Dirty Laundry, by Rocky Walls, tells the story of two friends, Eric and Kyle. Their relationship has reached a point where they have to decide whether they want to go ahead with their decision to start a business together or go their separate ways. Kyle has already put in his papers, thereby proving that he is committed to the dream that he had dreamt with Eric back in the day. But Eric is of two minds because his father wants him to study instead of risking his future on an unstable profession. Hence, they sit down at their usual meeting place, the laundromat, to have an in-depth discussion about the matter. However, something magical happens, which helps Eric and Kyle to really open up to each other and shift their dynamic in unexpected directions. I really liked the film, and when I got the opportunity to virtually chat with the director, I asked him about Dirty Laundry’s influences, what he is saying about friendship through Eric and Kyle, and more. And he has given some insightful answers. So, give it a read.
How did you come up with the story of Dirty Laundry & what was the process of developing it into this film?
“After falling victim to a smash-and-grab looting during a work trip to San Francisco in 2023, I needed a creative distraction. Somehow, a perfect storm of recovering from that recent traumatic experience, drawing on an inside joke with coworkers about filming a movie in a laundromat, and processing a lot of much more distant, childhood trauma resulted in the screenplay for Dirty Laundry.”
What was the decision-making process behind setting the film in the ’90s from a thematic & production-design point of view?
“The 90s are so “in” right now. But, also it’s when I grew up and when so many of the themes of the film really started taking root in my own life. So, I thought it’d be fun to tap into that. Practically speaking, the time period inherently offers some nice limitations – no social media, smartphones, etc. that make it easier to really narrow in on just two guys forced to work things out in a laundromat together.”
Given the intimate nature of the film, how much of the visuals & interactions are inspired by your personal experiences ?
“The film is semi-autobiographical. Like Kyle, I lost my own father when I was seven. Like Eric, I grew up with a lot of great expectations from family members. I started a business (12 Stars Media, the company that produced this film) with my best friend. Among more specific moments, the grape soda scene was inspired by my own lack of childhood memories with my dad. For us, though, it was a chocolatey drink called Choc-Cola. Fans may also enjoy knowing that my older brother taught me how to make paper frogs and blow-up boxes, then I taught Charlie so he could do it in the movie.”
The whole film seems so simple because it unfolds in a single location & has a limited number of actors, but what were some of the challenges that you faced that many wouldn’t think a film with a premise as seemingly simple as “Dirty Laundry” would face?
“The first thing that comes to mind is, how much was riding on the location and our two stars, Mitchell and Charlie. I had only two absolute requirements for pursuing the project into production: 1) that we find the perfect laundromat, since that’s where our characters and audience would spend 90% of their time, and 2) that we find a Kyle and an Eric that audiences would fall in love with and root for almost instantly.”
“We were so fortunate to solve both those challenges so quickly. Tony Ray Laundry could not have been more perfect with its coin-operated machines, nostalgic paint scheme, and those little details like the pay phone, MS, and Pac-Man machine. Then, Mitchell and Charlie being the exact age as Kyle and Eric and being best friends in real life, were a great fit from the start. During production, they poured their hearts into their performances and it shows. Their acting has been called out by everyone who’s seen the film so far. They nailed it.”
What was the thought process behind using a bit of magical realism to incite the conversation between Kyle & Eric?
“Remember that inside joke I mentioned earlier? Well, over the past few years, I developed a silly idea that I often shared with the team at 12 Stars Media whenever we’d drive by a laundromat. It was just a joke, but I told them I had this idea to film a reality/game show type series where we’d invite strangers to reveal their secrets while seated, backlit behind a makeshift, white bed sheet “curtain.” The visual would be very witness protection-esque, and the content would be silly stuff like, “When I was 10 years old, I destroyed my sister’s favorite Barbie doll out of spite, but blamed it on our dog and to this day she still doesn’t know the truth.” I admit, it was a half-baked idea at best, but it still helped inspire the idea of a character confessing truth. And, one of the first decisions I had to make was whether Kyle and Eric would still be under the spell by the time this scene took place, or whether Kyle would “come clean” of his own free will.”
The whole film is quite dialogue-heavy but in a Richard Linklater-esque way. So what’s the key to making dialogue sound conversational yet informative?
“First of all, thanks! What an honor to even get a Linklater-esque in reference to my writing. Two things come to mind with this really great question. First, for some reason I have a super strong movie recall. Like, I remember whole scenes from movies that friends and family sometimes forget they ever even watched. So, I think that has given me a strong baseline for well written dialogue.”
“Secondly, from a structural perspective, I think our flashback scenes really helped maintain a nice flow with dialogue in the nearly real-time unfolding of the main story at the laundromat, since most of what we needed to get out expositionally comes from the flashbacks. One other point is that Mitchell, Charlie, and I ran these lines in several virtual rehearsal settings while they were at school [during] the fall semester before we filmed. If something didn’t feel like it was working when they delivered it in rehearsals, I took note and made changes to keep it as natural for them as possible.”
How did you fine tune that final scene?
“Great question! Of course, it’s arguably the most important scene, so it got a lot of attention. First of all, I have to say there was a point very near the end of pre-production that I realized we hadn’t actually tested the set design/concept at all. As in, we still didn’t know if what I pictured in my head with each guy’s shadow being projected onto the sheet, would even work. We were relieved to find out it worked even better than I imagined once we finally tested it out.”
“As far as the writing and performances, I wanted Kyle and Eric to be as pure and vulnerable as possible. That meant considering each of them as wholly their own individual. It was easy, for a while, to think of that final scene as “Kyle’s big moment.” But, Eric’s reaction is just as important. So, I went to great lengths to write and rewrite the script, then work closely with Mitchell and Charlie on their individual feelings during that scene. I’m super proud of them both – it’s a scene that makes me tear up every time.”
You wear your film influences on your sleeve: John Hughes, Rob Reiner, Frank Darabont. Tell me about how these movies (or any other movies you want to talk about) influenced what stories you want to tell & how you want to tell them.
“You absolutely nailed those influences. I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised since I wrote them all right into the script. Stand By Me, Dead Poets Society, Breakfast Club – as you’ve pointed out, there’s something really special and a little rare, in my opinion, to see young men having open, emotionally honest conversations. I still shed tears when Anthony Michael’s character finally cracks near the end of Breakfast Club. And don’t even get me started on Gordie and Chris. Then, there’s the magical realism of The Green Mile. Really, so many Stephen King stories that I grew up with shaped my perspective on how both natural and supernatural external powers can be interesting and affecting, but the story can still stay intimately focused on human relationships.”
I like the arc that The Princess Bride goes through in your movie, where it’s scoffed at because guys can’t watch it with their guy-friends & eventually Eric says that he’d be happy to watch it with Kyle. And I see on the internet that many movies are still deemed unworthy of being watched by guys with other guy-friends. What do you think leads to this sentiment? And how do you feel this can be changed for the better?
“I love that you called it an arc. I think Eric (Charlie Schultz) does an exceptional job at allowing his perspective to shift on that, while staying true to his personality in each moment. When Kyle first mentions it, there’s no way Eric’s watching a movie called The Princess Bride, especially alone with another dude. As is often the case with toxic masculinity, he’s not deliberate in his insensitivity. It’s a knee-jerk reaction to a situation that makes him uncomfortable, likely stemming from some previous situation when he got made fun of for showing some sensitivity.”
“By the end of the night, though, both Eric’s and Kyle’s insecurities have been exposed and they’ve discovered how unexpectedly safe they can feel in their most fragile moments. This safety allows Eric to admit he’s willing to watch The Princess Bride with Kyle. That’s what I hope, more than anything, viewers can see in the film and seek out in their own lives – relationships that allow them to be their true selves and still feel accepted and loved.”
And what kind of thoughts & opinions, overall, would you want audiences to walk away with after watching Dirty Laundry?
“I’ve described Dirty Laundry as a coming-of-age film, but really the main theme applies to all stages of life. Experts of all kinds acknowledge that we’re in a loneliness epidemic. Despite access to more ways of communicating than ever, we aren’t connecting as deeply. I hope Kyle and Eric show audiences how special and important it is to work on and fight for our deepest and safest relationships.”
