Jamie Lee Curtis told us why her 'hopeful' new movie will make you weep.

Prepare to be hit with a huge dose of nostalgic serotonin with the life-affirming new political drama, Ella McCay, now screening in cinemas.

The film is written and directed by James L. Brooks, an Academy Award-winning filmmaker. Brooks is regarded for classics like Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News, As Good as It Gets, and his pivotal role in creating The Simpsons.

This is the first film Brooks has written and directed in 15 years, so yep… it's a big deal.

Set in Barack Obama's 2008 — a comparatively more hopeful time in US politics — the story follows Ella McCay (Emma Mackey), an idealistic, 34-year-old lieutenant governor.

Watch the trailer. Post continues after video.

She prepares to take over the top job when her mentor, the state's governor, unexpectedly resigns. Ella must juggle the mounting political pressures and public expectations with complicated family dynamics, including managing her flaky husband, deadbeat dad and (thankfully) loving Aunt Helen, played by Jamie Lee Curtis.

Along with leading ladies Mackey and Curtis splitting screen time, the ensemble cast includes Jack Lowden, Kumail Nanjiani, Ayo Edebiri, Albert Brooks, and Woody Harrelson.

It's a stacked cast and Mamamia had the pleasure of sitting down with Curtis and Mackey (albeit, virtually) to hear all about the making of this wonderful film.

The women told us about the moment they met for the first time. "Obviously, we didn't know each other. We met at [the director] Jim's, where there was a little lunch gathering… we had this kind of immediate moment which was lovely," Curtis said.

"The text is everything, it's the entry point — it's written on the page how much Helen loves Ella. That made my job very easy."

Image: 20th Century Studios.

The 67-year-old actress went on to say this role was like nothing she'd done before.

"I get asked to do things, I'm lucky. But nothing like this has ever happened… this is the first time I got a letter with handwritten stationery by James L. Brooks saying I've written this, would you play this part."

"That does not happen weekly at my house — that happens once in a lifetime, which is why I'm sitting here today."

Curtis feels blessed to get the chance to be in one of Brooks' films — it's the kind of movie that only comes every decade or so.

"You wait for a moment in your life — you pray. Is it possible that I'm gonna get an opportunity to be involved in a project like this written by James L. Brooks and directed by him? Then he fills it with beautiful performers. That does not happen very often for me. This was a unique experience."

For Mackey, she was thrilled to be playing a bold, ambitious woman in a nostalgic drama, in the vein of Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich.

"Erin Brockovich is a great reference," Mackey told Mamamia.

"This is a film that harkens back to the classic screwball comedies, and we're looking at these great, witty, sharp, fast-talking ladies. That was very much something Jim wanted to honour."

Image: 20th Century Studios.

With two powerful women at the centre, Ella McCay features one particularly hilarious scene when both women can't contain their rage any longer — so they just scream as loud as possible.

The actors revealed that the screaming scene was added later.

"Jim relished the fact that I couldn't scream and he was gonna make me scream at some point. And that wasn't in the script originally. That was added in and I'm so glad it happened," said Mackey.

"To me, it's a metaphor for how I think many of us feel, which is right now we're holding in a lot," added Curtis.

"The world feels a little scary. There's a lot of conflict. There are a lot of angry voices shouting at each other, and it feels like there isn't a path to peace and calm. If anyone is feeling pent-up rage and disappointment, it's Ella McKay," Curtis continued.

"It's such a metaphor for let it out. Isn't that a Disney thing? Let it out."

"Let it go?" laughed Mackey, as Curtis continued to ponder, "Let it out?".

Ultimately, if there's anything that the iconic actress wants viewers to take away from Ella McCay, it's one clear message.

"It's a movie about hope," Curtis said.

"Ultimately, it really wrestles with the idea of feeling chaotic and traumatic. It says at the end of the movie, but a message of hope is the last line of the movie, and right now we need hope more than ever."

Feature image: 20th Century Studios.