Diksha Sundriyal
Prime Video’s ‘Love of Your Life’ charts several tumultuous years in the life of a woman named Maya. The romantic drama film begins with her having a chance meeting with Charlie, with whom she hits it off, and their relationship takes one giant step after another. However, when a heartbreaking tragedy brings their marriage to a shocking end, Maya is pushed on a journey of self-discovery that takes her to some very dark places within herself before she can begin to see the beauty in the world again. Directed by Rachel Morrison, the film adopts such a grounded tone that Maya’s experiences start to feel one with the viewers’. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Love of Your Life is a Fictional Story With a Realistic Touch
‘Love of Your Life’ follows the fictional story of Maya, a character created by writer Julia Cox to be the protagonist of this decades-spanning tale. She did not particularly rely on any real-life person or event to inform the script. The idea was to present a character study of a person processing deep grief over time. When Rachel Morrison came across the script, she met with Cox. They bonded over their shared origins (both hailing from Boston) and how Morrison connected with the story and the character. The more the director pondered the story, the closer it felt to her own experience with loss, grief, and love, despite having a different experience from the film’s protagonist.
This personal resonance convinced Morrison to direct the film, and she infused the story with even more personal elements. One of the things she liked about the script was how realistically it portrays grief. She noted that Hollywood films tend to rush to tie things up in a neat bow. But Cox’s script allows Maya to be messy and wrong without putting her through the pressure of finding a certain type of happy ending. This not only made the character and the story authentic, but Morrison also liked how it subverted the expectations of a viewer programmed to believe the film will end a certain way. Another thing that stood out to her was how the writer used the locations and time jumps to portray Maya’s mindset at a particular point.
With this perspective, Morrison turned every city into a character and made important changes to the original script. For example, the original version had a scene with Maya and Charlie on Swan Boats. The director felt that it felt “a little postcard-y.” Instead, she wanted something that felt more grounded and even a little bit unexpected for the audience. So, she decided to swap the location with Washington Tower at Mount Auburn Cemetery. What made it even more personal for her is that both her parents are laid to rest in the same cemetery. In the same vein, Morrison had visited Algarve a few years back. Before filming for ‘Love of Your Life’ began, she was in Portugal, and it felt like a perfect location to highlight the contrast between Maya’s mental state and her physical surroundings.
Margaret Qualley Breathed Life Into the Fictional Protagonist
Actress Margaret Qualley carried the juxtaposition between Maya’s inner state and the outside world into her performance, leaning into the character’s emotional demands. One of the things that defines Maya and her story is her being a nurse, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because the events surrounding that particular section of the story have a profound impact on deciding the next phase of her journey, the ‘Honey Don’t’ actress knew she had to nail that emotion. In preparation for the role, she met with real nurses who had worked during the pandemic.
She was moved to learn how the nurses felt responsible for the patients’ mental health as much as for their physical health. Due to the restrictions, patients weren’t allowed visitors, and being away from their loved ones during such a scary time meant the nurses often took it upon themselves to keep them motivated. This, however, also took an emotional toll on the caregivers because it meant that they would feel personally responsible when a patient passed away.
This revelation inspired Qualley, and she ingrained it in her character, establishing it as an important marker for her. Through these varied details, the filmmakers tried to make the film come across as realistic and emotionally relatable as possible. Morrison hopes that Maya’s story gives people the hope and forgiveness they need to keep moving forward without feeling like they are leaving something behind. She also wants viewers to challenge the notion of having “one true love,” not just from a romantic angle but also through the lens of friendship and platonic love, which is equally, if not more, important.
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