- Title: USA: James Franco and Danny Boyle walk red carpet at "127 Hours" premiere
- Date: 5th November 2010
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 3, 2010) (REUTERS) WIDE SHOT OF DIRECTOR DANNY BOYLE ON RED CARPET DIRECTOR DANNY BOYLE POSING FOR PHOTOS WITH SCREENWRITER SIMON BEAUFOY AND PRODUCER CHRISTIAN COLSON ACTOR JAMES FRANCO POSING FOR PHOTOS DANNY BOYLE TALKING TO MEDIA JAMES FRANCO AND DANNY BOYLE ON RED CARPET JAMES FRANCO AND DANNY BOYLE POSING FOR PHOTOS TOGETHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAMES FRANCO ON HOW THIS ROLE IS UNIQUE AS COMPARED TO OTHER PARTS HE HAS PLAYED, SAYING: "Normally, you know, in a film with multiple characters, you know, the antagonist comes in and poses a problem for the protagonist. And the protagonist has to figure it out. Or if you need comic relief, the funny character will come in and tell some jokes, you know, and lighten things up. But in this film, everything had to come out of the one character." JAMES FRANCO TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAMES FRANCO ON ACTING BY HIMSELF FOR MOST OF THE FILM, SAYING: "And so in that way, it was very unusual, because I was almost-- it's almost as if the character is acting with himself, but not. And acting with a rock. I don't know." JAMES FRANCO TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAMES FRANCO ON THE MESSAGE OF THE FILM AND HOW THIS ROLE IMPACTED HIM PERSONALLY, SAYING: "Danny always talked about--from the beginning--that he didn't want to tell the story of a superhero. That he wanted to tell the story of a man that was very accomplished, was a very accomplished athlete, a mountain climber, and in some ways, a bit of a superhero athlete. Who is humbled by this experience, and has everything stripped away from him, and in that process learns what is most important, and what he took for granted. And, grows, kind of emotionally. And I guess I hope that I grew a little bit." ACTRESS KATE MARA TALKING TO A REPORTER AND PAN TO DANNY BOYLE TALKING TO A REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) DANNY BOYLE ON WHY HE WAS SO COMMITTED TO MAKING THIS FILM, SAYING: "When I read his book, I could see it. It's weird when it happens that kind. It doesn't happen very often. You go. 'Oh. I can see that. That would be like that, that, that, and that.' And it's like, when that happens, you should never let those things go. You sometimes have to put them down for awhile, but you always know you should go back to them. Because you don't often have that reaction. It's a very clear image of how it should appear on the screen. And we had this feeling that we should put the audience through the experience with him so that you come out the other side of it with him." ACTRESS MINNIE DRIVER POSING FOR PHOTOS ACTRESS KATE MARA POSING FOR PHOTOS ARON RALSTON AND HIS WIFE JESSICA TRUSTY POSING FOR PHOTOS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARON RALSTON ON HOW HE FELT SEEING THE FILM FOR THE FIRST TIME, SAYING: "There's this experience for me of reconnecting with that which was what motivated me to get out of there that day. It was love. It was relationships. And, freedom, in order to have that in my life again. Those things in that context, what I did--that's why I was smiling as I amputated my arm. And the film reconnects me with that. It makes me so appreciative, that I'm right back in that moment when I just got out of the canyon, and where all that mattered was wanting to give my mom a hug."
- Embargoed: 20th November 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA80XPNK8C28Q7NXHD7NSZQPHQJ
- Story Text: Actor James Franco and director Danny Boyle hit the red carpet in Los Angeles at the "127 Hours" premiere.
Actor James Franco and director Danny Boyle talked to reporters about their collaboration on the new drama "127 Hours" at the premiere of the film Wednesday (November 3, 2010) night in Los Angeles.
The movie tells the story of Aron Ralston, the mountain climber who was forced to amputate his own arm with a dull pocket knife when it became trapped under a boulder during an excursion in a Utah canyon.
Franco, who portrays Ralston, shared why this role was a unique experience for him.
"Normally, you know, in a film with multiple characters, you know, the antagonist comes in and poses a problem for the protagonist. And the protagonist has to figure it out. Or if you need comic relief, the funny character will come in and tell some jokes, you know, and lighten things up. But in this film, everything had to come out of the one character."
The 32-year-old actor also talked about the message presented in the film and how playing the part impacted him personally.
"Danny always talked about--from the beginning--that he didn't want to tell the story of a superhero. That he wanted to tell the story of a man that was very accomplished, was a very accomplished athlete, a mountain climber, and in some ways, a bit of a superhero athlete. Who is humbled by this experience, and has everything stripped away from him, and in that process learns what is most important, and what he took for granted. And, grows, kind of emotionally. And I guess I hope that I grew a little bit."
Franco received critical acclaim for his role in the 2008 film, "Milk," in which he starred opposite Sean Penn. In addition to acting, Franco is now pursuing his PhD in English at Yale University, and plans to attend the Rhode Island School of Design.
Meanwhile, Boyle explained why he was so compelled to make this motion picture.
"When I read his book, I could see it," smiled the 54-year-old Brit. "It's weird when it happens that kind. It doesn't happen very often. You go. 'Oh. I can see that. That would be like that, that, that, and that.' And it's like, when that happens, you should never let those things go. You sometimes have to put them down for awhile, but you always know you should go back to them. Because you don't often have that reaction. It's a very clear image of how it should appear on the screen. And we had this feeling that we should put the audience through the experience with him so that you come out the other side of it with him."
Boyle won the best director Oscar and BAFTA awards in 2009 for his prior film, the popular "Slumdog Millionaire."
Ralston and his wife also stopped to talk to the media on the way into the screening. He shared how he felt upon seeing the film for the first time.
"There's this experience for me of reconnecting with that which was what motivated me to get out of there that day," said the 35-year-old. "It was love. It was relationships. And, freedom, in order to have that in my life again. Those things in that context, what I did--that's why I was smiling as I amputated my arm. And the film reconnects me with that. It makes me so appreciative, that I'm right back in that moment when I just got out of the canyon, and where all that mattered was wanting to give my mom a hug."
Amber Tamblyn and Kate Mara star in the film as hikers who meet Ralston before his tragic fall into a canyon.
Juliette Lewis and Minnie Driver were among the more well-known celebrity guests at the premiere.
"127 Hours" will be released in theatres across North America on Friday, November 5, 2010. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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