Chicago’s Chloe Lenihan screened her episodic digital series, All American Sex Offender and took home a win as “Best Web Series” at the Oscar®-Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival.
The twisted romantic comedy, from Lenihan, follows an impulsive single woman who is fired from her job, gets drunk, and ends up peeing in a bush… in front of cops… and kids. This ultimately, and inadvertently, lands her on the sex offender registry.
Things move from complicated to perilous when she meets Mr. Right, who knows nothing of her past, but also happens to be running for Attorney General. Now, she must juggle lies, navigate group therapy, and battle vigilantes in the hopes of finding her happily ever after. Imagine FLEABAG living in Norman Rockwell’s America.
The series is written and directed by Lenihan and co-written by Alex Cannon. In addition to Lenihan, cast members are; Patrese McClain, Sam Guinan-Nyhart, Mickey O’Sullivan, and Patrick Zielinski.
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Okay, so how did you come up with All American Sex Offender?
All-American Sex Offender grew out of a short film called Red Dot, which I directed at the end of my first year in the MFA program at Columbia University.
The premise is based on the real account of a friend who, while in college, did too many keg stands before getting busted by campus police for peeing on the University quad. At court, the judge threatened a punitive sex offense charge, but she was ultimately cleared and now has a funny story to share at parties.
The idea of a wholesome all-American girl knocking on a stranger’s door and declaring herself the last (and worst!) thing imaginable, grew from a joke into a short film, and now a web series!
How did you prepare for this shoot, and what was the most significant part of the film making process?
The most significant part of the film making process was the period of pre-production. The scale of production was very ambitious despite the small budget, and this was the first time I was directing myself as an actor, so I was dedicated to being over-prepared.In preparation for this shoot, I spent a large amount of time refining my shot list to reflect the psychological arc of the characters in the film, but also the emotional arc I wanted the audience to feel while watching.
Because I was also acting in the lead role, I knew that my capacity for answering crew questions would be limited while shooting. I devoted myself to communicating the intention behind every shot and aesthetic choice with all the key creatives before Day 1, so I could trust that on set our team had clear and united objectives.
How did you approach bringing this story to life?
My approach to bringing this story to life was to ground the absurd situations and comedic dialogue in deeply truthful and emotional moments. My co-writer, Alex Cannon, and I discussed at length the tone and where the line between funny and offensive should be drawn.
All-American Sex Offender is provocative, but contrary to our title, we are not joking about sexual offenses. This show uses humor to contribute to the dialogue dominating today’s conversations. We aim to question the surrounding culture.
What was the difficult part of production?
The most difficult part of production was balancing a grueling schedule and ambitious script with a very small budget and inclement Chicago weather.
Thanks to some creative problem solving by my whip-smart, super dedicated, formidable producer, Jacquelyn Jamjoom, and a hard working crew, we managed to get all the shots. What you see onscreen is almost verbatim it was written on the page. The other most difficult thing was skinny dipping in Lake Michigan in November. Brrrrr!!
Chloe, what can viewers take away from this story?
The series is social-political commentary in the guise of raunchy humor, wrapped up in heart. I hope that viewers laugh and have fun watching this show.
After it ends, however, I hope it elicits thoughtful conversations about othering, the judiciary system, and gives people permission to ask questions about taboo topics.
When exploring this material, Alex (my co-writer) and I set out to tackle questions big enough that we didn’t already know the answer: What do we do with the “Gollums” of the world –society’s pariahs and what does that say about us as a society?
In a culture more concerned with recidivism than rehabilitation, how do we deal with the worst among us and what happens when we paint that group with a single brush?
Also, when you’ve had one drink too many and nature calls (in public), remember All-American Sex Offender as a cautionary tale!
Jessica Velle is writer from Los Angeles, CA. She focuses on shining a light on culturally diverse stories.
