Episode 24: Creating Carol with Screenwriter Phyllis Nagy

Gorgeous, moving and subtle – ‘Carol’ is a beautifully crafted tale of forbidden love that has wowed critics and audiences alike. And it’s no wonder – director Todd Haynes (Far from Heaven, I’m Not There) along with the films stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara have delivered Oscar worthy performances. ‘Carol’ follows two women from very different backgrounds that find themselves in an unexpected love affair in 1950s New York. Their undeniable attraction is challenged by the conventional norms of the time but what emerges is an honest story of resilience and fulfillment. Our guest is screenwriter Phyllis Nagy who adapted Patricia Highsmith’s book “The Price of Salt” for the film. Highsmith wrote more than twenty novels before her death in 1995, many of which including “Strangers on a Train” and the Tom Ripley series but it is the love story of Carol and Therese that draws inspiration from her own life. We ask Phyllis about the twenty year struggle of bringing this story to the big screen, her friendship with Highsmith and how the period drama can be seen as a reflection of todays society.

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