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There is a new short comedy film titled Mildred 4 a Million, written and directed by Kimmie P. Callaway and starring Marla Gibbs, who played Florence on classic sitcom The Jeffersons.
Mildred 4 a Million is a fun story about a great-grandmother, Mildred (played by Gibbs) who struggles to connect with her family as they are distracted by technology. The short film also stars Brie Eley and Obriella Genesis Witron. Here is our interview with Kimmie P. Callaway and Marla Gibbs, regarding how far a grandparent might go to get their family to communicate better.
Interview with Kimmie P. Callaway and Marla Gibbs
VENTS: So I’ve got a question for both of you to start with: what inspired the story for Mildred 4 a Million? And how did the idea of blending generational differences with social media come about?
Kimmie P. Callaway: I can kick it off. So, there’s a real Mildred. She lives in Houston, Texas. She’s 94 and she’s my grandmother. I also have a three and a five-year-old, little daughters who were in the shopping cart at the beginning… So when I go visit my grandma, who they call Gigi, I often feel like it’s chaotic, and sometimes I’m distracted with work. I’m painfully aware of how much technology can take us out of the moment.
You know, the fact that we’re available at all times on our smartphones—or made to be available—is tough. So yeah, this is a love letter to the real Mildred, and to all the traditions she had, like some of her recipes and things like that. And, well, it’s also a bit of a lament.
VENTS: We’ve all had those moments where we just want people to put their phones away, right? Like, pay attention to the humans in the room a little bit, you know?
Kimmie P. Callaway: Absolutely.
VENTS: And personally, what gets on my nerves is if I’m at trivia night and people are on their phones during trivia. They could be accused of cheating—it makes no sense to me.
Kimmie P. Callaway: They’re clearly cheating!
VENTS: So, this one’s for Marla. Mildred is trying to connect with her great-granddaughter through TikTok. How do you personally relate to Mildred’s desire to bridge the gap between family members?
Kimmie P. Callaway: She’s a great-grandma.
Marla Gibbs: And I’m always trying to connect. How busy they are—they don’t have time to connect.
VENTS: Well, that definitely happens. Do you relate to some of the things Mildred tries in the movie? Have you done any of those things?
Marla Gibbs: Like the dancing and the singing? I don’t know what unboxing is—I’ve never understood that.
Kimmie P. Callaway: Me neither.
The Challenges of Writing Mildred 4 a Million
VENTS: As the writer and director, what challenges did you face in balancing the comedic and heartfelt moments of Mildred 4 a Million?
Kimmie P. Callaway: It wasn’t as much of a challenge as I thought it would be because of Miss Marla. She carries with her that grace, wisdom, emotion, and authenticity. Along with all that, humor comes naturally for her. Both comedy and drama come naturally. I feel like she’s such an open and honest person, and I think it would’ve been harder with an actor who was more of a straight comedian or more dramatic. Honestly, she made it very easy, and I think the script was written in a grounded place, even though there are some silly stunts. I tried to make it as real as possible.
VENTS: Speaking of stunts, how did you do that one in the movie, or do you not want to spoil it?
Kimmie P. Callaway: Well, we had a very talented body double, Alyma Dorsey, and a great coordinator, LaFaye Baker. There were only two shots where it wasn’t Marla. Marla was in that scooter, driving all around, having a ball! So yeah, it was just two angles — one from behind when she tips, and then where she falls, Alima fell into a crash pad, and in the wide shot, we actually see her hit the pavement. It was just one of those fun gags.
VENTS: So, how do you hope this film resonates with younger and older generations alike?
Marla Gibbs: Well, in the theater, we had older and younger people, and they all loved it. They all understood it. You never know until you’re talking to people. During the question-and-answer period after the film, people got up and spoke, and they were all practically saying the same thing.
VENTS: So people related to it on a — what’s that word ?— a visceral level, I guess?
Kimmie P. Callaway: Cross-generational, you know. Everyone had a grandmother, or even if they didn’t, they knew someone else’s grandmother. Everybody has a sense of nostalgia for those traditions. And I think we can all relate to being really distracted these days, feeling like we always have something to rush to or get to. There’s never enough time, even though technology is supposed to give us more.
How Mildred 4 a Million is Different for Marla Gibbs
VENTS: Yeah, that’s one of the ironies for sure. Obviously, I have to ask about Marla’s career. You’ve had a very prolific career, especially in roles that explore family dynamics. How does Mildred’s character compare to some of your past roles, and what drew you to this project?
Marla Gibbs: Well, this film is quite different from most of what I’ve done. I always have to connect with the character and believe in the character before I can bring her to life. This film is different in that it’s more about reality—it’s about real connections, not just trying to make a point. She’s just being real, and I appreciated that.
VENTS: Yeah, I think it’s a heartfelt portrayal of someone’s desire to connect with their family. There’s definitely something that can be lost if you don’t make an effort, unfortunately.
Kimmie P. Callaway: I just want to add to that. When the character digs her phone out of the drawer, it’s sad that she has to use technology to connect. But at the same time, that’s where we are in life. Having the ability to FaceTime and things like that—it’s not all bad. Technology can help us stay connected when we live across the country from each other. My family doesn’t live out here, so I don’t want to be all doom and gloom about it.
VENTS: Even though I’m representing an online magazine here, I’ll get a little personal and say that one great thing about the internet is that it’s allowed me to meet people I never would’ve had the chance to meet otherwise. I guess this interview would be an example of that.
Kimmie P. Callaway: Absolutely.
The Eccentricities of TikTok
VENTS: Social media plays a big role in the film. How did you approach incorporating TikTok trends in a way that felt authentic?
Marla Gibbs: Well, to me, TikTok was just two words—tick and tock. I had no idea what TikTok was.
VENTS: Apparently, the U.S. government is trying to ban it now or something.
Marla Gibbs: I can’t understand why.
VENTS: So, oddly enough, this movie is relevant in another way.
Kimmie P. Callaway: I think we’re a good year out from any of that coming to fruition. And there will be something else to replace it, just like we hint at in the film. I had to do a bunch of research — I’d never really been on TikTok before. It wasn’t until after I had a first draft of the script that I thought, “I should probably check out TikTok!” I was just peripherally aware of it. We had a lot of fun with the crew — some of them sent me their profile pictures, so when you see the comments rolling in during the live broadcast scene, those are some of our crew, like our costume designer or production designer. That was fun.
VENTS: [Regarding TikTok] It is harder to write about things if you’ve never used them. What was the dynamic like between the two of you, and how did you collaborate on the project? How did you meet?
Marla Gibbs: She has so much energy! She’s a fabulous director — very sensitive and knows exactly what she wants. She explained everything so well.
Kimmie P. Callaway: Wow, to hear someone I grew up watching, who I’ve always loved, say that… I mean, The Jeffersons is still on all the time.
Marla Gibbs: Yes, I’m amazed. I do a lot of autograph shows, and people say they’re still watching me. It’s amazing that it’s continued to play all these years—I never would’ve dreamed it.
VENTS: It’s a fun show, and it’s still relatable today. The characters are still fresh.
Marla Gibbs: You know, life is changing so fast, and people want to go back to the kind of TV they watched in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Those shows really addressed subject matter, and now you see the whole country returning to them—they’re showing them all over again.
The Problem of Pivoting
VENTS: [Back to the movie] A lot of the humor in Mildred 4 a Million felt naturalistic in many ways.
Kimmie P. Callaway: Yeah, hopefully. We definitely had fun with some of the heightened moments.
VENTS: Mildred tries everything from dancing to cooking to gaming. Which of those trends did you enjoy portraying the most? Was anything surprising during the process?
Marla Gibbs: Well, we talked about dancing, and I broke my foot in 2009, so I can’t pivot. Trying to do the twist is something else when you can’t pivot! So, I just found ways to use the cane to look like I was twisting—the cane was doing all the twisting.
Kimmie P. Callaway: I personally had a lot of fun with the video game aspect because I still don’t understand why people enjoy watching others play video games. In the movie, when she’s recording herself playing solitaire, that part just cracks me up.
VENTS: I used to be a complete skeptic about that too, but there’s a YouTuber I watch named Ryukahr, and it’s not just about the video game itself — he’s just really entertaining. He says funny things, and that’s really at the core of it.
Kimmie P. Callaway: Exactly, that’s the heart of it. It’s about a human connection, wanting to hear more from that person.
VENTS: But the message of this movie is that we should try to connect more with the people actually in the room when possible, right?
Kimmie P. Callaway: Yes, though that’s not always possible. Many people don’t spend a lot of time with others, especially during COVID when so much isolation happened. Social media and phones were a blessing in that regard. But if you are with someone, absolutely, look at them, be in the moment, and try to enjoy it.
Reconnection, Dopamine, Pavlov’s Dogs
VENTS: Regarding Mildred and her great-granddaughter, is there anything you’d say about their disconnect and eventual reconnection?
Marla Gibbs: The disconnect is natural because the younger generation is focused on what’s happening in life right now, while Grandma is trying to connect in the old-school way—by talking. The younger ones don’t want to talk; they just want to text everything. It’s like they do everything with their hands, but they’re not speaking. Grandma wants to talk, but they want to do everything else except talk.
VENTS: And it can be like an addiction. There’s literally a part of the brain that can become addicted to these devices. Some people don’t even engage with the content — they just scroll through it, and that’s what excites their brain.
Kimmie P. Callaway: Yes, it’s connected to dopamine, the reward center. When you hear a ding, it’s like, “I have a message! I’ve got a little reward, a treat…”
VENTS: That’s kind of like Pavlov’s dogs.
Last question: What do you hope audiences take away from Mildred 4 a Million, particularly regarding the importance of intergenerational connections and the impact of social media?
Marla Gibbs: We hope they understand the importance of continuing to communicate.
Kimmie P. Callaway: Yes, communicate, and respect the past—the wisdom doesn’t just come from Google but from people who’ve been around much longer than you. Not all the answers are on your smartphone. Use tech to connect when you can’t be there in person, but when you are, try to be present. I hope this encourages people to call their family more, spend time with them, listen to old stories, and talk.
VENTS: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Kimmie P. Callaway: Follow Mildred 4 a Million on TikTok and Instagram. And if you’re a member of the Academy, vote for us to win Best Live Action Short when the time comes!
