Joseph Gordon-Levitt explains why his 2013 romantic-comedy Don Jon is more relevant today than it was a decade ago when it came out. Gordon-Levitt plays a modern-day Don Juan in a Sundance Film Festival favorite that went on to gross $41 million at the worldwide box office, while garnering critical praise, as reflected in its 80% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Gordon-Levitt wrote and directed Don Jon himself, receiving support from a strong cast including Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Brie Larson, Tony Danza and Glenne Headly.

Over ten years after the offbeat rom-com released in theaters to solid returns, Gordon-Levitt says Don Jon is even more relevant than ever, given its handling of timely themes related to gender roles, objectification and relationships. Check out his remarks below (via Inverse):

“A lot of the themes in that movie have only become a lot more relevant in the last decade. A lot of that movie is about gender roles, but I think it goes beyond gender. It’s a movie about objectification. He objectifies himself. He objectifies his gender. He objectifies his religion. He objectifies his friends and his family and his car. And he objectifies the women that he has sex with.”

“A man’s not supposed to clean his house. It’s not manly to do that. That’s obviously a very old-fashioned idea. In the 10 years since, it’s become even a more deeply old-fashioned idea. At this point, it’s hard to imagine that anybody would believe that. But not only did people believe it in the past, if you step out of your bubble for a second, there are still tons and tons of people all over the world who still very much hold this belief and see gender in this way.”

Now Is The Perfect Time To Revisit Gordon-Levitt’s Memorable Directorial Debut

Gordon-Levitt’s Jon ultimately fails in his relationship with Johansson’s Barbara because, as Gordon-Levitt explains, the characters are unable to get past their unrealistic expectations and just accept themselves and others on their own unique terms:

“They can’t have a deeply loving and meaningful relationship because they’re so focused on what everything is supposed to be rather than what is. I get a lot more out of life if I’m less focused on the categories I fit into and more leaning into what makes me unique.”

Gordon-Levitt’s The Dark Knight Rises director Christopher Nolan advised him against trying to direct himself in Don Jon, but the star elected not to take Nolan’s advice, making the film his feature directorial debut. The movie indeed made a strong impression upon its release in 2013, thanks in part to the star power featured in its cast. Alongside the likes of Johansson, Moore and a pre-MCU Larson, Don Jon sports memorable cameos from Anne Hathaway, Channing Tatum, Emily Blunt and John Krasinski.

The cast alone makes Don Jon worth a revisit over a decade after release. Gordon-Levitt’s perceptive writing and confident direction also make the film a good candidate for rediscovery. It’s indeed surprising that Gordon-Levitt has not returned to the director’s chair since Don Jon, a film that amply demonstrates his ability to do a lot more than act in movies. The film’s unique take on romance, and the obstacles that stand in the way of two people staying together, remains as fresh as ever, and may be fresher than when it came out, at least according to the film’s writer-director-star.

Source: Inverse