“I was reading the Valley News from the early 1950s, and I was fascinated by the social section of the paper,” Anderson told W regarding his inspiration. “I loved the women in the Valley doing their club activities. There were photos of the ladies at a flower show with their prized orchids. There was a group of art students who were chosen as extras for a Hollywood movie. There was a shot of a wedding shower for the daughter of a prominent family. And there were several photographs of fashion shows, usually for charity.”

The Haim sisters continue to be a source of inspiration for Anderson, who cast them as Jewish sisters (though not quite as versions of themselves) living in the San Fernando Valley with their parents in “Licorice Pizza.” Anderson wrote the role of aspiring photographer Alana Kane in “Licorice Pizza” specifically for Alana Haim, who makes her big-screen debut in the film. She told IndieWire, “Paul has this insane gift, to bring out the best parts of you on film. I don’t know how he does it. It’s something in his blood. He sees something in people that he’s finding.” “I was honored he was inspired to use my name in this movie, great!” said Haim. “It was the first script I read in my life. I’m a musician. I fell in love with Alana and the twists and turns and stunts and people she meets, the running, everything about it, her driving. I loved Gary and the relationship with his mother and brother, taking care of his brother at such a young age, with so much responsibility, and Alana living at home in her late 20s. She’s technically an adult but is still a kid.”

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