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From its very first episode, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette has offered a captivating glimpse into the lives of one of the 20th century’s most enigmatic couples. When it came to depicting the couple’s wedding, director Gillian Robespierre knew that capturing both the grounded reality and the whimsical allure of their romance was essential.
The couple’s wedding was famously shrouded in secrecy to avoid becoming tabloid fodder, making it a challenge for any filmmaker to portray such a significant event authentically. For Robespierre, the journey began with a simple, yet profound misunderstanding.
In preparing for Episode 6, titled “The Wedding,” Robespierre and director of photography Pepe Avila del Pino encountered a striking metaphor penned by writer Juli Weiner. The script described John and Carolyn’s first dance as if they “levitate on the dance floor” after their intimate ceremony. Robespierre took this description to heart, interpreting it in a literal sense.
“Juli Weiner crafted an incredibly beautiful script,” Robespierre shared in a Zoom interview with DECIDER. “I don’t think she meant ‘levitate’ literally, but when Pepe and I read it, he suggested, ‘Let’s make them levitate.’ And I thought, ‘Why not?’ After the whirlwind of wedding planning, the adrenaline of the day, and being surrounded by loved ones in a small chapel, entering a magical tent illuminated by the moon and lanterns, it does feel like you’re floating.”
To bring this vision to life, the production team took an innovative approach. They excavated a hole at the filming location for the reception scene, installing a hydraulic lift to elevate actors Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly above the crowd. Robespierre revealed to DECIDER that they positioned stunt team members around the actors to ensure their safety, ready to support them if needed. Ah, the wonders of television production.
“So Sarah and Paul were actually spinning, and a lot of the people around them were stunt people, making sure that they [were safe],” Robespierre told DECIDER. “And we created a circular dolly track around it so we would counter and, and, and sort of just keep on moving around them. So all of that intimate dialogue, we didn’t have to break it up with relighting one side of the room, and it felt very organic and natural, and they could take as much time as they wanted to deliver these lines and to gaze at each other.”
Robespierre, who is best known for writing and directing Obvious Child starring Jenny Slate, said that what started out as a scene meant to symbolize the joy that this couple was feeling on the day of, ended up being an artistically moving moment that highlights the creativity and imagination of everyone who worked on the show.
“You kind of feel like you’re the only ones in the room and like all the love is sort of pushing you up and floating you,” she said of bringing the metaphor to life for the magical episode.
The first six episodes of Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette are now streaming. New episodes premiere Thursdays at 9 p.m. PST on Hulu.
If you’re new to Hulu, you can get started with a 30-day free trial on the streamer’s basic (with ads) plan. After the trial period, you’ll pay $10.99/month. If you want to upgrade to Hulu ad-free, it costs $18.99/month.
If you want to stream even more and save a few bucks a month while you’re at it, we recommend subscribing to one of the Disney+ Bundles, all of which include Hulu. These bundles start at $12.99/month for ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu and goes up to $32.99/month for Disney+, Hulu, and Max, all ad-free.