▁the ▁sp ine ▁of ▁the ▁couple . ▁She ▁saw ▁what ▁maybe ▁Richard ▁didn ' t ▁want ▁to ▁see , ▁that ▁they ▁wer en ' t ▁going ▁to ▁get ▁out ▁of ▁this ▁by ▁running ▁away ▁or ▁putting ▁their ▁heads ▁in ▁the ▁sand . ▁She ▁was ▁a ▁very ▁ast ute ▁woman . ▁After ▁those ▁five ▁days ▁in ▁j ail , ▁she ▁realized ▁that ▁the ▁fair y ▁tale ▁was ▁over ." ▁Neg ga ▁spoke ▁of ▁the ▁personal ▁connection ▁she ▁felt ▁to ▁the ▁Lov ings ' ▁story , ▁because ▁of ▁her ▁own ▁background ▁as ▁a ▁mixed - race ▁person . ▁Nich ols ▁invited ▁Neg ga ▁and ▁Ed g erton ▁to ▁Virginia ▁for ▁two ▁weeks ▁to ▁visit ▁the ▁various ▁locations , ▁do ▁prep ▁work , ▁and ▁visit ▁special ▁places ▁related ▁to ▁Richard ▁and ▁M ild red , ▁two ▁weeks ▁prior ▁to ▁post - production . ▁Neg ga ▁deeply ▁identified ▁with ▁M ild red ' s ▁sense ▁of ▁connection ▁to ▁a ▁place , ▁with ▁her ▁drawing ▁compar isons ▁to ▁L imer ick , ▁Ireland ▁and ▁Richmond , ▁Virginia , ▁by ▁her ▁stating ▁that : ▁" V ir gin ia ▁isn ' t ▁that ▁different ▁from ▁Ireland ▁... ▁Land ▁and ▁home ▁and ▁community ▁are ▁super ▁important . ▁When ▁I ▁was ▁playing ▁her , ▁I ▁tried ▁to ▁imagine ▁I ▁couldn ' t ▁go ▁home ▁again ▁because ▁of ▁whom ▁I ▁married . ▁It ▁must ▁have ▁dra ined ▁the ▁lif eb lo od ▁from ▁her ." ▁On ▁the ▁un ass uming ▁couple , ▁Neg ga ▁stated , ▁" They ▁were ▁poor , ▁relatively