LOS ANGELES — Among the films nominated for Best Live Action Short at the Oscars this year is “A Friend of Dorothy,” a sweet, endearing film about an unexpected friendship.
The basis of the short is an unlikely meeting between a young, gay athlete trying to find his place in the world and a lonely widow.
The title is a throwback to Judy Garland’s “Dorothy” in “The Wizard of Oz,” with her male companions on the Yellow Brick Road.
Besides this movie’s title, “a friend of Dorothy” was once a slang term for gay men.
While these two fast friends share a love of theater, the director, Lee Knight, and his leading lady, Miriam Margolyes, share a love for each other.
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“I wrote the script for Miriam,” said Knight. “Obviously was aware of her as a person, but not personally. So, for me to sit here with Miriam now, here at the nominees luncheon, five years after I wrote the first draft, it’s just unbelievable. It really is a dream come true.”
“As soon as I read it, it shrieked at me. And I thought, I’ll have this,” said Margolyes, smiling. “I utterly believe in his talent. It’s extraordinary. And he knew how to help me to be the best that I could be.”
Knight said the two have a beautiful friendship now, but the story told in the movie is also a beautiful friendship.
“I want to be in people’s lives. All my life, I’ve been able to connect,” said Margolyes. “I’ve had the chance to connect. And that’s all I really want. Make a living and connection.”
“A Friend of Dorothy,” was inspired by Knight’s relationship with an elderly neighbor in London. The film is dedicated to her memory.
Take a look at the latest stories and videos about the Oscars: here.
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