Bookworm has charmed audiences with its sweet and mythical father-daughter tale. Costume designer Jaindra Watson speaks to Madeleine Crutchley about the making of the family-friendly adventure and how Elijah Wood escaped wearing a fedora.
In Bookworm, Elijah Wood’s hat speaks before he can.
It fills the frame, shifting in the
He dons the oversized topper as Strawn Wise, a washed-up magician – he’d prefer you say “illusionist” – who returns from the US to look after his estranged daughter (whose mum has slipped into a coma due to an unfortunate toaster accident).
From the first shot, due to the power of costume design, we know who Strawn is.
He dons a tailed tuxedo jacket over a bohemian shirt with gold brocade and that eyesore of a hat looks to be hiding slightly stringy long locks. He’s affectionate of accessories too; a pendant dangles on his chest, rings clink on his fingers and his nails are lacquered midnight black.
Costume designer Jaindra Watson, whose career in New Zealand film began in the 1990s with Jane Campion’s The Piano, laughs remembering the moment of introduction on set.
“The inspiration, originally, was for more of a fedora-type hat – something that would be a part of this person. And then on the actual day, Ant wanted to amp it up. Out came the big, crazy hat.”
Bookworm, which premiered at Avondale’s Hollywood cinema on August 1, was directed by local film industry steward Ant Timpson. The film follows the resourceful and intelligent 11-year-old Mildred (played by Nell Fisher), as she embarks on a hunt for the mythical Canterbury panther with her distant father in the remote and mountainous surrounds of the South Island.
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Advertise with NZME.They’re an odd pairing. Though it’s Mildred’s first time camping, she’s hyper-prepared for the outdoors, marching over the grassy plains and up the mountains. By comparison, Strawn scrambles up slopes and panics at crickets and creaks.
In the making of Bookworm, it was Jaindra’s role to communicate this mismatch. To dress Nell, she was drawn to utilitarian qualities. Mildred’s wardrobe includes skivvies, hand-knitted woollen jumpers, a belt and well-pocketed pieces. There’s the “hero costume” too, where she wears a playful safari-inspired ensemble, with her own characterful hat.
“The inspiration was to make her fit nicely into the colour of the fields and so we dyed that jumpsuit to exactly the right shade to make it complementary. She tomboy-ish and practical, she’s a planner and every outfit is thoughtfully put together.”
And for Strawn’s garb in the wilderness:
“He is the opposite. He’s an impractical city dweller and he’s out of place in the wilderness. And even though he’s a bit down on his luck, he’s still quite vain. He’s carrying through a little bit of his, maybe, dated stage persona.”
Throughout the film, in terrain that would usually require puffer jackets and gorpcore ensembles, Elijah is clad in black skinny jeans, a leather jacket and luxurious cotton paisley printed pyjamas. Jaindra says that performers, musicians, comedians and illusionists were all sources of inspiration.
“That eclectic, slightly dated menswear style is what we were pulling reference from. I think you could guess who we’ve been reference, by looking at that costume.”
It all worked due to the actor’s enthusiasm, Jaindra says.
“Luckily, Elijah embraced it. There was talk at one stage about wearing a white suit. And, obviously, the practicalities of that were something else so I kind of just hoped that it would disappear and it did ... ”
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Advertise with NZME.Ant’s vision is also a major influence on the costuming of the two characters.
“He had strong overall concepts. He’d been referencing the wilderness and old movies and he was referencing Vegas, illusionists and beautiful still photographs from the 60s and 70s.”
The vibe of family-friendly 70s films was a major inspiration for Ant Timpson, as the director told Karl Puschmann for the New Zealand Herald.
“They were really seminal for me, those wilderness family adventures. They could be a little bit preachy at times, but they weren’t patronising to kids. They were what used to be called ‘general entertainment’. They weren’t just targeted at kids. They worked for everyone. We were trying to pay homage to that type of cinema.”
To refine the characterisations of Mildred and Strawn, and communicate her developing vision with the director (who was busy prepping for the shoot in the South Island), Jaindra built her designs on two mannequins. It was important to understand them in reference to each other, she says.
“I would take photos and then be looking at the colours and editing out ones that didn’t work or he would feedback. They’re in complete contrast to each other. He’s the opposite to her.”
The film also took the cast and crew to some isolated locations, out on Flock Hill and Castle Hill. Jaindra recalls some very unusual and scenic dressing rooms (blanketed with a chill brought by April and May).
“I had to conduct some of the fittings on the cast in the middle of Authur’s Pass. That was pretty challenging.”
Some of the costumes enjoyed intrepid journeys too.
“My team would be, in the mornings, packing backpacks and putting them on their backs and hiking to get to set, lugging all of the gear uphill.”
For the costume designer, New Zealand film has been an inspiration; she cites Smash Palace (1981) and The End of the Golden Weather (1991) as early influences.
After 30 years of weaving threads, Bookworm showcases her expertise as a storyteller – down to Elijah Wood’s last braided, bohemian bracelet.
Bookworm is currently in cinemas.
Madeleine Crutchley is a multimedia journalist for Viva and premium lifestyle and entertainment at The New Zealand Herald. She covers stories relating to fashion, culture and food and drink, from her hometown of Auckland. Recently, she’s written about fashion and the climate emergency, sporty street style and the best books of the year.
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