When did your interest in writing start?
I’ve always loved writing. I’ve been lucky throughout my whole childhood and young adulthood to have teachers who took an interest in me, who saw something and encouraged it. So I knew I wanted to make a career of writing even while I was at Bethany. My parents were so nervous. They said, “We don’t know any writers!” They were supportive, but also scared for me.
At Bethany, my English teacher Devon Schrock was like my hero. I really, really respected him and his thoughts on what makes good literature and good writing. Devon came to me one day in the library, put his hand on my shoulder, looked me in the eye and said, “You are a writer.” I didn’t know what to do – I was embarrassed. I said, “What do you mean?” He said “You have a gift. You are a writer.” It really stuck with me, that moment in which this man I deeply liked and respected noticed me. To this day, when I turn in a piece of writing, it feels the same as it did in high school when I was writing for Devon–I want it to be good.
Where did your career path take you?
At first, my goal in moving to New York was to get my Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing, but I had trouble–I just couldn’t get into any degree programs. My former wife was a producer at the time and she said, “I can’t do anything to get you an MFA, but I can get someone to read a screenplay if you want to write one.” I wrote Lonesome Jim, and we sent it off to people she knew, and within three months I was offered the opportunity to make the film. It was unheard of, how fast that happened! I got really lucky my career in film launched so quickly. I still love writing literary fiction, but it seems that every fiction writer now wants to be in movies! Every day I feel so grateful that I get to do this.
Your new movie will be released this spring.Tell us how you ended up adapting and directing Love Again?
An executive at Screen Gems (Sony Pictures) liked my earlier films People, Places and Things and Jessica James and he contacted me and said, “I have some other projects I think you’d like.” It’s been a fun job since I don't have to create the story–I can just focus on the characters. This is an opportunity to make a film on a bigger scale. Working with a big studio means everything is just more…there’s more of everything.
How did your film end up featuring Celine Dion?
First, I adapted the script from the German film Text fuer Dich (Text for You). In the German film, there’s a fictional character named Henrietta Boote who wears her heart on her sleeve and is just really larger than life. The studio always wanted that role to be a real star. As we were thinking about who would be good for the role, someone thought of Celine Dion, and then we felt it had to be her.
This is the first movie you’ve made where you didn’t invent the plot. What is it like to bring someone else’s story to life?
I’ve never been part of a film that’s been this widely released. It’s very nerve-wracking. Success is measured pretty much in only one way–how much money you make. And in the age of Covid, the box office has struggled. But I think the fan bases of the three leads will all like the movie.
Movies can have unexpected challenges–tell us a bit about what you’ve encountered?
It’s so fun making movies, including all the little challenges that come up. At the end of People, Places, and Things, the character played by Jemaine Clement wears a suit to his ex-wife’s wedding. We had reserved the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, basically the most expensive venue to reserve in the city. That day, I got a call from my costume designer and she said, “We have a problem. I messed up, and Jemaine’s pants are too short.“ I said, “Send me a pic.” So she sent me a picture and I looked at them, and I thought “this is great.” This character–he’s not a guy who is ready at a moment’s notice with a great suit in his closet. He would wear anything, he would wear short pants. It ended up being perfect for the scene. I even had the person writing our music write a piece inspired by that–I said, “the last piece of music should feel like Jemaine’s pants.” And it did.
Where do you find community these days?
I play a lot of pickup basketball. Basketball is such a great way to meet people and learn about people. The way you play a game is revealing of character. There’s a priest I play with–Tom from Michigan–a tall white guy, married, orthodox. He’s one of the dirtiest players I’ve ever played with! I like to give him a hard time…I tell him that he’s proof there is no God. You can imagine who is going to be available to play basketball from 12-3 pm on a weekday–the weirdos. We gather at a Y over lunch and it’s a bunch of actors, comedians, and lawyers–a really wonderful mix of people. They’ve become my community.
I loved the culture of the community at Bethany. What I understood of Bethany’s core values–humility, service for others, learning to live in the world with other people–all made sense to me. Here, Christianity is not a popular viewpoint and I choose my audience sometimes before defending it. It’s horrible to see what an instrument of oppression and hatred Christianity can be used as, but I think at heart, Christ’s teachings are wonderful.