Cailee Spaeny is a young actress with obvious natural talent. Her name for me is quite a mouthful that survived getting the usual Hollywood rename. Cailee is an unusual but very charming and fitting name for this Cinema Princess.
Cailee recently got my attention in the Alex Garland film, Civil War. Her character was a combat photographer/intern, Jessie. She was using her father’s obsolete, three-decade old Nikon film camera developing her film in the field! Three experienced journalists reluctantly agreed to let Jessie travel with them from NYC to Washington, DC through war torn and often hostile territory. Jessie fumbled her way along under the limited protection and guidance of the others. She proved only too well, she’d risk her life to get those compelling money shots.
The character, Jessie and the others in the film give viewers a look into the lives of those journalists that bring the horrors of war to our dinner tables. We too often take for granted their contributions to history.
As for Cailee and her future, the sky is the limit. I want very much to see this talented actress play the accidental heroic, Chicago Policewoman, Ann Leybourne. This would be in my film, Come Friday.
The majority of people today have never seen a policewoman, not to be confused with today’s female police officers. This was at an historical time when policewomen wore skirts and heels. Their duties were limited to taking care of neglected, abused, or delinquent children. However, these women were trained under state law requirements to do things that they would never do in their entire careers like routine, patrol or issuing moving traffic citations. They of course, had the full power of arrest and were required to carry firearms 24/7.
My script is dramatic, thought-provoking, exciting, and at times incredibly humorous. The period’s legal system failures are exposed and that may anger some viewers. The history of the explosive race relations of that difficult time have not been sanitized. Yes, there was a deadly war going on between the police that were mostly white and the Black Panther Party.
Whoever portrays the complex character of Ann Leybourne will face challenges. My money is on, Cailee Spaeny. I’d not be surprised that Cailee picks up a trio of Best Supporting Actress nominations from the Gloden Globes, SAG, and of Course that most coveted Oscar.
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