Lindsay Pulsipher Stars in Flutter

On digital and on demand April 7

The extraordinary young actress Lindsay Pulsipher may look young but she has an old soul. She plays JoLynn in the film Flutter, a young single mother raising a child with medical problems. She’s in a hard place but determines tp stop at nothing to make sure her son survives and thrives. JoLynn instinctively finds some court papers in her in-laws home indicating that they are doing the unthinkable, secretly plotting to take custody of her son. She has no money, no support and no prospects and refuses all offers of help. We spoke with Pulsipher about her strong willed character.

This is a devastating story. When does a story hit you hardest – reading the script the first time or onset?

For this project the script was sent to me and I identified with it immediately because she was struggling and flawed and she had an unconventional way of parenting. I identified with her strength and perseverance and her love for her child I was immediately taken by the character and the unconventional love story.

Her choices don’t seem to make sense as a viewer. How did you see her and find your way in?

While we were shooting it didn’t think in Lindsay’s terms, but from JoLynn’s brain so it didn’t even occur to me it wasn’t the right way to do things. But as an audience member I definitely questioned her choices. Lindsay would do things I would never do. As we were shooting it and seeing through her eyes, she was doing the best she could.

It is uncomfortable to see how she is marginalised, but it makes you think of women who might be in a similar situation.

We played several film festivals and several girls and women told me it was touching because they were single mothers or they were daughters of single mothers, what I took away is that we sacrifice so much. I don’t have kids, but my mom definitely sacrificed. You do whatever it takes to survive and get by and it happens on all levels, no matter your background or upbringing. It’s a fact of life as a single mother. They are admirable and I have so much respect for these women. They make it work the best you are able. The beauty of JoLynn is that she’s making mistakes to the outside world but in her world she’s doing what is best for her son.

What’s it like when you take on a role like this. It takes you over?

It’s scary and exciting. It’s funny every character I’ve ever played was an extension of myself so I feel that as long as I can live and breathe through the character and their world I have brought part of myself to it. You can only play yourself, that’s yourself. You can create a character with your voice or movements and have different traits but ultimately the character is you. It’s a marrying of the character and yourself.

Flutter’s final scenes, not to give anything away, are absolutely heart rending, you just don’t know what is going to happen.

The ending is so hard. Every time I’ve watched the film and I’ve seen it a lot, I’m in tears as the closing credits roll. It is in that moment you really want them to succeed.

What about when the shoot is done and you say goodbye to the “character”? Is it hard?

Absolutely, especially with Flutter. I would go to my hotel and decompress but the location was very much a lived in home, not a set so it was integral to that world. I have to decompress to take myself out because it was so easy to lose myself daily. While you’re in it, you’re working 12 – 15 hours a day. When I’m done with the shoot, I find myself in a depression, or a withdrawal of a character. It’s an unnatural feeling because you’re leaving behind the character and part of yourself. It takes me time to decompress after something like Flutter which is so emotional.

What did playing JoLynn bring you? What things you haven’t done before?

I do learn. Every character is different and I learn new things about each character I play, this one was especially new for me in that I am not a mother so I had to put myself into shoes I have never been in. I have people in my life I love so I applied that love, and it was a great experience learning to play a mom. I gained a new respect for what mothers do.

You must learn a lot about human psychology from playing all these different kinds of women.

Absolutely. That’s one of the most exciting things for me about creating a character and identifying the psychology behind what makes them tick and motivates them to do what they do. It’s my job.

You are in Lamb next but what are you working on now?

I can’t say much about it, but I just finished Officer Down which is based on a graphic novel. I play the villain the first time! I’m really excited!