USA: "The Lovely Bones" features ensemble cast

Record ID: 798513

  • Title: USA: "The Lovely Bones" features ensemble cast
  • Date: 13th December 2009
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR PETER JACKSON, SAYING: "There is no such thing as a perfect adaptation because you're dealing with the personal tastes of the filmmaker, of the writers. And so I think it's a much more honest and refreshing approach to simply say the book is the master work. 'The Lovely Bones' by Ali
  • Embargoed: 28th December 2009 12:00
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  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA2UHQ3FV43OJHWYL2TD6YYVAQS
  • Story Text: Academy Award-winning director Peter Jackson's new film, "The Lovely Bones," features a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Susan Sarandon, Saoirse Ronan, Stanley Tucci, Mark Wahlberg, and Rachel Weisz.
    "The Lovely Bones" tells the story of a teenager named Susie Salmon who is raped and killed, but is still able to look down upon her family and the man who murdered her from her own piece of heaven. In the years that follow her death, she observes her family and friends as they grieve for her. Susie also watches her killer who is preparing to take another life.
    The movie is based on a best-selling novel of the same name.
    Jackson shared his approach to turning a book into a film.
    "There is no such thing as a perfect adaptation because you're dealing with the personal tastes of the filmmaker, of the writers," said Jackson.
    "And so I think it's a much more honest and refreshing approach to simply say the the book is the master work. 'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold is the novel, is the actual book. And a movie adaptation is only going to be a personal kind of interpretation of elements of that book," he said.
    Jackson is best known for his "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
    In 2004, the New Zealand filmmaker won three Oscars for the third film, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," including Best Picture and Best Director. The film was also named Best Film at the BAFTA Awards the same year.
    "The Lovely Bones" is Jackson's first movie as director since the big-budget spectacular "King Kong" in 2005.
    15-year-old actress Saoirse Ronan plays the lead character.
    Ronan, who was born in New York but raised in Ireland, found herself in the spotlight when after starring in "Atonement" (with British actress Keira Knightley and Scottish actor James MacAvoy) she became one of the youngest actresses in history to be nominated for an Academy Award in 2007.
    "People recognise me now. Especially in Ireland. Well, mostly in Ireland. Which is kind of strange, and difficult to get used to. But they've all been great. And they've all been very, very supportive," she said.
    "I'm with my friends when I'm at home. And my mom and dad come everywhere with me...This is my job. This is my passion. And everything else we try to keep the same," she said.
    New York actor Stanley Tucci hesitated when he was first offered the unsavoury role of the killer.
    "Well, I didn't say yes at first. It took me a long time to decide if I wanted to do it," said the 49-year-old actor.
    "I don't like to watch things about serial killers. I'm not interested in it. I don't like to read about it. I don't want to see those documentaries that are on every channel. But I felt that I was going to be in good hands, eventually with Peter and Fran. And we talked about the script. We talked about the changes. And how to create this person. So, I finally said yes," Tucci said.
    American singer-turned actor Mark Wahlberg, who plays Susie's grief-stricken father in the film, also credits Jackson as the reason he signed onto the project.
    British actress Rachel Weisz, who portrays Susie's mother in the movie, focused on the positive aspects of the emotional tale and praised Jackson for his work in creating an appealing version of heaven.
    "It's a life-affirming movie. I mean it's about how valuable and miraculous life is and how we have to treasure each day. And I don't think it's actually a depressing movie. I mean, a very dark thing happens. But at the end of the day it's all being narrated by Susie who's, you know, in heaven. And heaven looks pretty great. I wouldn't mind being in Peter Jackson's heaven," she said.
    Weisz won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in "The Constant Gardener" in 2005.
    Susan Sarandon, who plays an outrageous grandmother who has a penchant for stiff drinks, created the comic relief in the film.
    "I always have a good time because I really believe that having fun is the only way to really come up with new and interesting things," said the 63-year-old Sarandon.
    "But the design of this part is comic relief. So I was encouraged to be as silly as possible."
    Sarandon took home the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1995 for her part in "Dead Man Walking" opposite actor Sean Penn.
    Uber director and producer Steven Spielberg collaborated with Jackson behind the scenes by serving as an executive producer on the film.
    Despite some unflattering reviews in Britain, "The Lovely Bones" is generating some early Oscar buzz for Jackson and his cast.
    "The Lovely Bones" opened in a limited release in North America on Friday (December 11) and is set to open widely on January 15, 2010.
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