The Run-Through with Vogue

Episode: Rose Byrne Channels the Complexity of Parenting In New Film If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Date: October 9, 2025
Hosts: Chloe Malle (A), Taylor Antrum (B)
Guest: Rose Byrne (C)

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the making and emotional core of If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You, a new indie film starring Rose Byrne. Hosts Chloe Malle and Taylor Antrum discuss the film’s claustrophobic intensity, its unique narrative perspective on motherhood, and Byrne’s transformative performance. The conversation expands into Rose’s creative process, real-life parenting, reflections on genre, collaboration with her husband Bobby Cannavale, and her upcoming projects—on both stage and screen.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction to the Film and Byrne's Performance

• Taylor frames the movie as a stressful yet exceptional indie:

  "I thought the central performance by Rose Byrne was unlike anything we've ever seen Rose Byrne do before." [00:26]

• The film's plot centers around a mother (Linda) coping with her daughter’s severe eating disorder, presented almost entirely from Linda's perspective.

  “It's about her dealing with an ill daughter, but you never see the daughter until the end.” (A) [01:03]

2. Atmosphere & Style of the Film

• Shot primarily in Montauk, with a low budget and an immersive, nearly single-point-of-view style.
• Echoes the nervy, pressure-cooker tone of Safdie brothers' films, to which director Mary Bronstein has connections.
• Notable supporting cast includes Conan O’Brien, A$AP Rocky, and Christian Slater (voice).

3. Rose Byrne on the Role and Script

• Byrne immediately felt the script was “electric and read like a fever dream.” [03:57]
• Calls the film existential, radical, and layered, blending dark comedy and drama:

  “The script was just fire... It’s existential, and it’s about motherhood and being a caretaker and about therapy... I felt simultaneously terrified and adrenalized.” (C) [03:57]

• The close-up, subjective cinematography was energizing but left her drained and “bereft” after shooting:

  “It was a bit like doing a play... at the end, I felt a little bereft. I think I felt it has stayed with me and felt a lot of separation anxiety from Mary Bronstein, the writer, director.” (C) [06:07]

4. Portrayal of Motherhood and Caretaking

• The movie confronts the anxiety, responsibility, and complex emotions tied to modern motherhood.
• Rose discusses the shame and lack of open dialogue around maternal frustration, disappointment, or anger:

  “There’s so much shame around having feelings that are maybe anger, disappointment, frustration, challenges, claustrophobia, postpartum… finally we're getting to discuss that.” (C) [10:07]

• Mary Bronstein’s own experiences informed the portrayal.
• The decision to not show the daughter until the final frame literalizes the mother’s psychological isolation:

  “You literally don't see your child in the film until the last frame. You're quite literally inside your head.” (A) [12:08]

5. Parenting Through Crisis and COVID

• The hosts and Rose bond over parental claustrophobia and the surreal stress of COVID quarantines with children.
• Rose shares her own anecdote:

  “I did two quarantines in Australia... for two weeks with my kids. My sense memory of quarantine was... all the phone calls with your partner about the children.” (C) [13:34]

• The character of Linda pulls from both extraordinary and universal experiences of caretaking.

6. Crafting Key Scenes—The Dramatic Beach Ending

• The climatic ocean sequence was both technically challenging and symbolically integral:

  “We managed to just get in there right at the end of summer... The sequence is gorgeous. It is really. It's wild and something... It's untamed and feral. It's her last attempt to escape.” (C) [15:48–17:41]

• Real waves, real risk, with the crew nearly losing their cinematographer to the surf.

7. Impact of Role on Byrne's Perspective

• The heavy research involved in talking with mothers of special needs children stayed with her:

  “On every level, this film has changed my perspective on motherhood in many ways.” (C) [18:06]

• Explores the primal anxiety tied to feeding and the immediacy of a caregiver’s responsibility.

8. Working with A$AP Rocky and Conan O’Brien

• A$AP Rocky’s role provides the film’s central figure of empathy:

  “He's truly the only character with empathy in the film... He keeps the audience engaged and sort of rooting for my character.” (C) [21:33]

• Mary Bronstein specifically targeted both Rocky and Conan for their roles, lending the movie a “punk” energy in her casting choices.

9. Theater, Upcoming Projects, and Life with Bobby Cannavale

• Rose is active in New York’s theater scene; Bobby is starring in the Broadway revival of “Art.”
• Rose is to star in a Noel Coward play at the Roundabout Theatre, excited by the chance to perform his “intricacy of comedy.” [27:21]
• The couple balances family and career with humor and negotiation—grocery lists and schedules abound.

10. Rose Byrne's Production Company and Reading Habits

• Byrne is avidly reading and optioning books for adaptation, currently focused on Australian material like Homecoming by Kate Morton. [29:23]
• Casual book and reading habit talk leads to a humorous comparison of sleep-deprived parent faces.

11. Family, Fashion, and Life’s Little Details

• The hosts and Rose bond over children’s names, family routines, and navigating “drip” (style) for school picture day.
• Rose’s son, notably, likes to wear suits to school, showcasing family flair.
• Fashion talk includes festival wardrobes (from “ranch-core” at Telluride to Prada at Toronto) and stylistic choices when promoting a film about a mother in distress.

  “The film explicitly is showing someone who's given up, and I think the opportunity to do the opposite with promoting it is really fun... to be glamorous.” (C) [35:56]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the film’s intensity:

  “It is kind of radical and a little punk rock... There is these moments where the kind of the valves release and you are allowed to laugh at the absurdity and heart.” (C) [03:10]

• On motherhood’s complexity:

  “With motherhood, there's so much shame around having feelings ... finally we're getting to discuss that.” (C) [10:07]

• On career fulfillment:

  “So fulfilling creatively. Like, really a creative highlight for me of my career, for sure.” (C) [08:47]

• On the ocean sequence:

  “It's untamed and feral and she's... it's her last attempt to kind of escape and, you know, get out of here.” (C) [17:41]

• On working with A$AP Rocky:

  “He’s truly the only character with empathy in the film... and he did it really beautifully.” (C) [21:33]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:03] Description of the film's premise and Rose's role
• [03:57] Rose on reading the script; existential and genre-defying nature
• [06:07] The challenge of shooting and emotional aftermath
• [10:07] Discussion on motherhood, shame, and new artistic narratives
• [12:08] The decision to not show the daughter until the end
• [13:34] Parenting during COVID; Rose’s two-week strict quarantines
• [15:48–17:41] Filming the climactic beach sequence
• [18:06] Real moms’ stories influence Rose’s perspective
• [21:33] Working with A$AP Rocky; unique empathy in his character
• [27:21] Rose’s upcoming Noel Coward play with Roundabout Theatre
• [29:23] Rose on reading and acquiring material for her production company
• [35:56] Dressing for festivals vs. the film’s distressed character
• [37:39] Origin and thoughts on her children's names

Flow & Tone

The episode balances heavy topics (motherhood, caregiving, mental health) with humor and candid personal stories. The hosts’ rapport with Rose Byrne is relaxed and playful, giving room for honest reflection—matched by Rose’s generous, self-effacing insights.
Listeners come away with a vivid sense of both the film’s emotional power and Rose Byrne's thoughtful approach to craft, family, and life.

For listeners interested in:

• Indie filmmaking and actor transformation
• Honest conversations about motherhood and mental health
• The collaborative world of theater, family, and creative partnerships
• Behind-the-scenes accounts of fashion, festivals, and life as an artist and parent

Episode in a sentence:
A funny, fierce, and heartfelt conversation about parenting, art, and taking on roles—and waves—that truly test your limits.