To celebrate the arrival of McEnroe on Dogwoof On Demand we asked the Director Barney Douglas to recount his experience making the film and working with the sporting legend John McEnroe!
Click below to watch McEnroe.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Photography by Monaris.
“It became a privilege getting to know John, but beforehand I only knew his reputation, so it was with some trepidation I approached our first meeting. He greeted me at his front door, bleary-eyed and in his dressing gown after a night on the beers! The night before filming for the first time, John again invited me over. He handed me an extremely strong drink and asked me – with considerable intensity – to pitch the film again as he wasn’t sure he wanted to do it anymore. After internalising a panic-attack I guess I managed to allay any fears. Fast forward to our master interview as John breezily says “I like to put pressure on people, see how they react” I realised he had done exactly that with me. That was an early indicator of how this was going to be a five-setter!”
“My main objective was simply to show more dimensions to John and bring some empathy to his life and personality. He had long been branded as ‘Superbrat’ but to me, particularly after delving into so much archive footage, there was a lot more to him than anyone had taken the time to explore. Many of our pre-production conversations took place over zoom during the pandemic, and as a result John was in pretty reflective mood. I sensed similarities to my own father with the way his brain worked, and I think maybe that helped me navigate the process. It also became clear what a truly special tennis player he was.”
Photography by Monaris.
“Filming with John was simple if you stuck to a few basic principles: be clear, be quick, have reasons! That being said, John was always up for trying stuff – when we said “meet us out in the desert at 7.45am, here’s the coordinates, see you there!”, he was early. I think John enjoyed the process and his trust in us grew. I have yet to see him wear the Spurs shirt I sent him though…”
Photography by Monaris.
“Visually, we wanted to elevate the film beyond a sports film into something more evocative of the era. Thief, Tron and Escape from New York were all touchpoints. There was also the structural issue of John’s career being front-loaded in terms of success. So, the idea was this would be ‘one night in New York’, tracing John’s journey in life from his childhood home in Douglaston to Manhattan and Patty – the love of his life. This provided a natural end point to the film and also allowed us to journey back into John’s memories as he walked moodily through the city. The restrictions of the pandemic created this eerie backdrop of an empty New York. “
“It would be remiss of me not to mention the amazing (and small) team that helped bring the film to life. Producers Victoria Barrell, Paddy Kelly and Anna Godas received a PGA nomination for their work, whilst editor Steve Williams won an Emmy. Cinematographer Lucas Tucknott was nominated for a Critics Choice award and composer Felix White was also Emmy-nominated. Felix has subsequently been assimilated into John’s Wimbledon rock band, a guaranteed gig every summer for the rest of time…”
“The scariest times were undoubtedly a) showing the finished film to John and his brilliant wife Patty Smyth and b) The McEnroe family being sat directly behind me at our Tribeca premiere in New York! Fortunately, the film had some great reviews and has found a global audience. John has said to me on a number of occasions he is extremely proud of it. The last half-hour in particular is what I’m aiming for: intimate, raw, a father and a son struggling with those themes of love and unresolved grief. You forget the icon and see the man, and you feel empathy for him. I’m really proud of the film and everyone involved, and I feel lucky to have had the chance to make it.”
McEnroe is available to watch on Dogwoof On Demand.