'The Invite' screenwriters Rashida Jones & Will McCormack

Rashida Jones and Will McCormack explore the complexities of human relationships and the inevitability of grief through their long-standing creative partnership. Their latest film, *The Invite*, examines the "private grief" and emotional stagnation of two couples during a single dinner party, highlighting how unvarnished honesty can both fracture and reveal hidden truths. Having collaborated for over two decades, the pair utilizes their backgrounds as performers to act out dialogue during the writing process, ensuring an authentic emotional rhythm. They view heartbreak as a universal "great connector" and a necessary component of the human experience, consistently channeling their own vulnerabilities into stories that blend pain with humor. By embracing the dissonance between life's inevitable losses and the persistent drive to find joy, they create narratives that confront the difficult, often unspoken, realities of adulthood and personal transformation.