The logline, “A Mormon couple ties the knot,” already had me invested but reading the synopsis sealed the deal: “It’s wedding day at the Mormon Temple. For wide-eyed Sydney, it’s a dream come true to marry her best friend. But for the cherub-faced groom, Caleb, his life has never been more of a lie. In their honeymoon suite, tensions run high as they try to come together forever for the very first time.”
The depth of the storyline and that it is only a 14-minute production were all I needed to request an interview with Lindsey Normington, who plays the lead role of Sydney.
How did you get involved with this project?
I was approached by the writer/director Greg after working together on another project, Going Sane by Joey Izzo. Greg had seen me act and was interested in me playing the part of Sydney. I was very honored he thought of me to play a character that was so pure and sweet. I loved Sydney from the moment I read her on the page, so it was very easy to say yes!
One of the reasons I love shorts is because they are often more of a challenge in that you have this slim window to tell the story — Together Forever does just that. It is so deep and devastating — can you speak to that process and how you prepared for Syd?
I didn’t have any intimate knowledge of Mormonism, myself, but Greg grew up Mormon and was very generous answering any and all questions I’d had about the faith and the culture. He provided me with so many resources where I was able to see a whole spectrum of what Mormonism could look like, and then we narrowed it down to which ones felt closest to Sydney’s experience. Other than her Mormonism being so central to the story though, I think Sydney is a really universal character. Greg helped me tap into my own experiences of unrequited love and rejection as well to bring her to life.
Obviously religion plays a big role in the storyline, and finding oneself and being true to oneself AND this person you’re supposed to honor and love “in the eyes of God”— it’s all these huge pieces of humanity that come face to face one night.
How does Syd navigate all of this? Do you think she is also lying to herself or that perhaps “ignorance is bliss”?
I think Syd simply does not have the life experience to identify what she’s going through with Caleb’s reticence. But when I really think about it, I’ve known better, and yet still found myself in similar situations. I think when you love someone so strongly you’re willing to make all kinds of excuses for them, and Syd is in too deep at the point that she may begin to put these pieces together. Her commitment isn’t really something it would be socially acceptable to walk back from, nor do I think she’d even have it in her heart to do something like that.
Just flat out going to ask: Do you consider this a love story? And if yes, for who? Or for what?
It’s absolutely a love story, but I think it touches on a couple different types of love. Sydney loves Caleb completely, and I think part of what makes her so beautiful is we can all relate to the experience of loving someone who can’t or won’t love us back. And on Caleb’s side, I think we can all relate to his sensation of guilt. There is almost no feeling worse than letting down someone who loves us. He loves Sydney, but knows he can’t really give her what she needs. Everyone keeps telling me how bad they feel for Sydney, but honestly I feel worse for Caleb by the end of the film.
The ending is devastating. Here are only a few quotes that tore me up:
“I’ve never felt so close to you before.”
“I saw you the whole time.”
Absolutely heartbreaking and so raw. So dishonest yet in many ways more honest than not.
What does this say about religion and “the Truth”?
I think religion can often act as a kind of filter for life. If we subscribe to a religion that prohibits certain behavior, and yet we engage in that behavior, the filter won’t allow us to be honest and we have to lock that truth away. There will always be a bit of a veil between you and the world if you aren’t allowed radical honesty. I think the film comments on this with a lot of beautiful symbolism – the rope and the door between Caleb and Sydney, the garments between Sydndey’s skin and the bridal lingerie she was so excited to wear – these things are all emblematic of the fact that they can’t truly “touch” each other, regardless of how badly they want to. It’s heartbreaking.
What do you hope audiences take away from the film?
I hope the film breaks through any cultural stigma and causes audiences to engage with the universality of these characters’ experiences. We should be looking for ways to relate to folks who live differently than us, rather than separating. Working on this film certainly offered that to me, and I hope it goes both ways!
What’s next for the film? What’s next for you?
I’m not positive what Greg has in mind for his next project, but I know he has an amazing feature that I can’t wait to read. I’m currently having fun on set in Pismo Beach, then heading to another feature in Tahoe right after. When I get back to LA I’m planning to direct and act in my own short that I’ve written.
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