Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
... j-u-n-k-e-t-i-n-g. First come questions, then come answers, then comes the restraining order against our highly verbose resident cineaste interviewer!
Yeah, I know it doesn’t rhyme. But it’s funny ‘cause it’s true...
Though the “It Girl” label is often an albatross around the neck of young, unproven actresses, if ever a performer had the innate ability to overcome its jinx, it’s Rachel McAdams.
Okay, so I’ve only seen her in two films, but that’s evidence aplenty to demonstrate that the girl has some wicked, genre hopping chops. Just a couple of months ago, she single-handedly struck the cliquishly malevolent tone in MEAN GIRLS, while, come Friday, she’ll be imbuing Nick Cassavetes shamelessly romantic THE NOTEBOOK with its soulful center. Holding her own alongside a steely Joan Allen, and, most impressively, drawing out a genuinely solid performance from James Marsden, McAdams seems primed to make that next daunting leap to increased visibility, which roughly translates to Paparazzi-Living-in-your-Shrubbery Syndrome. Hopefully, she’ll weather this rough transition with the grace she’s thus far exhibited in her film work. Having now observed her handle a jaded junket roundtable, I’m laying very favorable odds on her continued ascension.
Rachel, how does it feel being labeled the new “It” girl in Hollywood?
Am I labeled as that?
You’re getting buzz now from MEAN GIRLS, and now this.
Um, it’s exciting and daunting all at the same time. I’m hesitant and overwhelmed and overjoyed. It’s quite a flux of emotions.
Is there anyway to categorize that in terms of the benefits to your career? Obviously, one of the great paradoxes of every emerging actor is that this is what you want, but it comes with the dangers of distortions of your life and too much media attention of the wrong kind, etc. Have you charted your way through this?
I’m trying to. We’ll see. (Nervous laugh.) It’s interesting; you always think, “Oh, the next movie, and then I can relax.” Everything comes easy. You always think you hit a point, and everything just sort of clicks. And I would say in terms of “clicking”, everything feels about “clicked” right now, except that it doesn’t get any easier. I’m starting to have more of a hunger now for the challenge of wading through the press and the publicity and the scripts… I have an appetite for it now.
James Marsden was just in here, and he was talking about Nick Cassavetes’s directing style. He said that Nick really drove you in particular during scenes, wanting emotional intensity constantly. What was that like? I mean, you were in every scene mostly in this movie.
It was very intense, and I was very tired. But Nick and I both knew that I needed to get to that point where I was out of my head and totally in my body, totally in the life of this wild child that Allie is. It sort of took those extremes, took being pushed and not knowing what I was doing all the time, but trusting him and, then, vice-versa. It was just quite an experience, and I would do it all over again.
You need that challenge?
It gets me out of my head, which is truly important. I mean, it’s great to be in your head when you’re preparing for a role; you know, when you’re going through a script and being specific. But as soon as you get out there, you have to let all of that go and let anything come your way. It’s best to be almost unstable on your feet. It’s sort of like being a cat; you get thrown off a roof, and you will find your way, but the look in that cat’s eyes as they’re falling ten feet, that’s what’s interesting.
Is Allie’s personality really different from yours? Is that why you needed such a push? Or was it just that you’re still feeling new to this?
I think it was a little bit of both. It was a little bit of like, “This is my first big… leading role in a studio film.” It was a tall order. I was aware of my responsibility in terms of carrying the film, and that was Nick’s way of shaking me out of… being aware of all those things that weren’t going to help me. I do connect to the character in many ways, but I didn’t grow up as a debutante, I didn’t live in the south. You know, he brought me up two months early, and put me in tennis lessons and dance classes. That whole speech I have on the walk in the street where I say, “I take French classes and piano, and study for school…” that’s what we did. That’s what those two months were.
What did you do to convince Nick that you were this character?
I didn’t really. I came in, and we had the audition, and Ryan (Gosling) was there. I think Nick saw… that we worked well together.
What scene did you read?
Three scenes that aren’t in the movie. (Laughs.) Nick’s such a fabulous writer that, as the script went along, he’d make little adjustments. We were supposed to do a scene where we were in a boat, and the boat tips over. That was the original version of that walking on the street after the movie scene. So, it changed a little bit. Plus, it was just too cold to shoot in the water like that. Even though we did. (Laughs.) So, anyway, we did the boat tipping over scene, and we did a scene where I tell him… that I’m not going to be able to stay with him, that I have to go back with my fiancé, and he convinces me otherwise. And, then, we did the goodbye scene. They were very emotional scenes, and it just sort of… took on a life of its own. I mean, I walked out of that room, and I knew that my life had changed.
Nick mentioned that he didn’t think that you had a kind of chemistry with Ryan that was obvious at first. That, in fact, in the first while between the two of you, you were sort of walking around each other psychologically. Casing each other out.
When we were working?
Yeah. And then, eventually, it sort of grew into this kind of bond that you can act. A great love, and all the sexual chemistry.
It definitely took some time. There are so many trust issues, and working all that stuff out in the beginning takes a lot of time. You sort of do a dance for a while, and, then, maybe the dance turns into a kind of partnership.
He also said that you and Ryan had very different personalities. Can you describe that?
I think we sort of took on the personalities of our characters. Ryan was quiet, settled, and very intellectual; he sort of became that man of the earth. And then I was sort of flying off over here… bouncing off the walls. So, we were total opposites, which makes for such a great story, I guess.
Was there any sense of intimidation working with Joan Allen, and did that help the relationship onscreen?
Yes, to a point. Absolutely. She has such a commanding presence, and she’s very poised and very classy, but a genuinely warm, wonderful lady. So, yeah, I got to go through the motions with her, meeting her and being a bit awestruck, and, then, watching her act and being so impressed by her. And, then, at the same time, getting to know her as a person, and sharing some kind of friendship between us.
Did you look at Gena Rowlands’s past performances to get a sense of what she was going to do with the character?
Yes. Nick gave me some photos of her, and talked to me about his perspective on his mom. You know, the love between her and John Cassavetes, and their working relationship. Then, I watched her work, and you hope something hits and settles about that. In a movie like this, it would be so hard to emulate that person and follow their mannerisms.
What comes more naturally for you: comedy or drama? You’re very comfortable in these comedies that I’ve seen you in, and… but, I mean, you’re fine here, too. (Laughs.) Do you feel more comfortable and why?
Yes, I do. I have always gravitated towards drama.
Really?
Yeah. Very serious person. (Laughs.) Which is great to do comedy, then, because it gets you out of that, and explore a whole other side of it, even though they’re both very similar.
Do you feel like you’re being typed, though, as a comedic actress?
That’s hilarious to me, actually. I don’t know. Am I?
I feel that you are. I think, after MEAN GIRLS, people have a sense that that’s your thing. Maybe they’ll get something different once they see THE NOTEBOOK, and that will change, but…
That’s exciting to me.
What about most of the offers that you’re getting right now? Are they drama offers?
A mix of both. That’s what I’m liking; it’s coming from both sides. I feel that the work’s been different enough that there’s also an in-between that I hope to find as well.
THE WEDDING CRASHERS that you just finished: is that a comedy as well?
That’s a comedy, but I’m definitely the straight man.
What was it like to work with Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn? They’re such wildly improvisational actors.
Oh, it was wild. It’s awesome to watch them. They’re so different, but when they get together something just works. I mean, they’re so endearing. I don’t know how else to explain it. They’re just extremely endearing individuals.
I was wondering if you and Ryan shared jokes about the fact that you grew up so close together in Ontario. Did you ever run into each other?
No. It’s so funny. It’s such a fluke. I think we were even born in the same hospital… in London, Ontario.
Do you think that there’s anything about a Canadian sensibility as outsiders in Hollywood that’s a benefit to you?
It’s funny, I was just reading an article about this on the plane yesterday that said some of the best villains in Hollywood are coming from Canada. It’s such a strange idea, but I guess it make sense. That’s what Mark Waters had said… “You almost have to have a nice girl to play a mean girl.” I guess maybe there’s something about Canadians never being pegged as villains that we love to play them. Sort of do that surprise attack thing where, “You don’t think we’re tough? You don’t think we’re bad? Well, watch this!”
Did they try to make you do a specific accent?
In actuality, in that time period, kids were being raised by people from the island, women who spoke Gullah. I should’ve been talking like, “Oh, Ahm goona get the baby, and put him in the hoose.” That’s extreme, but to be historically accurate, it was more to go in that direction. But Nick thought that would be so distracting. So, it’s not so much true to history. It’s sort of a generic Southern. We had so many people coming in from so many different places, I guess we tried to keep it as simple as possible.
This is sort of a strange question, but if you could have one superhero power, what would it be?
Ooh! Just one? I don’t know, I’ve just been reading THE FANTASTIC FOUR, so I’ve got being invisible in my head.
The script?
Yeah.
Are you up for a role?
Just readin’ it. Just checkin’ it out.
See what happens?
Yep.
Rachel’s a talented gal. I’d much rather see her than Julia Stiles blanding it up as Sue Storm.
See her kick serious thespian ass for yourself when THE NOTEBOOK opens tomorrow nationwide.
Faithfully submitted,
Mr. Beaks
Good one, buddy. Keep ‘em coming. Now that your computer’s back (thanks to the magnificent Frosty Skywalker), I can’t wait to see this logjam of articles come pouring in.
"Moriarty" out.
