BWW Flashback: A Look Back on JAGGED LITTLE PILL Writer Diablo Cody's Films

Jagged Little Pill is an exhilarating, original musical tale of suburban subversion by Academy Award-winning writer Diablo Cody. Preview performances began in November at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre following the show's record-breaking, sold-out world premiere at American Repertory Theater (A.R.T) last year.

Before she took the dive into musical theater book writing, Diablo Cody began her career as a screenwriter and we have a look back at all of her films!

---

Juno

Juno was the first film Diablo Cody wrote, and its success put her name on the map. The 2007 comedy film starred Ellen Page as Juno, an independent teenager who is dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. Juno also starred Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, and J.K. Simmons. Cody won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the film. The film had a budget of $6.5 million and it went on to earn $231 million worldwide.

Jennifer's Body

In 2009, Cody's film Jennifer's Body was released. This film was supernatural horror black comedy that starred Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, and Adam Brody. FOX plays a demonically possessed high school girl who kills her male classmates, with her best friend, played by Seyfried, striving to stop her. The film had mixed reviews and underwhelming box office performance, but it has gone on to become a cult film, with many fans appreciative of its female empowerment message.

Young Adult

Diablo's third film, Young Adult, was a comedy-drama released in 2011. The film starred Charlize Theron as Mavis Gary, a successful writer of teen literature who returns to her hometown with a dual mission: to relive her glory days and steal away her now-married high-school sweetheart. Young Adult also starred Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, and Elizabeth Reaser. The film had generally positive reviews, and Theron received a Golden Globe nomination for her role. When talking about where she got the idea for this script, Cody said, "This common question I would get at Q&As or press junkets or what-have-you was: "Why are you so fixated on [movies about] adolescents?" [I began wondering:] Am I stunted somehow? And so as I thought about my own life, I thought, 'Gosh, that would be a great character-a woman in her 30s who writes young-adult fiction and does in fact cling to deluded teenage fantasies in her real life, and is obsessed with recreating her teenage years come hell or high water.'"

Paradise

Cody made her feature directorial debut with the 2013 comedy-drama film Paradise, which she also wrote. Paradise stars Julianne Hough, Russell Brand, Octavia Spencer, Holly Hunter, Iliza Shlesinger and Kathleen Rose Perkins. The film follows a young woman, played by Hough, who after surviving a plane crash experiences the wild side of life in Las Vegas. This was Cody's least critically acclaimed film, and it was was the last film by Mandate Pictures before it was shut down.

Ricki and the Flash

In 2015, Cody's fifth feature film Ricki and THE FLASH was released. The film was about a woman who leaves her family to become a rock star and later gets a chance to make amends. The film stars Meryl Streep, Mamie Gummer, Kevin Kline, Sebastian Stan, Rick Springfield and Broadway stars Audra McDonald and Ben Platt. Ricki and THE FLASH received mixed reviews, with critics praising the of the cast's performances.

Tully

Cody's most recent film is the 2018 drama film Tully.The film reunites Cody and actress Charlize Theron, who plays Marlo, a New York suburbanite who's about to give birth to her third child. When the baby is born, Marlo's wealthy brother hires a nighttime nanny named Tully to help his sister handle the workload. Hesitant at first, Marlo soon learns to appreciate ALL THAT Tully does- forming a special bond with her new, lifesaving friend. The film premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and received mostly positive reviews from critics. Theron was nominated for a Golden Globe and Critics' Choice award for her role. The film also starred Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass, and Ron Livingston.