Outfest and Melanie Mayron Revisit Slap Her... She's French

It’s been nearly 15 years since Melanie Mayron (of 30 Something fame) directed the teen comedy, Slap Her… She’s French, but reminiscing about the film in anticipation of Outfest’s upcoming West Hollywood Series screening, Mayron fondly remembers the passion project like it was yesterday. “It’s kind of like time hasn’t gone by,” she says of the Piper Perabo starrer, adding, “It’s crazy!” Mayron, known for her work both in front of and behind the camera will be in attendance at this Wednesday’s Outfest series, for a special screening and post film Q&A.

Mayron says the film came to her somewhat serendipitously, after the hired director finished the first few days of shooting behind schedule. She says she had read the script previously, but was busy with another job at the time. “Two years later,” she remembers, “I get a call that Shoot Her… She’s French is shooting in Dallas Fort Worth; they’re gonna be letting go of the director, and would I be interested in basically getting on the plane in two days!” Since many of movie’s original crew members followed the previous director, Mayron says the film was a big break for many of those who had to fill empty shoes. “Everybody around me was kind of stepping up,” she explains. “Everybody had their art, their craft, and their career on the line!”

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After overcoming some distribution snafus, the film found a home on ABC Family – with one notable change. The fantastically memorable name Slap Her… She’s French was deemed a bit too edgy for the network, and the film was subsequently released for television under the title, She Gets What She Wants. “I was BEGGING them to keep the title,” Mayron remembers.

Perabo as a French foreign exchange student in the teen comedy. 

Mayron has continued some work with ABC Family, directing several episodes of the hit teen drama Pretty Little Liars and even costarring in an episode as a photographer.  “The people at the top are so amazing,” Mayron gushed about PLL's staff. “All the writers on it are so fantastic. The girls are great. Shay Mitchell is great.”         

Outfest’s screening of Slap Her… She’s French will take place on Wednesday, May 6 at 7:30pm at the West Hollywood City Council Chambers at the West Hollywood Library. Tickets are still available for purchase online or at the door. For more information about Outfest – including the upcoming Outfest Los Angeles Film Festival – or the West Hollywood Series screenings, visit outfest.org.