In 2021, two journalists started an investigation to answer what seemed like a simple question: Why does the actor Amy Adams do so many bathing scenes? From the beginning, we suspected a conspiracy — Is Amy, who has never won an Oscar, doing all these bathtub scenes because they offer the opportunity for the kind of dramatic acting that earns the biggest, goldest prizes? This is the story of how Brandon R. Reynolds and Gabby Lombardo opened the tap on the secret history of bathtubs in cinema. They could not imagine what would come bubbling up.
From Grab Bag Collab and Because It's True Productions, the 6-part series "Why Is Amy in the Bath?" looks at the deeper meaning of bathing across 1,500 films. We talk to the writers, actors, and set designers that bring bathing scenes to life onscreen, and the film wonks who will help us unpack the conspiracy. It takes us into some very weird places: wellness and Calgon commercials, hit thriller novels, consumer trends, sex in America, and the way nostalgia traps us in an endless now. Alternately a warm soak and a bracing blast of cold, "Why Is Amy in the Bath?" will leave us all a little cleaner in heart and mind.
For bonus content, like extended interviews, chats about film and bathing, and "Bathtub After Dark" specials, become a subscriber:
www.patreon.com/GrabBagCollab. You won't be disappointed.
To talk tubs with us, email
[email protected]. Follow our substack at
becauseitstrue.substack.com, where we talk more about our research and the secret history of the movies. For our curated lists of tub films, find us at
letterboxd.com/amybathpod.
