Elliot Page & Hillary Baack used their IRL friendship to bring quietly radical romance to ‘Close To You’
Close To You—directed by Dominic Savage, with a story from the filmmaker and Page himself—is an intimate and raw trans homecoming film, one made all the more powerful by the fact that it was largely improvised by its cast.And while the main thrust of the story offers plenty of rich thematic territory to delve into—and will certainly hit close to home for many queer audiences—there’s another element of Close To You that might take you by surprise…Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.On the train into town, Sam unexpectedly runs into his childhood best friend, Katherine, played by deaf actress Hillary Baack.
Their reunion is happy one, but it’s also one loaded with emotion that neither of them can bear to address, at least at first.In a storyline running parallel to the visit home, the pair’s efforts to reconnect are beautiful and sensitive—a stark contrast to many of Sam’s interactions with family.
There’s a history and undeniable chemistry between Sam and Katherine, a bond made all the more palpable thanks to Page and Baack’s years-long friendship (they had met over a decade ago on the set of eco-thriller The East.)With Close To You now playing in select theaters, Queerty took the opportunity to speak with Page and Baack to learn about how their real-life relationship helped build the beautiful, slow-burn romance we see on screen.
In our conversation, Page also shares what inspired him to explore such personal subject matter, and Baack reflects on her deep connection to this story as a deaf woman.You can watch our full interview with the stars of Close To You above, and read some highlights from the conversation below.“That was actually the first part of the story that Dominic and I, upon first meeting—I’d seen his work, adored his work, and we cliqued—[it] was actually the first idea we started talking about: Someone running into someone from their past they had an intense love for,.
