Special Feature

One-on-One With Debra Martin Chase Film Producer “Just Wright”

Debra Martin Chase (Hollywood producer) was recently interviewed by Corporate Counsel Women of Color (“CCWC”) about her upcoming film, Just Wright, (starring Queen Latifah, Common and Paula Patton) and her career in the film business.

# 1 CCWC: Your new film, Just Wright, opens in theaters May 14th. What is the film about?

Debra: Just Wright stars Queen Latifah as Leslie Wright, a straight-shooting physical therapist who gets the job of a lifetime working with NBA All-Star Scott McKnight (Common). All is going well until Leslie finds herself falling for Scott, forcing her to choose between the job and the tug-of-war inside her heart. Oblivious to her romantic overtures, McKnight is instead drawn to the affections of Leslie’s gorgeous childhood friend Morgan (Paula Patton), who has her sights set on being an NBA trophy wife. Is Leslie destined to play the role of “best friend” forever, or will Scott finally see that what he always wanted is right in front of him? Set against the exciting world of championship basketball, the game of love takes on the battle of the sexes in this romantic sports comedy, starring three of Hollywood’s most charismatic personalities as they navigate the full-court-press of love

# 2 CCWC: What drew you to this project?

Debra: Queen Latifah, who had just starred in the blockbuster success Bringing Down the House with Steve Martin, approached writer Mike Elliot and me with the idea of doing a Cinderella story set against the backdrop of the NBA. We worked on developing the concept and script for several years, and from that Just Wright was born. Latifah serves as a producer on this film, as well. It is a film I am proud of and one that we all really love.

# 3 CCWC: Who should go to see this film?

Debra: Just Wright is a movie for everybody. The film is a romantic comedy so it will hopefully appeal to women. It also has great basketball for men. The NBA is our partner on the film, and we have NBA players including Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo, Elton Brand, Rashard Lewis, and Bobby Simmons in the movie. Stuart Scott and the real announcers from TNT are also in the movie. Moreover, for everybody we have Common in his first leading role. He is terrific and definitely a movie star. Finally, we have the gorgeous and talented Paula Patton, who recently starred in the Oscar nominated film, Precious. Between that film and Just Wright, she has really established herself as a very bright star. So our hope is that there is something in the movie for everyone to relate to and enjoy.

# 4 CCWC:  You have had your hand in producing major box office hits, as well as movies and television shows such as The Princess Diaries, The Cheetah Girls, Missing, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. How was producing Just Wright different from your prior productions?

Debra: Every project is different and challenging in its own way. One of the big things for Just Wright was that we really wanted to make a glamorous movie with heart and soul. So many times movies with or about African-Americans frankly do not look good visually. To make this film pop on the screen, we went for great lighting, scenery, locations, fashion and cars. We made Manhattan and the glamorous life of an NBA star part of the movie. One of our big challenges with the film was making the game of basketball look authentic. Working closely with the NBA and with the great work of our director, Sanaa Hamri, we were able to achieve this goal. The NBA reviewed what we were doing every step of the way. They are very pleased with the movie. I now know more about officially dressing a professional basketball arena than I ever thought I would!

# 5 CCWC:  You have had a long and successful career in Hollywood. What has been one of your biggest surprises?

Debra: What has surprised me is how rapidly and continually the entertainment business changes. The advent of the internet resulted in the demise of the structure of the music business that had been around forever. In the movie business, it used to be that if you found a good story and made a good movie, you would figure out how to reach your audience. Today, before a studio will even begin to even develop a movie, you first have to convince a studio that the audience is already there. Most of the stars that were huge ten years ago do not mean much at the box office today. The game is always changing and the challenge is to stay one step ahead.

# 6 CCWC: Everyone cannot produce hits. What would you say are the key ingredients in making and producing good quality films that people want to go see?

Debra: Great movies have universal themes in specific and accessible settings. For me, one of the main ingredients is having great actors in the film. You also need what I refer to as "aspirational reality" – adding magic to it all. Life on the big screen should be a little shinier than the real thing.

# 7 CCWC: You are a Harvard-trained lawyer by trade and a film producer today. If you were not performing the work you now do, what other career would you have pursued?

Debra: I have always wanted to write fiction, and I still hope to do so in the next phase of my life. I am always juggling too many movies and stories in my head to do it right now.

# 8 CCWC: What advice would you give to lawyers looking to make a career transition?

Debra: Do your homework about what you want to do. Believe in yourself. Take a risk. Hold your breath and jump off that cliff. If you don't go for it, it will never happen.

#9 CCWC: What movie star most intrigues you?

Debra: Shahrukh Khan. He is the King of Bollywood and pretty amazing.

# 10 CCWC: What is your all-time favorite movie?

Debra: My all-time favorite movie is The Philadelphia Story, starring Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart (who won an Oscar for best supporting actor). It's perfection. A few more recent favorites are Love Actually, Vicki Cristina Barcelona, Gran Tarino, the Italian Job and, don't laugh, Casino Royale.

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