‘Reminders of Him’ director Vanessa Caswill on film’s hardest scene

Director Vanessa Caswill wanted one thing in mind before she wrapped filming the upcoming film adaptation of Reminders of Him: nail one pivotal moment.

The reunion between a mother and her young daughter places heavy emotional weight on the film and, ultimately, determines whether the story works.

Based on the bestselling novel by Colleen Hoover, the film follows Kenna Rowan, played by Maika Monroe, as she attempts to rebuild her life after serving time in prison for her role in the car crash that killed her former boyfriend, Scotty Landry, portrayed by Rudy Pankow.

At the heart of the story is Kenna’s struggle to reconnect with her daughter Diem, whom she gave birth to while in jail. Caswill said the emotional climax arrives in the film’s closing sequence, when Kenna finally encounters the young girl, played by Zoe Kosovic.

“If we didn’t land that, the film doesn’t work,” Caswill told Deadline while reflecting on the scene’s significance.

The director explained that balancing the moment proved particularly challenging because it relied heavily on the performance of a very young actor.

“I think the tricky part of that scene was really knowing that we have a four-year-old child actor who has to hold the moment,” she said.

Caswill added that Kenna’s emotional restraint was key to making the scene believable.

“What she actually wants to do in that scene is just grab this child and hold her and cry, but that would be nuts. She can’t do that,” she said, noting that such a reaction would frighten the child and undermine the delicate emotional tension.

Reminders of Himstarring Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers, was released in theaters on March 13.