Summary
- A Family Affair is a Netflix romantic dramedy starring Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, and Joey King, inspired by Danny DeVito’s assistant’s experiences.
- The film explores a Hollywood love triangle involving a young PA, her widowed mother, and the A-list actor they both become involved with.
- Zara Ford’s character is partially based on Pamela Abdy, who rose from being DeVito’s assistant to becoming the head of Warner Bros.
A Family Affair is a star-studded romantic dramedy that made its Netflix debut on June 28, 2024. The film stars Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, and Joey King in an awkward Hollywood love triangle partially and surprisingly inspired by the experiences of Danny DeVito’s assistant. The story concerns a young female PA working for a hotshot Hollywood movie star, only to discover that her widowed mother is having a secret affair with him.
Although DeVito is not creatively associated with the film, director Richard LaGravenese has publicly recounted how the beloved Batman Returns star helped to inform the script written by Carrie Solomon. With the film bowing on Netflix, exploring DeVito’s inspiration for the character of Zara (King) will provide a juicy behind-the-scenes context proving that, in Hollywood, it’s not always what you know, but who you know that matters most.
A Family Affair (2024)
- Release Date
- June 28, 2024
- Director
- Richard La Gravenese
- Runtime
- 111 Minutes
- Writers
- Carrie Solomon
What Is A Family Affair About?
Written by first-time feature film scribe Carrie Solomon, A Family Affair is a Netflix original romantic dramedy directed by Richard LaGravenese. The story involves Zara Ford (King), an enterprising young woman looking to make a name in Hollywood. Zara accepts a job as the personal assistant for Chris Cole (Efron), a stuck-up and conceited A-list actor who doesn’t take romance seriously. However, Chris changes his womanizing ways when he meets and strikes up an affair with Zara’s mother, Brook Harwood (Kidman), who lost her husband and lives as a widow.
The dramatic conflict escalates when Zara quits her job as Chris’ assistant due to the psychological toll it causes. As soon as she quits, she learns her mother is having an affair with Chris, forcing her to navigate the awkward romantic dynamic between her mother and her boss. Mixing business with pleasure is often taboo and cautioned against, yet Zara, Chris, and Brooke can’t help but become entangled in a messy dalliance that soon becomes all too serious.
In addition to Kidman, A Family Affair features Oscar-winner Kathy Bates as Brooke’s mother and Zara’s grandmother, Leila Ford. Kidman and Efron reunited for the first time since starring in The Paper Boy together in 2012, but the real-life inspiration for the character of Zara has more pertinent ties to the story. Fortunately, LaGravenese has explained how the Hollywood experience of Danny DeVito’s assistant partially influenced A Family Affair.
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Who Is Zara Ford Based On?
Speaking with ScreenRant, Richard LaGravenese confessed that Zara is based on a woman named Pamela Abdy (above). Abdy is a true Hollywood success story, climbing the ranks of a male-dominated industry from the bottom to the top. Beginning her career as a personal assistant for Danny DeVito, Abdy is now the head of Warner Bros. According to LaGravenese about the new Netflix rom-com:
“Zara was inspired by a friend of mine, Pam Abdi, who now runs Warner Brothers. When I first met Pam, she was Danny DeVito’s assistant. She’s from [New] Jersey and Danny’s from Jersey. Watching the two of them was hilarious because Pam wouldn’t let him get away with anything. They were like family, and they still are. So, that dynamic of being an assistant but being in his face, not letting him get away with stuff, which is why he loves her and why he needs her, that idea is really what inspired Zara.”
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Before running Warner Bros., Abdy also worked for Paramount, Makeready, New Regency, and Bluegrass Films. Celebrating 20 years as a Hollywood producer in 2024, Pamela Abdy’s first credit came via the acclaimed romantic comedy Garden State in 2004 (which DeVito also co-produced). The Jersey native also produced Identity Thief, 47 Ronin, Endless Love, A Million Little Pieces, and Queen & Slim. Before her role as a full-time producer, Abdy worked on Man on the Moon, The Caveman’s Valentine, How High, and Stop-Loss. Abdy also produced the upcoming TV series Hombre starring Gael Garcia Bernal.
Although Zara Ford is partially inspired by Pamela Abdy, the romantic love triangle in the story is not. Abdy’s mother did not have an affair with Danny DeVito. Instead, LaGravenese explained how the romantic angle came from communication among different generations, adding:
“And the mother-daughter thing, I think, is based on all of us who are parents as well. When a kid is trying to find their place in the world and they come into the kitchen and they say, “What do I do with my life?” And as a parent, you’re going, “How do I answer that? How do I do that?” I thought they really captured this wonderful love, but also the different generations and the different communication and how much a parent can help and how much a parent can’t help.”
Interestingly enough, DeVito is no stranger to working with LaGravenese as well. Beyond his funny filmography, DeVito produced LaGravenese’s 1998 feature film debut Living Out Loud, and his underrated 2007 biographical drama Freedom Writers. Although they haven’t collaborated in nearly 20 years, DeVito and LaGravense must be incredibly proud of Pamela Abdy and how far she has come in Hollywood, climbing the ladder from personal assistant to MGM’s current Motion Picture Group President. Stream on Netflix.
