I think she represents much of what women do, which is we sit on it. We just don’t let it out. It’s like in Frozen. What’s the song? “Let it go, let it go…” We don’t. We try to do everything, and I think the metaphor for the scream…

BROOKS: In theFrozen sequel, I hear the end is “keep it in.” So, I think they agree with you. It might be a rumor. Well, you know, they did a lot of testing.

CURTIS: [Laughs]

You broke her.

CURTIS: You know what I’m saying? I think that Jim was wrestling with this from a character standpoint and that he understood that. This was a later scene added to the movie, so I don’t think he hired me just because he knew I was famous for screaming, but I do think that there was a lovely added bonus to it that I’m the one encouraging her to do it. Like, “Youneed to do this. I can tell you from experience, letting it out is the way to go.” I love the slow burn of that and the way the scene is done.

Romantic Comedies Still Exist – They’re Just Going Straight to Your Couch

“I’m not saying it’s being made great.”

Something I’m so curious about with this film is that these kinds of films used to be made in Hollywood all the time, and it’s like a dying art form, this genre. Why do you both think it is that Hollywood just doesn’t make these movies anymore?

BROOKS: Well, I don’t know that they don’t. I just think they don’t wind up in theaters. I think if we looked at every streaming movie, there would be what you would call a romantic comedy or a comedy-drama. I mean there are eight new movies every week so I’m sure some of them are. They’re still making them they’re just not in movie theaters. That’s sort of unfortunate because movies that have laughs are great to see with people. It’s the dramas they should be showing at home. The comedies they should be showing in theaters because that’s the whole point of laughing with other people. So I don’t know that the subject isn’t being made. I just think it’s being made for your couch.

CURTIS: I think James L. Brooks is the reason why. His unique secret sauce his combo sauce of emotion comedy and character is I think unique. I think that’s why.

BROOKS: But also he’s saying that was Billy Wilder’s career.

CURTIS: Right.

BROOKS: That was common for a period in Hollywood — men women light comedy. That was Carrie Grant’s career so maybe that’s being made less but I’m telling you it’s still being made I’m not saying it’s being made great Not everybody’s Jim but it’s not being made for movie theaters.

CURTIS: Well the other thing is of course Emma Mackey All I kept thinking about when I first was sent the script The first question I asked my agent “Who’s Ella McCay?” And all I keep thinking about is Jim Brooks who’s written this script for 15 years agonizing over every word And Emma Mackey walks in his office Like the first time he meets her because she reminds me so much of Katharine Hepburnand those actresses that have that uncanny ability to be so unbelievably beautiful yet so smart so fast facile exquisite as she is ridiculous in the movie So all I keep thinking about is what Jim must have felt at moment she walked in door realizing that Ella McCay walked in door I can’t even imagine what that must have felt like.

Ella McCayis in theaters now.