GERMANY: BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL GALA PREMIERE OF GENE HACKMAN MOVIE "THE ROYAL TENNENBAUMS"

Record ID: 389045

  • Title: GERMANY: BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL GALA PREMIERE OF GENE HACKMAN MOVIE "THE ROYAL TENNENBAUMS"
  • Date: 14th February 2002
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 14, 2002) (REUTERS) SCU SOUNDBITE (English) DIRECTOR AND CO-SCRIPTWRITER WES ANDERSON TALKING ABOUT WORKING WITH ACTOR GENE HACKMAN WHO PLAYS THE LEAD, ROYAL TENNEBAUM: "Hackman is a bigger handful, kind of like the character he plays really. He's a very intense person, intimidating, kind of a legend. He's fiery, there's more work goes into that.
  • Embargoed: 1st March 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BERLIN; GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2BX9LTVO5XCDCCBIR4JPEOV9H
  • Story Text: Writing partners Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson admitted to a shared sense of humour being the key to their new film, "The Royal Tennenbaums", even if they don't always agree on the costumes...
    Writing partners Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson, who were nominated on Tuesday for the best original screenplay Oscar for "The Royal Tennenbaums", said the secret of their success was a common sense of humour.
    "Tennenbaums", an offbeat comedy about a dysfunctional family that has pulled in U.S. crowds since it opened in December, is the third movie the pair have created together since meeting at a playwriting class at the University of Texas a decade ago.
    "Wes called me and told me. It was exciting to hear,"
    Wilson, who also plays Western writer Eli Cash in the film, said of their Oscar nomination. "I think the other two were good but I think this one was probably my favourite."
    After the cult favourite "Bottle Rocket" and critical hit "Rushmore", "Tennenbaums" is the first big budget movie for the young writing partnership, who managed to attract big names like Gene Hackman and Gwyneth Paltrow to play in the film.
    "It's been surprising to see how people in America have responded to it and I think it is because it's about this theme of family and forgiveness, and it's fun," Wilson told a news conference after the film showed at the Berlin Film Festival.
    "Tennenbaums" is one of 23 films competing for the festival's "Golden Bear" award.
    Wilson, who also plays alongside Hackman in war film "Behind Enemy Lines", said it was a shame the veteran actor had not been nominated for an Oscar for his role as patriarch Royal Tenenbaum.
    "I was a little bit disappointed. He really deserved to be nominated. In order for the movie to work that guy had to be great," he said.
    Anderson, 32, who directed "Tennenbaums", said he and Wilson inspired one another.
    "The tone of all our films is kind of similar. They are closely connected with our shared sense of humour," he said.
    "The way we worked together has been different in each movie.
    But the key thing is the influence we have on each other."
    Wilson and Anderson, who were sharing a one-bedroom apartment in Dallas when their demo for "Bottle Rocket" was snapped up at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, said they were glad they were still working together as they hit the big time.
    "The fact that we've been able to make films together has strengthened our friendship," said Anderson. Wilson, whose brother Luke plays Richie Tenenbaum, agreed:
    "It's just nice to be going through this stuff with Wes and Luke. It makes it nicer and easier."
    But Anderson said he had a different approach when it came to writing with particular actors in mind.
    "Owen wants to stay with the invented story. I always like to think who the actors are. That certainlyup influencing what's written," he said.
    Anderson always had Hackman in mind when he was writing the role of Royal Tennenbaum, a lawyer who walks out on his wife and three overachieving children. He returns two decades later to find that his offspring peaked too early and are now failures.
    Anderson said it took a while to convince Hackman to play the part and said he was not always easy to work with.
    "He doesn't like to be directed if he could possibly avoid it. I didn't know that going in but I discovered it about halfway through the first day. But I had to direct, I had no choice. We had to find our way with each other," he said.
    Anderson said he could not imagine a sequel to "Tennenbaums" and quipped he did not even know who owned the rights to the idea. "Once the Hackman character dies it probablythe story," he said.
    Instead, he was turning his focus to a new project.
    "I have an idea for something but it's not written. We're very slow writers. It's set in Europe and in Mexico and it's kind of an adventure," he said. "There won't be a first draft for six to eight months."
    -ENDS-
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