“Mom, you’re a college girl now, and we’ve gotta make some changes,” are definitely the last words Deanna expected to hear. Mind you, the situation this single forty-something mother of a newly enrolled college senior faces is certainly unexpected.
Having dropped out of university to raise her daughter before earning her own degree, Deanna is finally thinking of her own future … minus her thoughtless husband, Dan.
The story of Life of the Party was devised by Ben Falcone and his partner in all things, writer/ producer/star Melissa McCarthy.
“Melissa and I love to write together. I come up with the structure and she makes it funny,” Falcone deadpans. It was Falcone who suggested the idea after a visit from his mother-in-law.
“At one point when Melissa’s mom, Sandy, was over, I began to imagine what it would have been like for her if, when she was 40, she’d gone back to school with Melissa at 18. I’ve always loved college-based movies, and combining that with the idea of restarting life because it’s never too late. I brought it up to Melissa and we were off and running.”
“Ben said to me, ‘I think you should go back to school …in a movie.’ And this story has so many other elements that interest me,” McCarthy offers. “Like the idea that someone who is suddenly thrown a huge curveball in life can be so upset at first, but then with a little distance, a little perspective, realise what they’ve really been given is a second chance.
“Or the fact that if you’re 50, you may live to be 100; you may not even be halfway done! Life certainly isn’t over because you’re not 19 anymore, right? We wanted to create a story that encourages people to believe it is okay to suddenly say, ‘I’m middle-aged and I’m moving to another country, I’m starting a vineyard or learning to bake bread.’ It’s never too late to redefine your life and to say, out loud, ‘What about me?'”
“The powerhouse team was joined once again by producer Chris Henchy, who previously collaborated with McCarthy and Falcone on The Boss and Tammy.
McCarthy, especially, was eager to recreate the college experience for the film.
“I did not appreciate college when I was in it. I think I wasn’t ready for it; it was too structured for me then. After 12 years of Catholic school, I just wanted to be freer, maybe?” she grins.
“Really, I just wanted to go to New York City. If I could just go to a history class or a math class now … that seems like a dream. “And the thought of doing that with my mom? I think it would be a blast!”