Some friendships come and go, while others are forever. But even the ones that last have their share of ups and downs, and that’s the focus of the hilarious new comedy Adult Best Friends.
The film stars Delaney Buffett (daughter of the late music icon Jimmy Buffett) and Katie Corwin, whose plates were very full on this project — they also co-wrote the script, while Buffett handled directing duties. Here’s how the dynamic duo describes the movie, in which they’re playing characters that just happen to have the same names as their own: “Inseparable since childhood, levelheaded Katie takes her codependent best friend Delaney on a girls’ trip to break the news that she is getting married. Things don’t go as planned.”
The result is a laugh-out-loud flick that you definitely don’t want to miss, and you can see it for yourself on Feb. 28, when the film will be available on DirecTV and a slew of streaming platforms (including Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Fandango At Home, Google Play, YouTube, Microsoft, and Vimeo).
We connected with these multi-hyphenate talents to hear more about their star-studded cast, what they’ve learned about maintaining meaningful friendships, and an emotional moment Buffett shared with her late father before his passing.
Delaney, you directed, co-wrote, and starred in this film, and Katie, you co-wrote and starred in it. How would you rank those duties from most to least challenging on this particular project?
Buffett: Directing was most difficult because there are so many spinning plates. You’re fielding a million questions, and most of the time don’t know the answers. Acting is a close second. I deeply admire performers who can get out of their head and into a scene within seconds. It’s difficult for me to let it all go and fully commit without a few tries. Writing is by no means easy, but I enjoy how peaceful it can be.
Corwin: Acting then writing. We could write on our own timeline leading up to the shoot. But once you’re filming, everything’s on a tight schedule, and it moves very quickly. As an actor, you only have a short window of time to perform during a scene before the entire production needs to move on; if you don’t get it, you don’t get it. It’s a lot of pressure.
Both of you are playing characters named after yourselves. What are the biggest differences and similarities between you and the characters you portray in the movie?
Buffett: I am unfortunately similar in that I tend to be a little too judgmental for my own good. I am different in that I’m (I hope) more mature than my movie character.
Corwin: In the movie, my character is so afraid of hurting people’s feelings that she becomes dishonest. In reality, it might not come to me naturally, but I can have difficult conversations with people. The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to not shy away from discomfort.
Your cast includes Zachary Quinto, Casey Wilson, and Cazzie David, to name a few. What was it like working with all of these talented performers?
Corwin: I just felt so incredibly lucky. I came onto set as a longtime fan of so many of our cast, so to leave as a co-worker felt like a dream come true. While Delaney and I were writing, Zach helped develop his character, my brother Henry, with us — and he quickly became one of my favorite elements of the movie. The feeling of watching Zach finally bring him to life is a memory I’ll never forget.
Buffett: It was an amazing experience to direct the talented people we got to have in this movie. They all have their own distinct style of performance, so I learned a lot working with them both as director and an actor. I was, of course, intimidated since it was my first feature, but I realized that in order to collaborate effectively, there has to be a lot of trust, so I had to learn how to be confident in my communication — or at least get very good at pretending to be.
Speaking of directing: Delaney, what’s it like directing yourself? How do you know if you’ve hit the right mark as an actor?
Buffett: It’s very challenging. You have to split your brain a few different ways, and sometimes you fall short as an actor when you’re pushing yourself as a director. I was fortunate in having a very supportive and honest crew, particularly our producer, Marie Nikolova, who has been a huge part of the process since the start. Everyone on set had their hand in guiding me through my performance and made sure I hit all of my marks.
Before you lost your dad in September 2023, did he have a chance to see an early cut of the film or get a look at what you were working on?
Buffett: After we wrapped the movie in August 2023, I went home to spend what would be my last week with my dad. He asked when he would see the movie, and my heart broke knowing it would likely never happen. So I asked the editor, who had started putting together clips, if he could send some rough versions of scenes over. In the end, I got to show my dad a beautiful montage we shot in Mississippi. This moment meant a lot because it was filmed in a Gulf Coast town near where he was born. The movie is in memory of him, so all I hope is it brings people a fraction of the joy he gave.
The ways in which friendships evolve as we get older and the desire to maintain those connections are issues we think about a lot at KCM. What have you learned about how to navigate shifts in important friendships over the years?
Corwin: All long-term relationships go through different seasons, so don’t be afraid to adjust expectations. What was true for a relationship yesterday might not be true today, and that’s okay. Some days you’ll only be able to give it 50 percent, but some days will be 150 percent. As long as you’re committed to making it work, you’ll find a way.
Buffett: What I’ve learned is, like in any relationship, communication is key. As you get older, life gets busier, so it’s easy to forget to pick up the phone and call your friends. It doesn’t have to be every day, but I like to keep a line open so that any friend, at any moment, feels they can call me and talk for as long as they need.
