One out of every 36 children in the U.S. are reportedly estimated to be on the autistic spectrum. This may have been a fine reason to make Ezra, a sweet comedy-drama about a rouge road trip with a frazzled father and his 11-year-old autistic son, but it was more personal for screenwriter Tony Spiridakis, whose popular TED Talk about his own experiences with his autistic son touched a nerve.

The subject was primed for a twist of fate. Fortunately, Spiridakis was buddies with Tony Goldwyn (A Walk on the Moon, Conviction, TV’s Scandal), who, in turn, knew Rose Byrne (Physical, Platonic, Neighbors) and Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire, Nine Perfect Strangers), and, well, flash forward several years and here we are: Ezra hits theaters May 31. The film finds troubled stand-up comic Max (Cannavale) acting on impulse, taking his 11-year-old autistic son, Ezra (newcomer William Fitzgerald), on a cross-country road trip. That shakes things up with his ex, Jenna, played by Byrne, and Max’s father, Stan (Robert De Niro).

Rose Byrne told MovieWeb she gets emotional every time she watches the film, and couldn’t be happier for real-life partner Bobby Cannavale, who bares it all emotionally in a powerfully moving outing. Byrne and director/co-star Tony Goldwyn shared more with us in this exclusive interview. Read excerpts below or dive into the video above.

Ezra (2023) Release Date May 31, 2024 Runtime 1h 40m Writers Tony Spiridakis Studio Closer Media, Wayfarer Studios

What Rose Byrne Brought to the Role
Bleecker Street

Hollywood has been good to Rose Byrne, but true Byrners know that the Emmy-nominated actress has been even better for Hollywood. Between Byrne’s hit shows Physical and Platonic, which boosted Apple TV+ viewership, and a stream of hit films (Bridesmaid, Insidious, Neighbors), the popular star has proven herself to be a reliably entertaining performer we can bank on.

Tony Goldwyn saw that all too clearly. The Scandal star, who has directed four features and many television shows — from The L Word and Dexter to Grey’s Anatomy — admitted that the role of Jenna may have been the most challenging to cast because the character could have just devolved into a two-dimensional foil for Max during his impromptu road trip. That’s not the case in Ezra, and Byrne made sure Jenna’s point of view in the film was very well represented, even though Max is the protagonist.

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“He’s the dad, and it’s about this family struggling in this moment in their lives,” Goldwyn said. “In many ways, Jenna was, as the mom, as moms often feel… the antagonist. Rose brings so much warmth and love, and you just care about Rose so much, and she has … big-heartedness as a person and such intelligence as an actress. And honestly, Rose helped us to further refine the character; to make sure that she was really well represented.”

Byrne was quick to chime in, noting: “[Writer] Tony Spiridakis is so collaborative. We’re really like, ‘Let’s do this together, let’s dive in, let’s get this character up to scratch. Like, what do you think?’ And that’s always exciting as an actress to come in and think, ‘Okay, how can we make it as authentic as possible and never be a nag?’ That was my whole thing. And that was fun.”

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Praise for Bobby Cannavale

Ezra also stars Vera Farmiga, Rainn Wilson, and Whoopi Goldberg, playing Max’s stand-up manager, Jayne. It’s one of those rare uplifting films that are actually good, and you get the sense that the actors knew they were part of something special. Maybe that’s due to Spiridakis’ personal connection. Either way, Ezra shines. Byrne told us she and Cannavale had the film on their minds off-set, noting:

“It’s so fun, you could talk about it and discuss it. Always reading lines together, always preparing.
He prepares a lot, Bobby. He’s really about prep
. Him and Tony were talking for many, many weeks beforehand, just talking… always about the script and these scenes and that scene, and refining the stand-up comedy and what it was.”

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“He just dives all in,” she went on, “and it’s really inspiring to see him with how he’s approaching the character. I was just so excited for him to have such a great leading role and work with a good friend [Tony Goldwyn] and with a really challenging story, you know, that was funny. He’s naturally a very inherently funny actor… I was very proud of him… I just want everyone to see it now.”

Why the World Needs a Film Like Ezra

Maybe there’s a bigger, more esoteric reason why superhero films or even wild action films like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, while wonderfully made, aren’t kicking ass at the box office as they once had. Has there been a shift in the kinds of films audiences want to flock to? Or the kinds of emotions they want to experience with cinema? Maybe there’s more room for films like Ezra and Sight?

“I feel like it’s something that’s really needed right now,” Byrne said of the film. “It’s a really heartwarming film about people trying to figure out life. And it’s hard to be a person, it’s hard to be a parent, it’s hard to be a kid, and it just deals with that in this great road trip. There’s comedy. It’s very moving, and it’s hard to come by.” Byrne added:

I can be cynical about things, and this movie just breaks my heart every time I see it
, so I’m hoping audiences find that too.

From Bleecker Street, Ezra opens in theaters May 31.