A few weeks back we made the trek out to Austin, TX for SXSW, which I covered for my other gig at Jaunted.com. As I was putting all my notes away from that fest to start getting ready for the next one (Tribeca), I thought I’d add some of the unused interviews I did in Austin here too.
Speaking of SXSW, I didn’t do too much coverage for OLV since we’re more focused on celeb sightings and honestly, SXSW is very cool, especially watching the transition from geeks to rock stars as it changes from interactive to music, but its not an ideal place for seeing celebrities.
I spoke to a few people who had the random encounter with Michael Cera or Rainn Wilson, but because there is so much going on, and it is all so spread out at different venues , it’s hard to track down the famous. But, that doesn’t mean its not worth checking out, it definitely is!
While in Austin I was lucky enough to participate in a roundtable chat with Win Win writer/director Tom McCarthy, and the movie’s stars Alex Shaffer, Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan.
You can see the “official” article I wrote about the event here, but there was some interesting stuff, specifically from Giamatti and Ryan, that I thought I’d add here too.
Our regular readers will remember that the film shot in New York and on Long Island last year. We actually rode out to one of the high schools they were using for the wrestling scenes last spring but we weren’t able to catch Giamatti or Shaffer who were on set that day. So, I sort of feel like I came full circle being able to interview them as the film was being released!
During the roundtable (which is basically a just bunch of journalists asking questions of a movie’s cast) Tom McCarthy described the movie as:
A small town lawyer, Mike Clarity, in an attempt to ease his financial strain, makes a questionable ethical decision and takes on the guardianship of a elderly client. This brings into his life the elderly client’s grandson,who is a runaway from a broken home, and Mike is forced to take this young man in. And there are pros and cons to that situation.
McCarthy was so proud of his precise synopsis that he joked, “maybe we should put that on the poster.”
What McCarthy left out though was that this isn’t just a movie about a family, its also a movie about High School wrestling. And for the lead role, he wanted a wrestler who could act, instead of an actor who could sort of wrestle. McCarthy ultimately chose Alex, who had no acting experience but was a champion high school wrestler, for the part of Kyle.
According to Giamatti and Adams, what Alex may have lacked in experience, he made up for in enthusiasm. “The only thing it ever felt to me early on that he didn’t know was the technical stuff, like hitting his mark,” Giamatti said. ‘That stuff, just technical stuff, which was obviously not a problem for the kid to learn. He wasn’t cocky about it or anything, he was watchful about it and went with it. I never had that sense like ‘oh my god I’m working with some kid who has no idea what he’s doing’ or something like that. He was there, he was present, he was open to direction he was having a good time. He was having fun which was nice to be around, somebody having fun.”
Ryan agreed, adding, “I suppose it’s his talent as an athlete. He enters something and sees what’s required of him and pounces. He came in with no baggage or judgment and was just like’ OK this will be cool’.”
But, even if Alex was cool on the set, that doesn’t mean he didn’t get razzed by friends over his first starring role. “My friends tease me so much,” Shaffer told us. “If we’re like, inside Chili’s for example, and they’ll be like (whispering) ‘Oh My God, is that Alex Shaffer?'”
Of course, one of my fellow journalists had to get in a little butt kissing during the roundtable (that is what it’s all about after all) and he said to Paul, “There’s a scene where you ask Alex’s character ‘how does it feel to be the best’, I want to ask that same question in regards to your acting.” Of course the rest of us groaned in disbelief, but Paul’s answer actually really made me think. Here’s what he had to say:
I have no answer for that. I don’t think I am [the best]. It would be nice to be good at what I do, so I’m happy to be hopefully good at what I do. Its an interesting thing in that movie, that whole idea of being in control. The kid says to me ‘I feel like I’m in control’ and that’s like a really interesting thing about being at your best, and the whole notion of that in the movie. Its an enviable position. I don’t’ fell like I’m that in control yet to be the best.
As for Ryan, she may have not been flattered by the journos the way Giamatti was, but she did get the ultimate compliment from McCarthy who told her her wrote her role (as Mike’s wife Jackie) specifically with her in mind.
“What initially attracted me [to the role] was Tom telling me that he was writing a script with me in mind, flattery will get you everywhere,” Ryan laughed. “And… then ultimately its just playing a really good strong mother, a happy married woman, a woman who means what she says and says what she means and kind of no nonsense that’s all really fun stuff to do.”
You can catch Win Win is in theaters now and stay tuned for more “outtakes” from SXSW over the next few days too!
