Mae Whitman The DUFF

Mae Whitman The DUFF

Cast: Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, Bianca A. Santos, Allison Janney, Ken Jeong
Director: Ari Sandel
Genre: Comedy
Rated: PG
Running Time: 100 minutes

Synopsis: Bianca is a content high school senior whose world is shattered when she learns the student body knows her as -The DUFF' (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) to her prettier, more popular friends. Now, despite the words of caution from her favourite teacher, she puts aside the potential distraction of her crush and enlists Wesley, a slick but charming jock, to help reinvent herself. To save her senior year from turning into a total disaster, Bianca must find the confidence to overthrow the school's ruthless label maker Madison and remind everyone that no matter what people look or act like, we are all someone's DUFF.

The DUFF
Release Date: April 2nd, 2015

About The Production

The Story: The Book Comes To The Big Screen

Executive Producer Lane Shefter Bishop first learned of the novel The DUFF when she saw the partially written book in the office of Joanna Stampfel-Volpe, a book agent in New York. Lane Shefter Bishop instantly loved the title and the idea, and read the book that night. The next day, she called Stampfel-Volpe and asked for the chance to secure a movie deal. Lane Shefter Bishop immediately sent the project to producers McG and Mary Viola of Wonderland Sound and Vision and said, 'You have to read this now!"

'We got about 100 pages of the book in manuscript form" says Viola. 'Lane Shefter Bishop emphasised that the book was very special." Like Lane Shefter Bishop, Mary Viola read the pages overnight.

'I called Lane Shefter Bishop the next day and said -This is amazing. The voice is so original. We have to get this book,'" she says. McG agreed. 'I just thought it was something that was -zeitgeisty', of-the-moment – so relatable and just true to life," he says.

The producers were soon surprised to find that the original voice belonged to author Kody Keplinger, who wrote the book titled The DUFF when she was just 17 years-old.

'We had no idea she was a teenager until Lane Shefter Bishop was working out the details of the deal and Kody said she would need to discuss it with her mother, 'says Mary Viola.

Lane Shefter Bishop says, 'I thought, -This cannot be a 17-year-old. She has the high school voices down, but this is someone who knows how to write because the emotion woven throughout is dead on.' There's a lot going on (in the book) and a lot of complexity underneath it all.

" As much as the producers loved the book and the characters at the heart of the story, they needed to put it in a film structure and adjust certain aspects to make it work visually for an audience. They enlisted screenwriter Josh A. Cagan (Bandslam).

'Sometimes while condensing a book, you have to lose certain things and change others but we stuck with the elements that were the most important and integral to telling the story," says Mary Viola.

'The changes were a challenge," Josh A. Cagan says. 'I needed to come up with a device that would drive the narrative as we took the story from book to screen. I was struck by the idea of the Kubler-Ross model of the five stages of death – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance – albeit a seemingly odd device for a comedy."

Josh A. Cagan took that model and applied it to the five emotional stages main character Bianca (played by Mae Whitman) works through in terms of being the DUFF. 'All writers are looking for a beginning, middle and end," Josh A. Cagan says. 'The nice thing about the Kubler-Ross model is that it has all those things. It gave the story this structure; I just began following this path that led me through the script."

CBS Films received a first draft of the script on spec. They called the next day to tell the producers they wanted to make the movie. As the studio developed the script with the producers and Josh A. Cagan, everyone wanted to make sure that Kody Keplinger and her legion of fans were happy with the direction the film was taking. They sent Kody Keplinger the script.

'We were ecstatic to find out that Kody Keplinger was delighted with the story and that she understood we had to change around some things," says Mary Viola. 'She completely got it."

'Any time you are adapting a book into a film, things are going to change. If you adapt a book as it is onto the screen, it is probably going to be a pretty long and boring movie," explains Kody Keplinger. 'What has always mattered to me is the message of the book - the theme that at some point in life, everyone feels like the DUFF. As things proceeded and as I watched the casting, I could see how passionate everyone involved was about the project. I knew they cared as much about the spirit of the story as I did. I'm just so excited to see the movie and message come to life."

About The Production

McG and Mary Viola had previously worked with the film's director Ari Sandel, the Academy Award® winning director, producer and writer of the comedic short film West Bank Story, on the action webisode series, Aim High, about a 16-year old high school student who lives a double life as a teen spy.

'Ari Sandel directed the second season of Aim High for us. We said if we ever get the chance to make a movie with this guy, we are going to do it," says McG. 'He is terribly intelligent, a monster talent and we share the same aesthetic. I am so happy to see him thrive in this environment. He has command over the set. He's got the respect of the actors. He is directing while managing the difficulties of the budget, working with the studio, and you know, putting up with my loud voice. And he is doing it without any hiccups."

'He has a natural sense of comedy both intuitive and based on experience. He is also very encouraging of the actors to improvise," explains Producer Susan Cartsonis of Ari Sandel. 'It is a delight to watch him work and a lot of fun to work with him. He is very much a guy's guy but he has three younger sisters and somewhere inside of him he has the soul of a teenage girl. He was so collaborative and worked closely with Mary and myself, along with all the girls in our cast. I think it shows in how well he captured the experience of being a teenage girl."

For Ari Sandel, the opportunity to make a teen comedy (a genre that he has long admired) was one he couldn't pass up. 'I think any comedy director is excited at the opportunity of doing a high school film because we all grew up with iconic high school films, whether it's John Hughes' films or Mean Girls or Superbad. Those movies really stick with you through your teenage years."

'Ari Sandel definitely understands what it is to be a cool kid, but he has that nerd center which really helps him relate to both sides," says Josh A. Cagan.
McG believes that one of the keys to making a really funny comedy is getting the actors to feel comfortable on set and keeping an environment where the actors are allowed to play. Ari Sandel did just that. He encouraged the cast to bring their own real life high school perspectives and experiences to the film. Mae Whitman credits Ari Sandel for keeping the delicate tone of being funny while still having heart and depth. She felt very in tune and collaborative with her director. 'We played a lot and we tried a million different things on set," she says.

Actor/comedian Ken Jeong agrees. 'Ari Sandel is amazing because everything he does is organic and that's the best way to describe his process. His style is so relaxing for actors, -If it feels funny, do it'."

'I was surprised by the complete comfort of the actors," McG says. 'Everybody was free and they wanted to be there and couldn't wait for their turn to be in front of the camera. There was this fearlessness that really showed up and made for some great performances."

'(Ari Sandel) is also just filled with boundless energy," says Josh A. Cagan. 'The way he talks and the way he acts is the way he shoots…it's all one."

'Ari Sandel's awesome," agrees actor Robbie Amell. 'He's very young and hip and cool and he knows when something doesn't work.

Being The DUFF

Even before the term DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) entered the high school vernacular, there have always been unspoken differences in social circles. It seems that everyone has friends who are more attractive, smarter, or more talented at some point in their lives, as well as friends who are not as attractive, smart or talented. The reality is that everyone is a DUFF and everyone has a DUFF, and nowhere is that more pronounced than in high school.

'I clearly remember my senior year of high school when I walked into the cafeteria one morning and a girl at my table was talking about how she hated when guys referred to her friend as the DUFF," says Kody Keplinger. 'I didn't know what it meant so I had to ask and she told me that it meant the designated ugly fat friend. I had three reactions. I first thought, -That's hilarious,' and then I thought -Oh no wait, that's actually really mean,' and then I thought -That's me.'"

'Later I was telling my friends this and I realised that they all thought they were the DUFF. And so I started saying that I would, as a joke, write this book called The DUFF but instead of the girl taking her ponytail out and her glasses off and becoming a supermodel, she would stay the DUFF throughout."

'The most common thing I've gotten is people who read The DUFF and email me and say -I'm the DUFF of my group of friends and this book really meant something to me,'" says Kody Keplinger. "It doesn't matter what you look like. It's not about being fat or thin, or short or tall. It could be that you don't feel like you're the smartest in the group or the most talented in the group. It's about feeling insecure and inadequate, and everyone has been there."

McG can relate, as he knows he was the Duff. 'When I was growing up, my best friend was spectacularly good looking and I wasn't really aware that I was the proxy entry into connecting with him but it became clear through the years of high school. I think you can be anyone's DUFF. It doesn't really have anything to do with what you actually look like. It has to do with the role you play."

Although the cast and filmmakers all feel strongly about the message of the film, everyone agrees that the movie is first and foremost a very funny comedy.

'One of the things about comedy is it lets you touch on very important or controversial subjects in a way that you wouldn't be able to in other aspects because you're not trying to be super dramatic which is going to feel heavy-handed and boring," says Ari Sandel. 'If you can make jokes about the subject, it actually makes it lighter."

The Characters

BIANCA (played by Mae Whitman) is The DUFF
To fill the role of the pivotal and titular DUFF a.k.a. Bianca Piper, producers turned to the young but experienced film and TV actress Mae Whitman, who unbeknownst to them at the time of casting, was Keplinger's choice for the role.
'It's so funny that right before the book came out, I did a blog post where I had to cast some of my characters – like who I thought would be a good fit for the role," explains the author. 'I had watched Mae on Parenthood and I thought -Oh my God – she's Bianca. She is sooo Bianca'. Fast forward to a few years later when I get the call telling me Mae had been cast in the role. I could not be happier."

The filmmakers agreed that the DUFF in the film needed to be someone who was not unattractive or unintelligent, but rather someone who just doesn't quite measure up to her group of friends in the high school rating system. Whitman hadn't heard of the term DUFF before she was given the script. But as soon as she read it, she thought it was an important story to be told and one that spoke to her personally.

'The story is important to me because I've grown up in this industry and have had to struggle with being put in certain categories my whole life," says Mae Whitman. 'Being an actress you get put into a category and you are like, -I don't feel that is the way I am, but is it?'"

'Mae Whitman read past that it is not the most flattering description of a character," says Bishop. 'She saw the heart of this character and the journey she goes on to learn how to really love herself as she is. Also, the humor is just Mae Whitman's humor down to a T."

'What Mae Whitman does so well for Bianca is that, while she takes you on the ride and gets very upset with the people in her life, even though it may not necessarily be their fault, she still maintains a blend of likability and -rootability,'" says Mary Viola.

'Mae Whitman also has a razor sharp horseshit detector," says Josh A. Cagan. 'There were plenty of things in the script where she was like, -I'm not going to say that.' And when I talked to her briefly after the read-through, I said, -Thank you for being smarter than everybody else' because Bianca is the smartest person in the room and over the course of the movie she learns to own that in a way that she didn't before. '

'Mae Whitman totally intimidated me because I can't talk about things very well. I just do them," says Allison Janney, the six-time Emmy® award winning actress who plays Dottie, a self-help guru who is also Bianca's frequently emotionally absent Mom. 'She is very articulate and talks about things in the greatest way and has so much fun doing it. Her intelligence, who she is as a person, and her ability to pepper the character with little nuances really brings Bianca alive."

Skyler Samuels and Bianca Santos, who play Bianca's best friends in the film, see Bianca as a free-spirited girl who gets caught up in the ecosystem of high school and has to eventually pull herself out. 'Mae Whitman brings such a real, quirky edge to Bianca; it's the most perfect fit ever," says Samuels.

'Mae Whitman's such a pro, and she's a great actor," agrees Ken Jeong. 'She has good chemistry with everyone and you just feel so comfortable and safe around her."

'This movie would not be the same without Mae Whitman," adds Ari Sandel. 'We knew it the second she came in to read. I was already aware of her past work and knew she'd be great for the film but the moment she started reading, we all went, 'My God – she's amazing." She's a great actress – she keeps the film really authentic. And the rapport she has with Robbie is phenomenal."

WESLEY (played by Robbie Amell) is The Jock

For the role of Wesley Rush, producers had to find someone to play the quintessential handsome jock who has been categorized as dumb and shallow. However, in addition to being Malloy High School's hunky star quarterback, the character of Wesley has soul, depth, and an ability to see below the surface of his peers and his own personal struggles. The producers found Canadian-born actor Robbie Amell (The Flash, Tomorrow People) to portray this surprisingly complex guy.

'I feel like he's an old weird dude in a popular young kid's body," says Robbie Amell. 'He's got a bunch of friends, he's popular, he's got a full ride to Ohio State and it's kind of like, -Why put the effort in?' He's very street smart and holds a lot of knowledge that someone like Bianca doesn't. But the two of them, they kind of help each other out."

'Robbie Amell gets that there is more to Wesley than meets the eye," says Lane Shefter Bishop. 'He has Wes in a character arc and slowly but surely he has dropped these little breadcrumbs along the way so we find out more about him, his depth and his background."

'There are so many ways the Wesley character could have gone wrong – it could have been such a cookie cutter character but Robbie is like a genius," says Mae Whitman of her costar. 'There were times when I was looking for a little something extra to plug into a scene and, if I couldn't quite get it, he would always come up with the right words or joke. It also helps that he is so effortlessly cool and charming, and nice and funny."

'The first time I saw a picture of him, I remember thinking, 'that'll work. That's good.'" says Kody Keplinger. 'Then I met him and watched him perform on set and -Wow, he's perfect.' He has that charm that an actor really needs to carry that role."

Robbie Amell had concerns about making a teen comedy until he read the script. 'It is tough to make one that feels real and grounded," he says. "There are a lot of overly raunchy, or just kind of over-the-top, weird ones that just don't hit. This script felt like one of the special ones that will endure the test of time. The message speaks to anyone's insecurities and ways to deal with them, embrace them or overcome them."

MADISON (played by Bella Thorne) is The Mean Girl

In the novel, a lot of Bianca's struggles are internal which makes them difficult to transfer to the big screen without using excessive voiceover. So, for the film, Josh A. Cagan and the filmmakers were challenged with creating and casting Bianca's nemesis - Madison Morgan, a character that does not exist in the book.

'This is something that Ari Sandel and I worked on because we knew we wanted some type of antagonist" says Josh A. Cagan. 'But we really didn't want Madison to be a mustache-twirling, tie-Bianca-to-the-tracks type of villain. That being said, she is a mean girl who believes she is doing high-school right and everybody else is doing it wrong. She kind of sees life as though she were a 30-year-old who has been unjustly sentenced to go to high school with all of these children – the indignity! But Madison, like everyone else, is equally insecure so her attitude is her defense mechanism."

The producers cast Bella Thorne, who, like Mia Whitman, is a veteran TV and film actress, (Blended, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day and Shake It Up).

'The first time I read the script, I just completely fell in love with it," Bella Thorne says. 'I was like, I don't care who I play, I just have to play somebody. I liked that it's really about girls coming together. You see what power girls can have when they stick together and when they are true to themselves."

'Madison is such a fun part. Her goals for the future are to be a star and in order for that to happen she has to own high school. It's not even that she is naturally mean," says Samuels. 'She thinks it is funny and cute and will get her someplace."

'I've never met a girl with a more wry sense of humor," says Samuels of Thorne. 'She's so funny. And her interactions with Mae Whitman and Robbie Amell in the movie are to die for. I will say nothing else but they're pretty classic."

Robbie Amell, who plays Madison's boyfriend in the film, also was impressed by the juxtaposition of the real Thorne and the devilish Madison. 'Bella Thorne's such a sweet, kind girl and then she plays this insecure, mean-spirited person in the movie," he says. 'She turns it on and you're like, -Oh, I hate you, you're terrible.'"

'Madison is the girl I think everyone knows, whether it is in school, the workplace or within some group of friends. She is the girl you love to hate," says Ari Sandel. 'And, what she doesn't realize is that even she is someone's DUFF. But there is something really fun about the way Bella plays her because she is really funny and has really good comedic timing. She also added a nuance of innocence to the character to that works really well."

CASEY (played by Bianca Santos) is The Tough Girl
&
JESS (played by Skyler Samuels) is The Kind Girl

In talking about the characters of Casey and Jess, Kody Keplinger stresses that, although Bianca's best friends are stunningly gorgeous, they are good friends to her. It is only after Bianca is pointed out as their DUFF that she begins to feel inadequate around her own friends. 'Just because Bianca feels inadequate around them does not make them bad, especially when you consider that they feel inadequate in some ways too," says the author.

Bianca Santos (The Fosters, Ouija) and Skyler Samuels (The Nine Lives of Chloe King, Furry Vengeance) were brought on board to respectively play the roles of Casey and Jess.

'We wanted them to be hot girls but we also wanted them to have dimension and be smart and be girls that other girls would want to be friends with – not your prototypical, -Oh my god, I'm popular and hot' airheads," says Ari Sandel.

'Casey is the more straightforward kind of tougher friend but the one that's fiercely loyal," explains Bianca A. Santos of her character. 'She's the one that, at the end of the day, she's like, -Dude, we're friends, stop acting out, let's just get back together.'"

'Jess is super optimistic, all about the ideals and everything's awesome and she's so easily hurt if things don't go the right way cause she just cares so much," says Bianca A. Santos.

'Skyler Samuels and Bianca Santos are both actually smart girls in real life and I think that translates on camera," says Skyler Sandel. 'They are also really good actresses. They take their work seriously and always came in very prepared with interesting ideas so we could always kind of work through stuff. They really brought something great to those characters."

TOBY (played by Nick Eversman) is The Musician

Thanks in part to a little musical improvisation, Nick Eversman (Get On Up, The Missing), who had also worked on Tomorrow People with Amell, landed the role of Bianca's crush Toby. An experienced actor, particularly talented in doing impressions, Eversman was told he would have to improvise a song at his audition, something that he was pretty comfortable with because of his background in a comedy troupe at Second City. Still, he stayed up the night before and wrote about 20 songs. He says of the audition, 'I just started playing one and they said, -That one's too good. Do your worst. What's your worst song?'"

'He could sing a song so bad that it was the perfect combination of cheesy and awesome. We decided he is one hundred percent the type of artistic, music-oriented, free-spirit that Bianca would really be drawn to," says  Mary Viola.

'After Nick Eversman played during his audition, all of us went -Ummm, boom – that's our guy,'" adds Ari Sandel. 'He created this real intellectual artsy vibe without being smarmy or too cool for school which really helps in getting the audience to root for his character's relationship with Bianca."

The humor as well as the message of the script struck a chord with Nick Eversman, a self-proclaimed loner in high school who was relegated to being everyone's little brother. 'It's a comedic look at what goes on in high schools nowadays with the idea that we all have that safe person that we talk to where we can get information on the person we're really interested in."

MR. ARTHUR (played by Ken Jeong) is The Teacher

For the supporting cast, the filmmakers made sure to include some of TV and film's best comedic actors. Sandel said he used to watch Ken Jeong (The Hangover movies, Community) at The Comedy Store when he was a kid and was interested in Ken Jeong for the part of Mr. Arthur from very early on in the casting process.

Mr. Arthur is Malloy High School's journalism teacher, and mentor/surrogate father to Bianca whose real father is absent following a divorce from her mother Dottie.

'When I found out that Ken Jeong was going to be part of the movie, I freaked out. Well, that might be an understatement, 'says Kody Keplinger.

'I don't jump out of a trunk naked in this one," quips Ken Jeong who, in addition to being an actor and comic, is also a medical doctor. 'My character sees the potential in Bianca. He challenges her, pushes her and even scolds her. He is a good coach and mentor who knows that she can handle the challenges so he challenges her even more."

Ken Jeong says he was drawn to the script because, even though it has a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, it is also very grounded and has a lot of heart. 'It hearkens back to the glory days of John Hughes' films," he says. 'What I loved about the characters is that they're three-dimensional. There are no one-dimensional archetypes. Everyone's got a layer of humanity to them."

'Some days it is just a treat being in this business," says Executive Producer Ted Gidlow. 'There were days watching Ken creating so much stuff on set that were just fantastic."

'Ken Jeong is this kind, humble, bubbly, outrageous, quirky human being. It was incredible having him on set and watching his behind-the-scenes antics," says Samuels. 'I had worked with him on a movie previously in which, believe it or not, Ken was my first on screen kiss."

Santos adores Ken Jeong so much that she says she wants a mini-size version of Ken Jeong so she can take him everywhere she goes because he's so hilarious. 'He just keeps talking and I just keep laughing, like what's going on?"

DOTTIE PIPER (played by Allison Janney) is The Self-Help Guru/Bianca's Mom

Having made such an impression as the mother in a trio of beloved comedies (Hairspray, Juno and TV's Mom), along with her other roles, Allison Janney was Ari Sandel's first choice to play Bianca's mom, Dottie Piper, a character whose role changes from book to screen. In the novel, Bianca is being raised by her father and Dottie is physically absent from her daughter's life. The parental roles are reversed in the movie. Although Dottie, a smalltime self-help guru, is raising her daughter, she has frequently been emotionally unavailable to her.

'Dottie is a woman whose husband left her three years ago and she was quite devastated by it," says Allison Janney. 'But she found a real niche for herself as this incredible motivational speaker and self-help guru. She realises along the way that her obsession with her work has caused her to sort of sidestep the role of mother a little bit including failing at giving good advice to her daughter. So there is this lovely storyline with Dottie and Bianca where they have this coming together/meeting of the minds."

'It's been so cool to hang out with her," Mia Whitman of her onscreen mother. 'She's so down to earth and open and ready to try things. She's funny and nice and natural."

'Allison Janney just brought an elegance and class to everything, 'says McG. 'She walks on to the set and everybody just wants to raise up their game because you don't want to let her down."

Ari Sandel's choice was everything he hoped she would be in the role. 'Allison Janney's really funny behind the scenes as well as on camera. And you can ask her to do it ten different ways and every time she brings you something different," he says.

'She comes on camera and you're like -Here we go.' You know you are going to get great takes out of her." says Gidlow. 'She then exceeds those expectations."

PRINCIPAL BUCHANON (played by Romany Malco) is The -Cool' Principal

Romany Malco (40-year-Old Virgin, Last Vegas, Weeds) was happy to reconnect with Ari Sandel, who he had met seven years ago after admiring his work on West Bank Story. 'He is just this really smart guy with the -it' factor and I knew I wanted to work with him. Then all these years later I get this call from him and he says, -I want you to come do this,'" says Romany Malco.

'Romany Malco is one of the funniest comedic actors out there. He has this certain cadence when he talks that is just really funny," says Ari Sandel. 'When we talked about who would play Principal Buchanon, I immediately said we have to talk to Romany Malco." CBS Films also gravitated towards Malco for the role after their successful experience working together on Last Vegas. For his part, Romany Malco particularly liked the unusual balance in the film where there are quirky teachers and extremely mature kids.

'Principal Buchanon thinks he's a cool principal," Romany Malco says. 'He's actually a bit conservative and out-of-touch with social media, with technology. His references tend to come from Dateline, just mainstream news. He doesn't say Instagram. He says Instant Gram. He doesn't say Pinterest. He says Pine Trest. That kind of thing."

High School In The Age Of Social Media

The DUFF explores the perils of the high school landscape in a world where social media is an unavoidable part of daily life. Bianca must navigate the pain of being categorised, not just in private, but also in public. The cast was keenly aware of the importance of shining a light on this current issue in a humorous package.

'The idea of doing a coming of age film that also deals with bullying, which is really in the zeitgeist right now with everything happening on the internet, and how pervasive social media is in high school life, really intrigued me actually," says Ari Sandel.

'Texting and all this stuff, it's a whole new ballgame as far as bullying, and it's rampant," says Mia Whitman. 'It's rampant everywhere in America right now. There's this whole mentality of ripping other people down. And it sort of is perpetuated on the internet so I think it's a cool new twist to be illuminating how horrible that stuff is, because it's really bad."

'The added thing of course is the fact that kids are now texting," says Allison Janney. 'And there's Twitter and putting things up on YouTube. I can imagine the possibility for public humiliation is just enormous."

In the film, a personal moment of Bianca's gets recorded and is quickly disseminated through social media, exposing something that should have gone unobserved to the entire school.

'Being bullied and being called names and all that stuff is a very serious thing," says Nick Eversman. 'She (Bianca) had this horrible video made about her and it spreads like wildfire but she takes it in stride. It's hurtful for a minute, but then she's able to pick herself up."

Madison's relationship with social media is different than Bianca's. She is particularly obsessed with social media and this affects her whole being. Social media is her stage. 'When she's putting down characters in the film and (her sidekick) Caitlyn is taping her the whole time, Madison's really just doing it to get a laugh. She thinks when people watch her, they're gonna be like, -Oh, look how funny she is, and cute," says Bella Thorne. 'She's always performing and that gets in the way, and if she didn't have that, I don't think she would be the way she is at all."

'High school is just a rich, rich place," says McG. 'You discover a lot of emotion. You become sexually aware. You also start to quietly ask yourself, -Hey, am I less smart or smarter than my friends?' or -Am I good at sports or are others more athletic?' or -Am I funny? Funnier than my friends?' And all these questions exist in an age of social media that's more present than ever and moving at a much, much faster rate than ever before. And who you are becomes extrapolated as a function of it hits the digital airwaves immediately."

The Costumes

To capture the range of high school styles, from Bianca's DUFF look - and later her homecoming dance dress - to the teen chic looks of Jess and Casey and the sexier school look of Madison, all of which play an integral part of the film, the team brought in costume designer Eric Daman, who had earned a stellar reputation for his costumes on many modern projects, most notably The Carrie Diaries (the Sex and the City prequel) and Gossip Girl.

'This is a very female-centric, female-driven film, so one thing I wanted to do was surround myself with people who I thought would really bring an expertise on what teenage girls are into and what they find, you know, acceptable. Wardrobe is really important. So I teamed up with Eric Daman who brought a really interesting perspective," says Ari Sandel. 'Eric Daman and I agreed we wanted a toned down vibe to the styles. If people notice the wardrobes then we're not doing it right. It's got to feel really regular and down-to-earth. I think that was something different than what Eric Daman's done typically and I think he nailed it. I mean, he's really good at the nuance and he's really known for his fashion style and being able to do casual but still make it cool and chic."

The Location Experience

To film The DUFF, CBS Films chose to return to Atlanta where the studio had a great experience shooting interiors for their recent hit Last Vegas.

'The story lends itself to a lot of different locations," says Gidlow. 'We had a pretty easy time finding sites in Atlanta which, with its different environments and textures, was really well-suited for the locations. And the choice to use actual locations gives a better feel to the movie. I think actors are better able to create their characters in real environments as opposed to soundstages."

Mary Viola agrees. 'We shot at a couple of schools where there were real students in attendance for summer school. I think there was nothing better than the vibe of true youth to help elevate the material and keep us grounded."

'There is something about shooting in Atlanta. Everyone here is psyched about the movie business - even the extras," says Ari Sandel, whose grandparents are from the area. 'When we shot the scene at Madison's party, the extras were so excited to be there, they had a great attitude and they wanted to work. At the end of the scene a lot of them came up to me and said it was a great experience and thanked me for including them."

In addition to Henry W. Grady and Marietta High Schools, other locations used in the metro Atlanta area include Perimeter Mall, the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Stone Mountain Park, and Dave and Buster's (a restaurant, bar and game venue). The party scene at Morgan's house was filmed at a mansion in Atlanta's upscale Buckhead area while homes in the regentrified neighborhood of Kirkwood were stand-ins for Bianca's, Robby's and Nick's houses.

Atlanta also provided the cast members opportunities to hang out together which became a crucial part of building the relationships that were reflected on screen. A close group who call each other by a multitude of affectionate nicknames, the cast speaks in glowing terms about each other.

During an outing to an Atlanta Braves game, the cast was caught on the Jumbotron's 'hug cam" and 'dance cam" and took time to talk to fans. Amell took a behind the scenes tour and dove with the whale sharks at the Atlanta Aquarium. Mia Whitman and the other cast went out and sang church organ karaoke tunes, where she says, 'We sang almost every song in the book."

Thorne became a gym workout partner with Amell and swimming pool buddies with Samuels. During breaks shooting at Dave and Buster's, Ari Sandel, Mia Whitman and Nick Eversman would engage in a battle of Guitar Hero while other cast and crew members hit the skee ball and video games.

'It was pretty cool that the producers assembled a group of people who actually like each other. The job is always going to be hard. The days are always going to be long," says Samuels. 'But every day we work together. We eat together. We talk about the day together and then we would get out on the town for these great adventures together."

'As everybody transitions from youth to adulthood you get into those private moments of sharing when you realize the universal message that everybody has their stuff – their insecurities, their feelings of DUFFness," explains McG. 'And to some degree we have a bit of that struggle our entire lives. That is why I think the movie will appeal to a broader audience than just girls and teens."

'Everyone knows what it is like to be sort of the underdog of high school. Everybody knows what it is like to feel alone," says Josh A. Cagan. 'And even if you are the most handsome or prettiest kid in school, you still have these feelings of, -Am I doing this wrong?' I hope we were able to tap into that a little and then put a generous spin of funny on top of it."

'Everybody has gone through high school," agrees Allison Janney. 'So this is completely relatable to every single person on the planet."

Mia Whitman hopes the movie will illuminate the bigger issue of everyone's tendency to compare and create limitations that hold us back. She says, 'If you walk out of the theater and for even five minutes feel a little bit less trapped by your perceptions of yourself, then the movie is a success."

The DUFF
Release Date: April 2nd, 2015