IT'S COMPLICATED

On Location
Although the majority of It's Complicated is set in Santa Barbara, California, three-quarters of the filming, including nearly all of the interiors, took place in New York City. Principal photography began February 18, 2009, in Brooklyn at Broadway Stages, where the scenes that take place at Jane's house were shot. The opulent, full-scale set depicted the warm, inviting Santa Barbara style. There was even a huge expanse of lawn that was part of the set, surrounded by an artfully executed trompe l'oeil backdrop of native greenery. Lunch breaks often found crew members sprawled out on the fake lawn, picnicking under the lights of the sound stage.

During the early days of filming, it was up to director of photography John Toll to develop the look that would dovetail with and enhance the work of production designer Jon Hutman (on his fourth collaboration with Meyers) and costume designer Sonia Grande. Meyers knew Toll could offer the style of camerawork she wanted.

Meyers reflects on her reasoning for selecting the two-time Oscar® winner as her DP: "I once read an interview with a cinematographer who said, ‘Faces are my landscapes.' That comment reminds me so much of John's philosophy. When you have someone like Meryl in your movie, you see her character's story through her eyes. You live the journey with her, and John's meticulous attention to detail takes the audience on that journey. His lighting is so delicate and so painterly. I was blessed to have that kind of an eye on every frame of our movie. John also has a home in Santa Barbara, so there was no need to explain the look of Jane's world to him; he lives it. Since 70 percent of the movie takes place in and around Jane's house, it was important to find someone who could translate that. John surpassed all my expectations in doing so.”

Streep found her director of photography's work "absolutely beautiful. I'm so grateful to John for not only making the frame lovely, but for making the people glow with warmth. He captures the sense of home—longing for home, breaking up homes and building homes—that's at the center of this film. He did an amazing job.”

Several other key locations were used during the first portion of filming in New York. For the Village Bakery that Jane owns, Hutman and Meyers came up with the food shop of their dreams. It was all built inside the Picnic House, a large, studio-sized structure in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, and it included counter space, an eating area, offices and even a huge store loaded with baked goods, fresh fruit and gourmet items. Any foodie stumbling into the place could have been forgiven for thinking he or she had just entered a tempting gourmet shop.

"We should have probably left everything intact after we wrapped the film, and let all of Brooklyn come shop here,” suggests Meyers. For the scenes that took place in the bakery's kitchen and refrigeration area, the facilities at Sarabeth's Bakery in the Chelsea Market were used. Adam's Santa Barbara architecture office was filmed in a commercial loft building in New York's Chelsea district. Hutman dressed it to create an aesthetic that was distinctly West Coast in feeling.

All of Martin's scenes had to be completed during the first two months of filming, as he was soon to embark on a concert tour to promote "The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo,” his recently released CD of banjo tunes. Martin's banjo was his constant companion on the set, and he frequently treated cast and crew to impromptu concerts during downtime.

In April 2009, the company set down roots in Los Angeles. Much of its time there was spent filming scenes that take place outside Jane's house: in the front yard, the backyard, the garden and the driveway. The house that was used as home base was a gorgeous adobe ranch house located in Thousand Oaks, about 45 minu

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