How I Live Now tells the story of Daisy, a neurotic and rather high strung teenager who is sent by her father to the English countryside to stay with her British cousins for the summer. Quickly dismissive of her relatives, Daisy prefers to be left on her own. It is not until she gets to know her eldest cousin, Eddie, that she eventually lowers her guard and comes to see the English countryside as a wonderful place to inhabit.
Just as she’s finally settling into her new surroundings, a nuclear bomb goes off in London and plunges the country into World War III. Daisy and the youngest of the cousins, Piper, soon become separated from Eddie and the rest of the family and must fight their way back if they hope to return home.
How I Live Now is based on the acclaimed novel by Meg Rosoff, and starring as Daisy in this adaptation is Saoirse Ronan. Best known for her roles in Atonement, The Lovely Bones and Hanna, Ronan gives one of her most mature and complex performances to date as a young woman who is forced to grow up very quickly as she does her best to protect her younger cousin from the danger that has engulfed the countryside.
Directing How I Live Now is Kevin Mcdonald, who has been behind some fantastic documentaries such as Touching The Void and Marley. He also directed Forest Whitaker to an Oscar winning performance in The Last King of Scotland. Together, both Ronan and Macdonald have created a beautiful film that will that will no doubt keep you entertained throughout.
Last week I had the opportunity to talk with Ronan and Macdonald while they were at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles, California for the How I Live Now press junket. In our exclusive video interview, they spoke about the challenges of adapting Rosoff’s novel for the big screen, how Ronan handled her character’s transition from being neurotic to strong-willed, how the songs in the soundtrack were chosen, and much more.
Check it out below and be sure to catch How I Live Now, which hits theaters today!