- Title: USA: Star-studded "The Company Men" opens at Sundance
- Date: 25th January 2010
- Summary: PARK CITY, UTAH, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 22, 2010) (REUTERS) (BEWARE OF FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY) BEN AFFLECK WITH DIRECTOR JOHN WELLS ON THE ARRIVAL LINE CLOSE-UP OF AFFLECK (SOUNDBITE) (English) BEN AFFLECK ON THE FILM'S RELEVANCE TO THE DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES, SAYING: "Because a lot of people are living with uncertainty in their lives. You have 10 percent unemployment, that means you know someone who is out of a job. There is a good number of people who are living with some fear, rather it is rational or unrational fear. What happens if something goes wrong in my life, what happens if I lose this job, what happens if I got to sell something that is important to me that I own, something bad happens to someone in my family. I think that if you carry that around with you it is very unsettling." VARIOUS OF TOMMY LEE JONES ARRIVING AT THE PREMIERE ROSEMARY DEWITT ARRIVING AT THE PREMIERE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROSEMARY DEWITT ON THE ROLE OF AFFLECK CHARACTER'S WIFE WHO FACES DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES SAYING: "I had a lot of friends from high school and college who had worked at their companies since they graduated that lost their jobs and lost their stock. It was kind of, I hate to say easy. You know I did not have to go that far to find someone I knew that was really affected." DIRECTOR JOHN WELLS ON THE ARRIVAL LINE BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR JOHN WELLS ON THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN HURTING THE INDEPENDENT FILMMAKER, SAYING: "Unless the industry as a whole, the larger companies need to be more responsive in making smaller films. There is a farm system that works. The great director, writers and actors started somewhere and if the whole industry doesn't support and we find a way to keep doing it the whole art form could be damaged." AFFLECK AND WELLS JOKING AROUND (SOUNDBITE) (English) BEN AFFLECK ON TAKING PART IN THE HAITI FUNDRAISING TELETHON SAYING: "The actors who did it were really just humbled to be part of it. All the credit is certainly due to the folks who gave dollars that are in, probably, short supply." ACTOR CHRIS COOPER KATE CAPESHAW AND HER DAUGHTER AFFLECK ON THE ARRIVAL LINE
- Embargoed: 9th February 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA7WHZTN7QS3O4W6KINS97Q3VSQ
- Story Text: Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, and Tommy Lee Jones made the trip to Park City, Utah to premiere their film "The Company Men" at the Sundance Film Festival.
It was a star-studded premiere in Park City for the opening of "The Company Men." The film, which features Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Costner and Chris Cooper, tells the story of the lives of white-collar workers who become casualties of corporate downsizing. In the midst of a global recession, the film focuses on how sudden unemployment can upset more than just the bank account.
"Because a lot of people are living with uncertainty in their lives," explained Affleck. "You have 10 percent unemployment, that means you know someone who is out of a job. There is a good number of people who are living with some fear, rather it is rational or unrational fear. What happens if something goes wrong in my life, what happens if I lose this job, what happens if I got to sell something that is important to me that I own, something bad happens to someone in my family. I think that if you carry that around with you it is very unsettling."
"Company Men" is the directorial debut for John Wells, who is no stranger to Hollywood or the Sundance Film Festival. He has brought several films to the festival before, including Robin Williams' creepy turn in "One Hour Photo."
Wells though cautioned that the current economic environment has also changed the dynamics of independent filmmaker.
"The larger companies need to be more responsive in making smaller films," said Wells. "There is a farm system that works. The great director, writers and actors started somewhere and if the whole industry doesn't support and we find a way to keep doing it, the whole art form could be damaged."
Many of the stars felt that this story really reflected a broad spectrum of the current economic crisis.
For actress Rosemary DeWitt, who plays the wife of Affleck's character, preparing for the role was not difficult.
"I had a lot of friends from high school and college who had worked at their companies since they graduated that lost their jobs and lost their stock. It was kind of, I hate to say easy," said DeWitt. "You know I did not have to go that far to find someone I knew that was really affected."
It should be noted that Ben Affleck squeezed the premiere in after appearing on the Hope for Haiti Now telethon broadcast out of Los Angeles earlier in the evening.
"The actors who did it were really just humbled to be part of it," said Affleck. "All the credit is certainly due to the folks who gave dollars that are in, probably, short supply."
The Sundance Film Festival runs through January 30th. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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