The film arrives at a time when reproduction rights are being fiercely debated in the United States and elsewhere.
Joyspans 10 years, and Im quite a young-appearing person, I always have been, she explains.
And so this for me was that transition.
Thomasin McKenzie in Film ‘Joy’Netflix
And, quite rightly, she was treated as an adult on set as well.
Jean says, These are my qualifications, this is where Ive studied.
The film puts Jean Purdy center stage, something that history has been slow to do.
James Norton and Thomasin McKenzie in ‘Joy’ (Netflix)Netflix
But the scientific community wouldnt allow her to be part of that because she was a woman.
And theres a lot of biographical and scientific background information to support Mackenzies theory.
For starters: The Noble Prize is not awarded posthumously, which sadly, made Purdy and Steptoe ineligible.
Also, she was the one who suggested the lab try using the womens natural cycles.
She was the one who figured it out, says McKenzie.
The repercussions from those who vehemently disapproved were cruel.
Some accused the three innovators of doing the work of the devil.
Purdys mother Gladys (a superb Joanna Scanlan) makes that same point abundantly clear to her daughter.
Like her mother, Purdy was a very religious person.
She was excluded from her community at church.
She received death threats and hate mail.
Her mum wouldnt talk to her, and she had no other family.
So, yeah, that took a lot of courage for Jean, McKenzie says.
McKenzie finds that heartbreaking, and one feels the same watching the film.
The three main stars put in some serous hours to prepare.
They had an embryologist on set who would advise them on all the scientific scenes.
They were very rigorous about it, McKenzie murmurs.
It was stressful because I didnt want to look like an idiot.
I seek permission from her to ask whether any close family have had a relationship with IVF.
She shakes her head and says that no one in my family has had IVF.
A moment later, McKenzie volunteers: I mean, I hope that Im pretty fertile!
Actually, she was shocked by what she didnt know.
Another film shes working on isThe Woman Clothed by The Sundirected by Mona Fastvold.
Shes currently preparing to shootFackham Hallfor director Jim OHanlon.
I beg her forgiveness for mispronouncing the films title.
Smiling brightly, McKenzie elucidates.
But the joke is, its supposed to sound likethat.
From what I can ascertain, McKenzie plays the daughter of a titled aristocrat played by Katherine Waterston.
Maybe something to do with coming from New Zealand, she explains.
Theyre just not my haunts.
Cant resist saying that McKenzie radiates joy!
