[THE MAIN EVENT]
Director Lawrence Lamont talks about One of Them Days, the first buddy comedy led by Black women since Girls Trip
UpRising: The trailer for One Of Them Days is hilarious. What was your initial reaction after reading the script?
Lawrence Lamont: It reminded me of people I grew up with in Detroit. Similar type of environment as the characters in the Jungles. The characters reminded me of my mom. I'm just like, “Man, I was really living like this with my mom and she was making it happen with a son.” She had me at like 23, so that was how I identified. I always try to find my way into a project through personal connectivity.
And then it was just undeniably funny. The script has gone through many phases, but the bones of the story have remained the same. I like simple stories. Not to say this is a simple script, but If you think about stories—like Home Alone or Ferris Bueller's Day Off—the concept is simple.
I also think everybody can relate to the central theme. Most of the human population knows what it's like to have to pay the bill next month. Like, “Damn, it's the 1st already?” Black people canfind humor in the most chaotic situations. I'm sure during the hardest times for us as a race, there were stand-up comics making everybody laugh.
Black buddy comedies lead by women are rare. Were there films that you used as inspiration, or did you say “I’m creating my own thing”?
It was a mixture of both. We don't have that many references for so many of our original stories. So of course I thought about B.A.P.S. and Robert Townsend, and that made me think about the times I saw Black women in prominent roles, how that made me feel.
[I also thought about] Friday and John Singleton's work, a lot of the early ’90s classics—from Boyz N the Hood to Poetic Justice—just how stylized that work was. And then I considered movies like Superbad, Bridesmaids, those big comedic movies that really penetrated the culture.
I was using my imagination, like, how do I truly envision this world? Because I don't have that many references. And then they are racing the clock and that's going to be a big element when you see the film. So I started thinking about films that used time as an element, like Ferris Bueller's Day Off, a lot of John Hughes work. Even Breakfast Club, you know, they used time differently. They were staring at this clock all day in detention. So I tried to find elements and tools from all sorts of filmmakers and movies, but there was no true reference. B.A.P.S. was the closest.
Keke Palmer is naturally hysterical. How were you able to pull the humor out of SZA?
It was easy, honestly. SZA is a fun-loving person. Her music is so special and connects with so many people. She reminds me of Alyssa, the character she's playing. She told me the first time we met in person that one of her best friends reminds her of [Keke Palmer's character] Dreux and she's Alyssa, like, out the gate, before we started doing anything. I was like, “Let's lean into that.” SZA’s timing creatively transitions so easily and so well onto the screen. Also, having Keke Palmer elevates everyone. So, with her there it wasn't that hard at all. SZA has an incredible sense of humor and was ready to lean in.
Tell me about Alyssa.
Alyssa asks the universe for answers. She's very woo-woo, a very spiritual soul who also kind of has that, I don't want to say imposter syndrome, but she has a gift as a painter and she doesn't care about her work. She is a hopeless romantic, too. I think she's a character we all can relate to.
And how about Keke’s character, Dreux?
Dreux is the opposite. She always has a plan. You can rely on her. She's employee-of-the-month at Norms. She knows the ins-and-outs of everything. She's trying to elevate herself and become a manager of a franchise. She has her flaws, too, but you can tell she has a vision for what she wants her future to look like. She's trying to dig herself out of a financial hole, but she's the more goal-oriented and responsible one of the two.
What was it like having Katt Williams on set being that he was one of the veterans of the cast?
On set, he showed leadership. He showed up as Katt Williams one time. He came into my trailer, like, “Hello, Mr. Director, Katt Williams reporting for duty.” No lie. It was like seven in the morning. We chopped it up for a minute. And then he was in character the whole time. Like, the entire time… It's gonna be some behind-the-scenes [footage] that comes out and people will see him as an Incredible actor and an Incredible talent. I will work with him any day of the week. There are roles out there that we haven't seen him do yet that I'm hoping we will get to see him play because his chops, not just from the comedic standpoint, are through the roof.
Was there a lot of ad-libbing from him?
Katt stayed on script a lot. Once we got into the flow of things, he started improvising, giving us some gold that was still within the basis of our scenes and not going too crazy. There are a couple lines towards the end of the film that he just completely improvs that are so funny. He found moments. We found pockets of improvisation and areas where he could really have fun.
Between Issa Rae and MACRO’s own Charles King and James Lopez, the team you worked with is top-tier. Did you feel added pressure to deliver on this film?
I really didn't because I feel like I'm in my sacred calling. Sure, nervousness happens, but It's the good nervousness. Having Issa, Charles King, James Lopez—they're empowering people in general. So once they believe in you as an artist, there's no way you can't really believe in yourself when you're working with them. From a creative confidence standpoint, I feel like I had a solid foundation to really uplift me.
Speaking of foundations, when did you first cultivate a love of film?
I was really young, man—like eight or nine. My aunt in Detroit would cram movies on VHS tapes and I would lock myself in a room and watch stuff. I didn't really know what I was watching, but it was intriguing to me. I was watching some classic cinema—Taxi Driver, Stanley Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange. I probably shouldn't have been watching [that] back then. [Laughs] I'm watching The Shining and, of course, Spike Lee's work. That really grabbed me because it was my first time seeing people I knew on screen. I remember watching Crooklyn super young and thinking, this is like my family, you know?
Were you most inspired by Spike?
I would say so. Just the way his work looked and felt. The score. The big crane shots he and Ernest Dickerson were putting together. I was like, “This feels different.” We can tell our stories and not subscribe to the clichés. Even if we are in struggling situations, he told those stories with such class. That was an inspiration. I’d also say Steven Spielberg is an inspiration. I remember seeing Jurassic Park and Hook as a kid. My imagination went crazy.
What is it about Spielberg’s storytelling that makes it span generations?
He finds a way to be truthful with the camerawork and the performances he gets out of actors—it's a sense of hope. Take Hook, for example. I remember them eating the food that wasn't there and it's showing up in their minds; they’re using their imaginations. What's so special about Spielberg is he finds a way into his worlds with a sense of hope. Since the beginning of time, humans have been hopeful. That's a theme in most of Spielberg's work. Even harder stuff like Schindler's List or Amistad, you know, pulling that nail out. We all remember that moment. That was hopeful for everybody.
—Jermaine Hall
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One of Them Days releases in theaters on Jan. 24, 2025. It's one of them ones.
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