“I remember being so overwhelmed with how this story has already touched so many people,” Phoebe-Rae Taylor revealed about the Sundance Film Festival premiere of Disney’s Out of My Mind earlier this year. The film makes its Disney+ debut on Friday, November 22nd, the long-awaited film adaptation of Sharon M. Draper’s 2010 novel. The Sundance screenings drew in longtime fans of the book, who lovingly embraced the film adaptation, responding to it with a tearful standing ovation. “That really opened my eyes and made me realize how much it means to people.”
Phoebe-Rae Taylor stars as Melody Brooks, a bright, non-verbal girl with cerebral palsy who gets a rare chance to participate in a mainstream classroom experience. “Sundance is obviously a dream festival, and it’s meant so much to me throughout my career,” recalled director Amber Sealey during our interview. “I’m a pretty pessimistic person… we had just shown the film, there was a standing ovation, people were crying and clapping, and I thought to myself, ‘Oh, they’re not just pretending. They actually like the movie.’ It was a really powerful moment for me, not only as a filmmaker but to see how the film and its story resonated with people. It’s bigger than me; it’s bigger than us. This movie is so important, and it was meaningful to know it touched people in such a genuine way. Making it really changed my understanding of humanity, the world, disability, and neurodiversity. I hope the film offers viewers even a fraction of what it offered me during the process.”
“It's one of those books that gets read in fifth grade,” reflected Rosemarie DeWitt, who plays Melody’s mo, Diane, about diving into the story when Amber Sealey offered her the role. “At the time, my oldest kid was in fourth grade, so I hadn’t come across it yet. But then, as a family, we all read it… The experience of reading the script and reading the book is the same as watching the movie – I just bawled my eyes out.”
Luke Kirby, who plays Melody’s father Chuck, was also unfamiliar with the book, but had a working relationship with Amber Sealey. “Amber provided so much information, detail, and access to people who could help me better understand the specifics of this family dynamic,” Luke Kirby shared. “That was a really great starting point for getting immersed in the community and understanding the challenges, but also the deep love and affection that drives it all. Amber’s guidance made all the difference.”
“Phoebe – what an extraordinary young woman,” gushed stage and screen veteran Judith Light who plays the Brooks’ eccentric next-door neighbor, Mrs. V., a character who instantly recognizes that Melody’s abilities exceed her physical limitations. “[She had never] acted before, and she was incredible. Her parents were great, her whole family was great. There was such a sense of support. I also have to say, Disney was so wonderful and supportive. They visited the set and were incredibly involved… Amber Sealey, our director, really put it all together. She created this collaborative environment where there were no egos. Everyone came together to make this valuable film. It has a meaningful message, but it’s never pedantic or didactic. It doesn’t talk down to or at people. It’s just this beautiful, tender, fragile, vulnerable, and powerful story.”
“Every single cast member was insanely talented and kind,” added Courtney Taylor, who plays an advocate for Melody named Katherine. “And the kids, oh my goodness! You’ve got some mean kids in there, some funny kids, but they were all so good… They were so talented, funny… I never had a dull moment on set. Interacting with the kids and with Phoebe was so much fun.”
“I don’t think I could have acted as well as I did if it weren’t for my castmates,” concluded Phoebe-Rae Taylor about her acting debut as Melody Brooks, the main character in Out of My Mind. “I had so much fun… I got to go to this amazing place with so many amazing people. We had so many laughs on set. I had so many moments where I literally couldn’t stop laughing, and they had to wait to roll the cameras.”
Find out why Sundance audiences were moved to a tearful standing ovation when Disney’s Out of My Mind begins streaming exclusively on Disney+ this Friday, November 22nd.