“Robert was not intimidated in the least,” recalls Bender.
Luketic initially received a copy of the script before the talent had signed on and was intrigued instantly by the story’s possibilities. “The potential of such strong personalities on screen and off excited the hell out of me,” he says.
Luketic first met Jennifer Lopez at her home and still talks about how taken he was with her beauty and the way she smelled. “I was mesmerized. We had a wonderful meeting but she still won’t tell me anything about the top-secret perfume,” he jokes. “Jennifer is an incredibly impressive force, juggling her many careers, but what comes across strongest is how fundamentally sweet she is. We became quite close during production.”
Luketic later had lunch with Jane Fonda and found himself equally impressed. “Jane was interested, but hadn’t committed, although she was clearly excited at the prospect of working with Jennifer,” said Luketic. “I think she wanted to meet the kid who was going to direct her, so I put on my best shirt and headed to the restaurant. In walks Jane Fonda and suddenly I am sitting across from Barbarella and Brie Daniels and all the other characters she’s played. I spent the whole lunch staring at her; not only does she look great, she is utterly fascinating.”
Fonda’s first impressions of Luketic were slightly different. “My first impression of Robert was that he could be my son,” says Fonda. “I’ve never worked with a director that could be my son – he wears braces, rides around on a scooter, plays on his computer all day, and laughs through every take. He’s like a kid.”
But once they got on set, it didn’t take long for Luketic to win over everyone associated with the project.
“I fell in love with Robert Luketic for the fiftieth time on Jane’s first day of camera test,” says producer Paula Weinstein. “The key crew was all there, Jane walked on set, they rolled film and after the first take, Robert said, ‘Cut! Welcome back, Miss Fonda.’ The set erupted in applause. It was wonderful of him to acknowledge her return and for the crew to feel strong enough to applaud as they did.”
Both Fonda and Lopez credit Luketic’s team spirit and casual demeanor on set for making the process smooth and stress-free. They also cite his ability to listen to suggestions as well as criticisms. Luketic was never put off by the star power surrounding him.
“Robert is confident because he’s good at what he does,” says Lopez. “Somebody who is confident won’t be intimidated by someone else’s resume. From our first meeting, I felt I could talk to him and that my ideas were food for thought. He could say anything to me and give me suggestions I would process into my work.”
For Luketic, one of the most impressive things about his stars was the way that they were able to inhabit their characters and rise above their larger than life tabloid personas.
“Both Jennifer and Jane have created such solid characters, that you forget the personalities,” he says. “But for my money, anyone worth their salt does tend to create polarized opinions; they create discussion and debate, it’s fundamental to the cult of celebrity.”
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