Filmmaker Spotlight: Karen Maine
By Morgan Roberts
Karen Maine is a director and writer who has worked in both film and television. She made her directorial feature debut with “Yes, God, Yes” which first premiered at the SXSW Film Festival where it received a Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble. Her second film, “Rosaline,” was an adaptation of Rebecca Serle’s book, “When You Were Mine,” which follows the minor character Rosaline from the William Shakespeare play, “Romeo and Juliet.” The film was later released exclusively on Hulu. In addition to her film work, Maine has directed for television including the entire first season of the Rose Matafeo series, “Starstruck,” and the recent Netflix series, “Nobody Wants This.” Maine has a clear interest in female-focused stories with a keen, humanistic approach to exploring their lives and journeys. We will examine Maine’s work both in film and television, and how her viewpoint greatly influences her cinematic work.
Yes, God, Yes (2020)
Expanding upon her short film of the same name, Maine explores religion, sexuality, and adolescence in this coming-of-age comedy. In the film, Alice (Natalia Dyer) lives a seemingly sheltered life. Attending her private Catholic school, Alice only has the internet and the first VHS tape of “Titanic” to begin to understand her desires and her sexuality. Of course, neither are the best teachers. And it is an AOL chat that turns racy that is the catalyst for her struggle between suppressing her new urges and her new sexual desires. This is further complicated as Alice attends her school’s next spiritual retreat.
The film very much captures the early 2000s in such a precise way. At the time, same sex marriage was seen as the next civil rights hurdle, while conservatives Christians flourished in the socially right Bush era. Meanwhile, technology was rapidly changing and advancing. “Yes, God, Yes” takes place during the fall of 2000, at the precipice of a technology boom. In a few short years, AOL chatrooms will be replaced with MySpace. Family computer rooms will be replaced by smartphones in every household member’s pocket. This moment just before massive change serves as a nice allegory for coming-of-age, especially for Alice. Alice is growing up in a socially conservative community. Sex and desires are wrapped up in shame and guilt. Having to navigate these feelings while not having an adult to turn to makes the internet a likely source of exploration - and a source of confusion. Even in Alice’s naivety and timidness, she is also incredibly resourceful, curious, and persistent. And it is that latter attribute that is her greatest asset. As the boys in her life can make up stories which paint her as the school’s Hester Prynne, she is determined to not only explore her own sexuality, but expose the hypocrisy between men and women. Normally, when we see girls and young women beginning to understand their sexuality and desires, there is almost a helplessness, a requirement for a Ryan Philippe-type to “teach” them about their own bodies. Maine only empowers Alice. As Alice’s circumstances becomes more complicated, her autonomy in her situation never wavers. It is refreshing to see a high school girl both precocious and unsure, but unwilling to have her journey defined by others, no matter how uphill the battle may be. Dyer, who also appeared in the short film of the same name, understands this confluence. She gives Alice layers through a truly empathetic performance. As the audience, you can absolutely believe that Alice has no idea what it means to “toss someone’s salad” while also believing her chat on AOL has begun to make the wheel turn in regards to her own sexuality. Her journey as Alice is grounded in Alice’s humanness. Dyer never loses sight of what makes Alice equally endearing and captivating.
Natalia Dyer as Alice in “Yes, God, Yes” | Vertical Entertainment
Moreover, the film does center on religion. Alice attends a Catholic school, and Christianity is a main framework for the world built in “Yes, God, Yes.” Personally, as a person who is no longer religious due to my own Christian upbringing, I find myself drawn to films exploring Christianity and largely end up feeling hollow. There are a number of fantastic films critiquing the religion and there are obviously many movies which portray Christianity in a glowing light. But Maine subverts both. She never shies away from the critiques. The way in which conservative Christianity can create deep shame over natural sexual inclinations and desires, how the religion can be used to craft obedience and blind faith, and how that can be weaponized to control people, usually women. Yet, there is a great empathy in this film. Christianity can be stifling. We see that with Father Murphy (Timothy Simons), who weaponizes shame while clearly being suffocated by that same shame himself. He is human, just like his students, and rather leaning into compassion, he allows himself to perpetuate the same harmful ideas that have hurt him as well. There is a deep empathy that permeates “Yes, God, Yes,” and it is the most evident when looking at religion. There has been so much learned shame, that Alice’s need to break that cycle becomes so alarming to others. I think in lesser hands, religion would have been reduced to jokes - and don’t get me wrong, there are a plethora of moments that laugh at here. Instead, the humor comes from the honesty. If you have ever attended a Christian school or grew up in a deeply Christian community, you will recognize experiences reflected in this film. Even in that honesty, even with the critique, Maine never loses sight that these are people whose own faith was weaponized against them first. They are trying their best while having deeply rooted shame and guilt dictating their lives.
“Yes, God, Yes” handles the intersection of coming-of-age and religion with tact, hilarity, honesty, and love. It is one of those films that make you feel seen if you’ve had a journey even slightly similar to Alice. You can recognize struggle between desire and shame, confidence and insecurity. And, the film ends with Mandy Moore’s hit song, “Candy.” There is nothing more iconic than that.
Rosaline (2022)
Most people read Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” in high school. In the play, she is an unseen character, who Romeo was briefly seeing before becoming infatuated with Juliet. “Rosaline” instead takes the unseen character and builds the story of Romeo and Juliet from her perspective. Rosaline (Kaitlyn Dever) has been secretly dating Romeo (Kyle Allen). As her father (Bradley Whitford) looks to marry Rosaline off, including to potential suitor Dario (Sean Teale). While Rosaline and Dario are caught on a boat in a storm, Romeo attends a masquerade ball where he becomes smitten by Rosaline’s cousin, Juliet (Isabela Merced). After learning of Romeo and Juliet, Rosaline becomes hellbent on breaking up the couple.”Rosaline” was written by Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter with Maine as director.
“Rosaline” is a refreshing romantic comedy. First, the centering of this classic story on the unseen Rosaline is truly an important viewpoint. Throughout history, whether real or fictional, there are countless women who are minimized, cast aside, or completely omitted from stories. In the play, when Romeo justifies quickly moving on from Rosaline to Juliet, it is noted that her desire to remain chaste is a reason for doing so. Conversely, the film depicts Rosaline as ambitious, progressive, and headstrong. She does not view marriage as a requirement, and desires to marry for love, not for financial security. It then makes her meddling with Juliet and Romeo more understandable. She is particular and fell head over heels for Romeo, who, in turn, seems to change his affections depending on which way the wind is blowing. It subverts the Leonardo DiCaprio vision of Romeo we have; a young, passionate man, just desperate to be with his true love Juliet. Instead, we truly understand the gravity of his wandering eye. No more is she an unseen woman discussed by Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio, but a fully autonomous person who is deeply wounded by her breakup.
Isabela Merced as Juliet and Kaitlyn Dever as Rosaline in “Rosaline” | Hulu
The film certainly leans into the rom-com genre with wit and sincerity. Lately, the inclination from filmmakers is treat the genre as a joke, and while “Rosaline” certainly has moments of poking fun at some genre tropes, it more than anything appreciates the genre. There are homages throughout, with a nod to “The Graduate” at the end of the film being my favorite. It is this sincerity that makes “Rosaline” standout. It does not need to diminish the genre in order to elevate Rosaline herself. Instead, the film has that deep appreciation while giving Rosaline the layers and nuance she deserves. It helps that Dever clearly understands Rosaline, centering her performance on her ambition without losing sight of her imperfections. Rosaline makes mistakes, and it is that same tenacity that initially propelled her that inspires her to make things right. Dever navigates the humor of the film effortlessly, going over the top as Rosaline tries to scare away potential suitors while being quick witted for more subtle humor. Yet, you are always grounded in what makes Rosaline a person. She is forward-thinking, which makes her a bit of an outcast. She sees greatness for herself while others have a narrow view of her future. Balancing that humor and heart is key for a romantic comedy, and as the central character, Dever nails it. She brings the same complexity to her performance as Meg Ryan in “When Harry Met Sally” or Cher in “Moonstruck.”
The film further subverts expectations in how it handles Romeo and Juliet, and more so the latter. As mentioned before, Romeo is usually seen as this tragic romantic, just wanting to be with the love of his life. In “Rosaline,” his flippancy in love is far more evident, and is paints a vastly different picture of this character. Juliet, however, while at first seen as a rival to Rosaline, becomes the driving force behind her desire to right her wrongs. Juliet becomes a far more important person to Rosaline, and it is that relationship that she truly fights to repair. So often, when two women are seen as rivals, they remain pitted against one another. Maine clearly frames these two young women as equals, and the real journey of the film is not Rosaline winning Romeo back, but Rosaline showing up for Juliet when she needs it most. Without Maine’s vision, I am unsure if this would have been captured as thoughtfully as it is in the film.
“Rosaline” is a zippy, fun, and heartwarming romantic comedy. It elevates the genre and gives voice to women overlooked in or omitted from the stories of men. Maine understands the importance of this genre - of how it has been dubbed dismissively as a “chick flick” - but I think female-centered stories are important for everyone to watch, regardless of gender. It teaches us empathy, expands our comedic sensibilities, and makes for great entertainment.
And as an editorial note, you can rent “Rosaline” and I implore you to do so. Previously, the film was streaming on Hulu in the United States and Star+ in the UK before being removed without a clear plan for the film after that. I just quickly want to beseech the powers that be to release films on physical media. “Rosaline” would have been a film that would have been on loop in my formative years. I certainly would have saved up birthday money to buy the DVD at Best Buy. There are so many stories in the world, but the way in which we choose which stories deserve preservation and which do not worries me. Physical media is an important means to preserve the works of so many filmmakers. The thought of a film like “Rosaline” completely going away was, frankly, devastating. And while I’m so thrilled it is still accessible, I’d like for that accessibility to be permanent. This is my desire to bring back physical media as I promise, there are so many people who would love to physically own films.
On Television
Maine has directed numerous episodes on television. With “Starstruck,” Maine directed the six episodes of season one. “Starstruck” follows Jessie (Rose Matafeo), a millennial living in London, working two dead-end jobs and feeling a bit stuck. But all of that changes after a one-night-stand with Tom (Nikesh Patel) who just so happens to be a film star. Navigating her day-to-day with the new complications that come with accidentally sleeping with a movie star, Jessie begins to re-evaluate her life. Much like with “Rosaline,” “Starstruck” is heavily influenced by romantic comedies. The Mike Nichols homages are subtle, but delightful when you find them. Maine set the tone for the entire series, defining the world Jessie lives in, and giving it a cinematic feel, which feels apt since Jessie does work at a movie theater. While there are elements of the series which can make it easily compared to shows like “Fleabag” and “This Way Up,” similarly to those series, the uniqueness of “Starstruck” comes from its voice. Matafeo created the series, and Maine clearly amplifies her voice, understanding this material so intrinsically.
Rose Matafeo as Jessie and Emma Sidi as Kate in “Starstruck” | BBC Three
More recently, Maine directed two episodes of the Netflix series, “Nobody Wants This.” The show is about an agnostic sex podcast, Joanne (Kristen Bell) and a newly single rabbi, Noah (Adam Brody) who fall in love, navigating the challenges of their different lives and their meddling families. Maine directed episodes three (“Either Aura”) and six (“The Ick”). Both episodes focus on the family dynamics Joanne and Noah have as they are in the early stages of their relationship. Coming into a show after a tone has been established, I can imagine, can be a unique and exciting challenge. How do you ensure your vision aligns with the series as a whole, while adding your own personal perspective to your work? I think Maine handles that balance effortlessly. The episodes seamlessly flow throughout the series, but there are blocking choices and angles which feel specific Maine’s pervious work.
Adam Brody as Noah Roklov in “Nobody Wants This” | Netflix
Whether it is her work in film or on television, Maine’s interest in the human experience is prevalent throughout her work. Being able to empathetically critique religion or earnestly delving into romantic comedies, Maine’s viewpoint as a filmmaker uniquely interrogates what drives people, and what makes them special, not in spite of their messiness, but because of their imperfect complexities. Maine is a filmmaker who understands how to hold her own image and marry that with the creative perspectives of others - just use “Starstruck” for a masterclass in that balance. As she works in both film and television, I’ll be keen to see what human-centered stories she tackles next.