“Falsettos,” “Passion”), as well as an acclaimed film and stage director, playwright and screenwriter, shot a series of casual conversations between 2014 and 2019 with Rose, a friend and fellow Martha’s Vineyard denizen. With the help of editor Miky Wolf, he whittled down 22 hours of chat footage, then added a wealth of archival clips and photos — much of it from the Styron family’s personal collection — along with gentle bits of animation.
Lapine impresses as a relaxed and instinctive interviewer, often seen in effective split-screen shots with Styron. She proves a warm, accessible subject as she talks about her affluent Maryland youth and rigid mother, college and graduate school years, romantic early days living in Italy with William, their subsequent 53-year marriage and four children, and her four published books of poetry.
Rose Styron doesn’t come off as a name dropper but rather a friend and vital participant as she recounts her and William’s encounters over the years with such luminaries as President Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Truman Capote, Philip Roth, Arthur Miller, James Baldwin and Jerzy Kosinski. And she has plenty of evocative snapshots to back up these enjoyable tales.
Her modest account of a single, crucial contribution she made to the writing of “Sophie’s Choice” is also enlightening. Not surprisingly, Styron’s candid, detailed recollections of life with her brilliant if often remote and troubled husband provide some of the movie’s more compelling moments. Her offhand mention of their marital infidelities — William’s being more involved than hers — is an eye-opener. Styron is also upfront about her husband’s longtime alcoholism.