Jeff Lipsky's film Flannel Pajamas is a (sometimes painfully) realistic look at what is involved in relationship. It chronicles a couple's meeting, falling in love, growing together and then drifting apart. The realism  is the film's strongest feature. The topic of the realism was a central area of discussion as Lipsky and the stars met with member of the press recently.

Julianne Nicholson, who played Nichole in the film, said of the script:
"I felt like this movie was a real look at a relationship--its ups and downs, and that to me was exciting. It's not glamorized in any way…, but it's just a very authentic look at people and how they relate to each other and all that brings--from extended family and in-laws and everything that goes on."

Lipsky describes what he wanted the film to be:
"What I sought to do was to make a provocative, thought provoking movie that audiences, both here and abroad, could identify with--if not the characters, in these specific situations--conversations, subjects, themes within the whole work, and something to give couples a chance to debate and a chance to talk about with each other after seeing the film, apart from saying let's go see this ninety minute movie and where are we going to go later.

I wanted to create universal situations. Most marriages that fail, it's not about infidelity; it's not about spousal abuse; it's not because of some apocalyptic melodramatic moment. It's about things that are much more common to all of us. Whether it's selfishness, whether it's the inability to be honest with each other--small lies, small deceptions. Those are the things I wanted to explore."

That exploration came about from his reflections on his own failed marriage. He happened upon an opportunity to look back from enough distance to be able to see some of the things that went right and wrong in his own relationship.

He says:
"The impetus to write the screenplay was my own failed marriage…. What happened was about ten years after the divorce, I was moving and I found our photo album of our wedding pictures, and I was looking through it for the first time in years and years and years. Rather than pack it up right away, I reflected back upon what happened early on in the relationship. I said, "God, it was wonderful; it was perfect; it was a paradigm of two human beings coming together." And I started writing notes so I wouldn't forget the wonderful times-- the wonderful days we had. But as I wrote and wrote and wrote, I started--and I was honest with myself--I said, "Oh, my God! That happened that same day?  I said that?  Those things occurred?" And by the time I finished jotting down these notes and reflections, I had the outline for a script."

Whatever else may be said about Flannel Pajamas, there is indeed an honest look at failure in relationships.