Okay, we need to talk about this mega-viral behind-the-scenes footage taken of Patrick Wilson and Brooklyn Decker while filming a sweaty sex scene for their new film Stretch.
First and foremost, why do people think this seems awkward?! It definitely shows the reality of shooting a feature film – a bazillion people on set watching you, cuts and starts, having to stay in the exact same position for way too long (for continuity), getting fake sweat sprayed all over yourself – but to me, this not only looks totally un-awkward but really, really fun.
It doesn’t hurt that the guy is Patrick Wilson [fans self] and the woman is Brooklyn Decker [more fanning of self], and that the two of them have a palpable chemistry of the type that makes an on-screen couple truly work. But mostly, this is an inside peek of what a really successful, great film set is like. The director, Joe Carnahan, engages with his actors in the type of back-and-forth dialogue that makes films great. He makes everyone on set laugh and says stuff like “great fucking!” when Wilson asks “was that enough fucking?” and seems to make everyone feel at ease.
So maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t see the “awkward” that others are witnessing. Mic had a great little post about it with the title “Watch What Goes Into the Incredibly Awkward Filming of a Sex Scene”, where they happened to embed a tweet of mine, also embedded here so you can laugh at it or disagree with it on Twitter if you want.
But the other tweets about it in the Mic piece reinforce that this video is uncomfortable or awkward.
So what am I missing, you guys? Is it weird that I think this is not only not awkward, but sort of hot and really, really fun?
This behind-the-scenes of filming a sex scene w/ Brooklyn Decker and Patrick Wilson made me consider a career change https://t.co/hL4ptk9xvx
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— joanna schroeder (@iproposethis) October 6, 2014
Even if it is just acting, and these actors aren’t partners in real life, I’d say this gives us a little more insight into what real intimacy is like. I’ve been married for coming up on 16 years this December, and the love I have with my wife are filled with these seemingly “awkward” moments. Most are pretty private, but some of it could sum up what people see from us, and I think they all know we love each other.
Totally!!