The film “Love…Reconsidered” tells the story of Ruby, played by Sophie Von Haselberg, a New Yorker who is down-on-her-luck and can’t seem to keep a job, a boyfriend, or find a way to leave her parents’ house, but aspires to be so much more. In the film, her life is transported to the Hamptons after a chance meeting with a quirky, wealthy consignment store owner named Golda in Central Park, who hands over the keys to the shop.
Once in the Hamptons she attempts to make connections with an ex who wants to stay her ex, a charlatan disguised as Gwyneth Paltrow’s bestie, and a variety of other Hamptons characters. The film shows how their stories are entangled in a humorous and heartfelt web.
The film is based on a true story and produced and written by local business owner Arielle Haller-Silverstone, the owner of Le Closet (formerly Ari’s Closet) in Southampton, and directed by Carol Ray Hartsell, and also features actors Colton Haynes, Luke Gulbranson, and Jill Kargman.
We caught up with Haller-Silverstone to learn more.
The film tells the story of Ruby: a thirty, flirty New Yorker whose life is suddenly transported to the Hamptons after a chance meeting with a wealthy consignment owner. Give us a little more background on the film and its plot.
The film is based on a true story! I didn’t have a chance encounter with a wealthy consignment owner, but I did lose my job over Covid — spurring me to start my own business. It began as a little idea out of my studio apartment in Hell’s Kitchen. I then followed my now ex-boyfriend to the Hamptons, detailed in the movie, and boom! The store in Southampton was born.
Similar to Ruby, you also own a consignment shop in Southampton. Tell us about the shop and any parallels between you and the main character.
So many. I based Ruby off of myself, and Sophie Von Haselberg (our lead actress) did an incredible job of embodying the character. So much of what I went through in reality is seen in the movie — it was totally surreal seeing it come to life.
Talk a little about the cast and how it all came together?
SJ Allocco-St.Germain is one of the best casting directors on the planet. Period. End of story. She was working with Jen Euston when I met her years ago. I was in awe of her then, and I’m in awe of her now. (She’s also my producing partner, and fantastic at that, as well.) She is the only reason we had such incredible actors. I was originally going to play Sophie, but a week before production, I told SJ I just couldn’t do it. I thought I was going to keel over from the pressure of producing, writing, and then having to act. Sophie read the script and amazingly, loved it. Everything fell into place after that!
We love how the film takes some of the many different worlds of the Hamptons and connects them together in a humorous and heartfelt way. Tell us about your background and what brought you to the East End.
While it was my ex who originally brought me to the Hamptons, I’ve really found a home on the East End. Being a local business owner in Southampton has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The outpouring of support I received from the community when I opened the store was incredible, and the continued support I receive in filmmaking is amazing, as well. I think the Hamptons sometimes gets a bad rap as only a playground for the rich and famous (which it totally is), but I’ve met the most hardworking, welcoming, and encouraging friends Out East.
Talk a little about some of the locations that you used to shoot on the East End.
Where to start! I called everyone I knew. Seriously. Bamboo and Blu Mar really came through for us — letting us shoot in those restaurants was an absolute dream. We also were able to shoot in some incredible homes through friends — everyone was great.
Tell us a little about working with Director Carol Ray Hartsell.
She is the best! Her ability to stay calm under pressure, find solutions to problems quickly, all while making a funny and quirky film was inspiring to watch. I still can’t believe this is her first feature. If anyone has a movie in the works, hire Carol. You will not be disappointed.
What do you hope viewers take away from the film?
First, and perhaps most importantly, I hope viewers laugh. I really do. I probably sound like my mother, but I miss the rom-coms of the ’90s and early ’00s. I remember finding such solace in those films, and I hope viewers can escape for a bit, open up a bottle of red (and a bucket of M&Ms) and have a fun time watching our little movie.
Tell us about Tiny Office Productions and upcoming projects you have in the works.
I’m so glad you asked! We have so much stuff in the works, and we’re so excited about all of them. First is an unscripted docu-series following Luke Gulbranson (of Bravo’s “Summer House”/ “Winter House” fame; plus he’s in our movie!) and his very attractive childhood friend as they renovate homes in Northern Minnesota. The second is a horror movie, called “Trip Sitter,” written by comedian Dan St. Germain and directed by Scotty Landes. Both of these projects are slated to shoot in early 2023, we’re working on some others for later in the year. Stay tuned!
Where can we watch the film coming up?
On a streaming service soon! We’re currently working on distribution and will definitely keep everyone posted.
