Not only is J. D. Dillard’s Devotion an enthralling spectacle, but it captures something very human when it comes to friendship and resilience. The film tells the story of Jesse Brown, the first Black aviator in United States Navy history, and he is embodied by the remarkable Jonathan Majors (seriously…what can’t he do?). Devotion, however, is not simply a story about fighting in the skies, but it also focuses on the bond between Brown and Tom Hudner, played by Glenn Powell. Costume designer Deirdra Govan was thrilled to be a part of a story of sacrifice and camaraderie.
Govan felt pulled into this project. We hit the ground running in our Zoom conversation so quickly that it immediately became one of my favorite chats all season. She knew what was at stake with Devotion, and she felt grateful to be joined by insightful and dedicated artists.
“This cast–from top to bottom–was lovely,” Govan said. “Glenn was a dream, and I have been a fan of Jonathan Majors since The Last Black Man in San Francisco. To do this film, I was very excited not just because of the cast, but because of the story. Unfortunately, I was not familiar with it, and we don’t have a lot of films in our vernacular about the Korean War. My stepdad actually served in that war, and it felt very special to me. Before I read the script, I read Adam Makos’ book, and it gave so much detail into who these men were, their upbringing, and how they were from two different sides of society. Racism was very much in the forefront. This was a story that needed to be told, and J.D. Dillard approached it with such delicacy. It felt special immediately.”
She went on to note that while this was a story of breaking down racial divides, an integral aspect to the success of Devotion lies within the layers of the love between Jesse and his wife, Daisy.
“It’s a story about relationships and friendships that transcend racial barriers,” she said. “But it’s also a love story. The love between Jesse and Daisy Brown was so much a core part of telling this story. They were young sweethearts who were madly in love with each other. J.D. was masterful in bringing that to the forefront and contrasting that with the friendship built between Tom and Jesse. For me, being a part of it, it was natural and organic, and I think that speaks to the creative lens of designing and building these looks. Working with my dear friend, Wynn Thomas, on the production designer, was inspiring to me as well. Erik Messerschmidt, our cinematographer, is very painterly in his composition. When I am asked about creating these costumes and what it took, it was really a measured approached. It was simplistic and minimal, and when I say that, everything you see on screen was built. If it wasn’t built we use costume houses–these are not off-the-rack clothes. We built everything for Daisy except for one outfit, and that was a vintage find that I reworked. I enjoy the remix if finding pieces and pulling them apart. A lot of these military costumes are not readily available.”
Around halfway through the film, we see our central ensemble walking together in formal dress whites. It’s such a striking image that the whites almost glow against the night sky. Govan used a fun reference for her inspiration of that sequence, but she also knew the weight it carried. It is costumed with such respect and care, and every gentleman looks proud to be wearing it.
“That scene needed to be a statement,” Govan said. “For me, what was so moving about that particular scene was I tracked back to one of my favorite films, An Officer and a Gentleman. The impact that that film had when Richard Gere swept Debra Winger off her feet in his dress whites. That stuck out in my mind, and I wanted that same impact–that same feeling for people when they see these 8 Naval aviators. Everything around could feel haloed. It’s a compliment to that specific look. It tells so much of who they are and the pride that they had when they were serving.”
When the men are hitting the town in Cannes, the run into one of the biggest movie starts of all time, Elizabeth Taylor. She is wearing a stunning dress, and Govan spoke about the importance of details. We always talk about women’s dresses and outfits when it comes to costume design, but the men deserve their dues as well.
“That [dress] was a build,” she admitted. “These men actually did meet her, and she came aboard their ship, the USS Leyte. The two costumes we see the incredible Serinda Swan in was built. Her swimsuit was made from head-to-toe. The thing that I like to zoom in on are the details of men aviation gear and what they wear. The masculine details are overlooked. The leather, Jesse’s watch, and the details about Jesse in an olive flight suit. Everything they wear was utilitarian. It has a purpose, and nothing was for show. The bomber jackets have a huge significance for when they are in civilian wear.”
In the very first scene, Powell’s Hudner meets Majors’ Brown before everyone else arrives. It feels almost kismet. With his aviator sunglasses on, one might assume that Powell is bringing in a lot of swagger to the character, but that couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to Hudner trying to fit in with a bunch of men he isn’t familiar with. Powell exudes that charisma naturally.
“When Tom Hudner walks into that space, he was actually pretty self-conscious,” Govan said. “He did not want to reveal where he had gone to flight school, and there were layers about him hiding who he really was. One thing that we don’t see in the movie is that his bomber jackets is distressed, aged, and beat up, because he didn’t want the persona of someone right out of flight school. He wanted to fit in in his own way, so there was the subtlety of disguise to not appear and feel he was the hotshot. That’s the power of Glenn’s acting and the power of Jonathan, and how they embody these characters. Tom has this bravado, but it was meant to be very mindful, and I think he was an observer. He wanted to watch who he was serving with.
In the fitting room, we would have discussions in the fitting room about movement or whether he would wear this tie over that tie. Would he wear a certain fabric or not? With both him and Jonathan, there is a reason behind every decision made in the fittings. Each pair of pants, if a shirt is tucked or not, and the body language that Jonathan wanted to put forward as Jesse Brown helped enable him bring that to those scenes.”
We see explosions of color when the men get to go out and finally relax. Much like the dress whites image, there is a shot of the guys walking together, and your eyes bug out at the differences in all of their clothes. Jesse dons a deep red polo while Bo tries to show off. We get to see each distinct personality by the details that these men include in their attire. Would they want to show off to catch a woman’s eye? Are they excited to get out of their bomber jacket?
“That moment was very crucial where we could understand who these men were,” Govan said. “Speaking with Joe [Jonas], he walked right into his clothes–even the uniform pieces. The measurements were perfect. Joe’s Marty Goode was playboy and a man about town, and he’s very enticing to women. That swagger really was Marty Goode. I wanted his costumes to appear playful. My research suggests that while we are in the ’50s, we are stilling coming off World War II. Resources were minimal, so we have gaberdines and twills–very specific and very limited. The impact of what he is wearing needed to speak to that and show there is still some style.
There is a reason why I picked the red polo that Jesse is wearing, and that’s because I wanted to symbolize passion and love. I know that sounds too on the nose, but while these men are having a great time in Cannes, Jesse is thinking about his wife. He is there looking for a gift for her. It was very calculated. Even to the selection of the tie, you see the friendship form when you see Tom deciding between two ties and Jesse picks it for him. It’s that organic chemistry of trust building. For Glenn, I wanted to show a simple guy who wasn’t trying too hard. Spencer Neville’s Bo Lavery has that swagger and bravado. His color palette was peacocking. It’s loud, but it’s not too much. He needed to be seen. That navy blue, hounds tooth and cobalt blue pants and his wingtips were all very specific choices.”
We do spend a lot of time with Jesse and his fellow pilots, but we do keep coming back to Daisy Brown as she awaits for Jesse’s return. She represents the wives and families who can’t help but look at the clock and yearn for their loved ones to walk back through the door. Govan dedicated so much time and research to a character that a lesser film might view as a throwaway role. It’s so vital the heartbeat of the story, and Govan pays beautiful tribute to her.
“She is a powerful force,” she said. “When someone carries that character with them, you know that they are the right actor. Christine Jackson was the core of a lot of the story, and she did her own respective due diligence. She had an inside track on some of the research, and she was talking to the family before I came on board. Christina clued me in that I thought was very subtle. In my inspiration for Daisy, I really leaned in on Claire McCardell who was one of the first fashion designers who focused on women’s ready-to-wear [like] housedresses and suits. My first instinct was that when Daisy is painting in the house, I wanted to put her in a denim playsuit with some clamdiggers.
After having a really in-depth conversation with Christina, she informed me that Daisy never wore pants. That was fascinating to me, and Christina wanted to stay true to that. We were then able to focus on feminine details, and there were subtle prints that I found. Each look was to be consistent with tone. At the beginning, the dresses are light in fabric or, maybe, featured pearl buttons. When she is notified that Jesse has passed, that was almost an angelic moment. She is preparing for him to come home, and that look is one of optimism and hope and excitement. That pale baby blue with the pearl button details and the capelet is so powerful when she gets that news. I wanted it to puddle on the floor, and I wanted the audience to feel that loss with her.”
I want a lot of the casualwear from Devotion. Jonas sports a bright red shirt at one point, Lavery’s mustard shirt and hounds tooth jacket need to find its way into my wardrobe. Even the jumpsuit that Majors wears in his first scene is something I wanted to yank from the screen. With so many detailed, incredible pieces, it surprised me when Govan knew exactly what she wanted from her closet.
“It’s too easy to say the bomber jacket, but, honestly, their green olive jackets from The Battle at Chosin Reservoir,” she said. “Those winter coats are so layered, and they are such a utilitarian piece. It’s so timeless, and that shape has been recreated time and time again.”
Devotion is in theaters now and available on demand.
