Unforgettable is a rare film in Hollywood, unfortunately. It is co-written by a woman, its main stars and director are women. Was that alone the big pull?

Rosario Dawson: I loved the opportunity to work with a bunch of remarkable women and tell a multi-faceted story about women. What was interesting was watching these different women struggle with the idea of perfection. I liked that part of seeing women trying to be like each other and how difficult that is. To see that full range was beautiful.

Katherine, was playing Tessa equal parts tough work and absolute blast?

Katherine Heigl: It was a lot of fun. But, I really wanted for there to be sympathy for Tessa. I felt compassion for her. She wasn't just maniacal and she wasn't just insane. She was heartbroken, insecure, afraid, aging and not knowing how to deal with any of it.

Warner Bros.

What about Julia made her so out of a different mold?

RD: She's had some very distinct moments—a father who was an alcoholic and a boyfriend who was very abusive physically to her. You're seeing a woman who was a victim, who was a survivor, and now she's putting all those tools to work to become someone who is thriving. You can see a similarity for these two women and the missed opportunity because of so much that goes unspoken. Instead what's different about them is made out as competition as opposed to a commonality, which is unfortunate.

Tessa is no stranger to abuse. Do you think she is in denial about how her mom treats her?  

KH: Oh absolutely. I think she's repressing so much. She doesn't even allow any real emotion to come out when her mother hurts her feelings or makes her feel small. I've done that on occasion, where I just sort of stuff it down… and then you have… well, I usually don't try to kill people [laughs].