(This photo) is an MIT building with its windows lit to form Oscar the day after Matt & Ben won for GWH - thanks to Rutso for sharing this find.
. .
From an E Online message board: Dec 11 97
As a fellow high school grad of Pilot School/Cambridge Rindge & Latin (class of 89), I am thrilled at Matt & Ben's rise to stardom. They were always great friends in highschool, they were very directed and self-modivated, and always had a talent for the stage. It is amazing to witness these Cambridge natives fulfill their dreams. It is clear that they are also proud of their home town. I look forward to seeing Good Will Hunting and continuing to watch their careers blossom. Alyssa Krimsky
PERHAPS MATT DAMON AND HIS BUDDY BEN AFFLECK... are already jaded by all the attention and fame they have experienced in the last few years. My reasoning is from an observation by sources who says they both came in to Veruka in The Big Apple along with Affleck's younger actor brother Casey. As they sat talking in the VIP area model after model, gorgeous chick after gorgeous chick came over to them to meet them. But the trio couldn't have cared less and barely flickered an eye at these women that most men would have given parts of their body's to meet. Could it be that Damon is ready to marry Winona Ryder and that Affleck still loves Gwyneth Paltrow and is wooing her back to him? It is that, or they are in the process of planning a movie and putting all their energies into it hoping it will be another "Good Will Hunting." Rece 8/15/99
Yours truly scooped everyone when Driver confided that she and Damon no longer spoke to each other. In fact Driver was furious and very hurt over how badly Damon handled things which also included the evening of the "Golden Globes" where he flaunted his burgeoning affair with Winona Ryder in Driver's face. 7/25/99
MATT DAMON has been busily knocking out movies all of which should be hitting the movie theaters shortly. This will bring him back up to the status of high school buddy Ben Affleck who has been doing movies at the rate of sound. Aside of the steady work on his career Damon is still in a committed relationship with Winona Ryder. It's good to see someone new to fame handle it so well. 6/5/99
***
I don't think I ever knew that Matt presented at the Writers Guild awards
last year (March 5). There's a few photos of Matt presenting Alan Ball of
American Beauty with the top award at their website - nicest one at:
http://www.wga.org/pr/0400/membernews0400.html . Apparently Minghella was
also there as a nominee for Ripley.
He was also quoted for an article on the awards: MATT DAMON, award presenter: "In writing Good Will Hunting, Ben [Affleck] and I tended to create a lot of characters, because we wanted different people saying different things. You can do that with a 300-page screenplay, but when you're dealing with something that's supposed to be 120 pages long you end up finding ways to streamline. Things that weren't plot-specific were the first things to get cut out. So if there are certain things that you are really attached to, you have to kind of tie them into the plot, or else you're in danger of losing them."
More into at: http://www.writersguild.com/
Also in the NY Post another small bit on Julia Stiles in Liz Smith's column, who says of Julia: "She wouldn't mind having a 'nice dinner' with Matt. Well, who wouldn't".
In the way that one thing leads to another, I've found some stuff on Matt's father Kent. I found a link to a page which stated donations to the production of a breast cancer support video, based in Boston. Matt was listed as a major donor, and brother Kyle and his wife Lori minor donors. Under a listing of Psi Upsilon - Pi chapter, Kent Damon was the first mentioned.
I've never heard of Psi Upsilon before, but as can be guessed it is a fraternity of sorts. It's based at major universities across the country, and lists as its aims: friendship, brotherhood, special functions, community service, growth and personal development. The Pi chapter originates from Syracuse University in New York, so that's obviously where Kent attended university (I don't know what his degree is, but accounting and finance are possible majors).
Another useless fact: Kyle's real name is Kent Damon, Jr. He's been in quite a few marathons/charity runs etc in the Boston area, and often races under his real name (30-35 year category). Remember that story from the Las Vegas Journal (Feb 2000) in which Matt was spotted in Las Vegas with his father, because brother Kyle was trying to qualify for the Boston marathon. And an early article in which Kyle was on the phone trying to convince Matt to run the Boston marathon with him.
As could be expected, I loved it, and certainly more than I expected to after reading so many mixed responses and confused reactions. I haven't read the Border trilogy for a few years, but every scene brought it back to life - accurate in its language, tone and visual memories. I was surprised how effective the chemistry was between Matt and Penelope, but again my mother felt there was none. Some of Matt's scenes with Penelope I found incredibly affecting, and it certainly convinced me.
I thought Matt was outstanding, and powerful in his understated, 'I'll just look at you til you believe in me' kind of way. It amazed me how much he can emote with his eyes and simple gestures - I know we've all said it before, but he really is a master of the strong silent type who says little but expresses everything. If anyone saw the Al Pacino tribute at the Globes you could see how much Matt's been influenced by him, and his style of acting. There was one scene, introduced by Kevin Spacey, where Pacino was in focus, listening to a speech, but said nothing for quite a lengthy shot. But his eyes were constantly darting, his face reacting, and you knew exactly what was in his head. In many ways Pretty Horses plays like an extended sequence in Good Will Hunting - the swanboat scene where Matt said nothing but he completely changed the way the viewer responded to him, because you knew his controlled outward appearance barely hid the emotions within.
There were so many of those moments in Pretty Horses, and it was the sincerity and truth of his performance that stood out to me. As for the film itself, I thought some of the quick cut sequences were superb, like the breaking in of the horses and the cuts after Penelope has left on the train - one of the great 'train departure cliche' sequences, where not a word is spoken. I thought the music was effective and not overbearing, and the supporting actors just right in their roles. Penelope failed me only during one of the telephone scenes, where her reactions just didn't seem right. Even on the small screen the scenery was breathtaking, and so much more realistic than John Ford's one-shot Monument Valley westerns. And Marty Stuart's song 'Faraway' added to the final scene's ambience superbly.
I couldn't help but watch it and wonder why so few people appreciated it - how they could not 'get' some of the beautifully worked sequences, and misunderstood so much of what Billy Bob was trying to do. It did take patience, and perhaps an understanding of the novel, but the performances, the scenery, the subtlety of the dialogue and the appeal of its call to simple days and an age just a few paces forgotten certainly worked for me.
The NY Post had an item that Matt lost more than has been reported in the Dana Giacchetto story - about one million, and that he also influenced friends and Winona to invest. It claims that Matt's paid them all back.
A story in Variety about a new project for Jim Sheridan mentioned that 'I know this much is true' is still being developed for Matt to star in after a potential strike. That's good news - perfect Oscar bait, if a little too ripe for criticism.
Matt Damon has leapt to the defence of Robert Redford.
Redford has been criticised for the way he depicted Twenties life in America's Deep South in The Legend Of Bagger Vance.
Damon says the American critics were lying in wait to attack Redford for his direction of the movie.
It is being released in the UK in March.
The story tells how a stranger played by Will Smith befriends Damon and becomes his caddy in a major golf tournment. He pits his skills against real-life golfing heroes Bobby Jones and Walter Hagan .
"It's a part fantasy," Damon told Ananova.
"Bob may have taken some licence with the story but for some reason it seems as though it was his turn to get it in the neck.
"We had a great time making the film and it is beautiful to look at. I think he did a fine job. I'm proud of my work.
"I've had a great run of success so I guess it was also my turn to look down the barrel of somebody's gun. You can't win them all. You can just try."
Damon has just finished making the thriller The Bourne Identity from the novel by Robert Ludlam and is about to play a pickpocket in Steven Soderbergh's re-make of the Sixties hit Ocean's 11.
Here's something new, from Michael Musto's column in the Village Voice:
That wasn't the end of the awards mania. Wifey and I crawled to the Manhattan Center for the annual Golden Trailer Awards celebrating those short, flashy commercials that usually tower over the movies themselves. (As proof, Bedazzled, Hollow Man, and Gone in 60 Seconds all won Golden Trailers!) The evening came with dinner, and mercifully only the Krispy Kreme dessert was a play on the trailery theme; the main course was salmon, not Cheez Whiz. Also helping us eschew cheesiness were celebrity drop-ins ("I've never heard of me either," said TV's Jim Gaffigan) and even celebrity relation drop-ins (the statuettes were codesigned by Matt Damon's brother Kyle, whose work is "uniquely interactive").
***
The website for the awards is at www.goldentrailer.com and includes this:
A Work Of Art
Artists Kyle Damon and John Everdell combined their expertise to create the stunning and coveted "Golden Trailer Award."
Each award is a work of art. Standing 13" tall, the Golden Trailer Award is composed of a film reel with trailers impressed on spiraling celluloid. Each award is individually constructed in copper and plated in gold. The copper is photo-etched with the winning trailer logo. The reel and film are mounted on an delicately carved base, constructed from ebony and figured maple.
Kyle describes the award as a homage to the first engaging glimpse one has of a film.
***
To look at the award, go to http://www.goldentrailer.com/trophy.html Bagger Vance was nominated for best romance trailer, but lost to Crouching Tiger (how!)
Monday, January 29
7:20 pm (TBS) Geronimo
Tuesday, January 30
11:00 am (TBS) Geronimo
More Star Vehicles
And then there are the major star vehicles, which range from comedies to dramas to thrillers.
Damon and Pitt have projects besides "Ocean's Eleven" on the front burner. Both will appear in thrillers this fall, the former in Robert Ludlum's "The Bourne Identity" sometime in the fall and the latter with Robert Redford in "Spy Game" in what producers Marc Abraham and Doug Wick describe as "a buddy action movie about a CIA operative and his prot�g�, from the period of the Vietnam War to the fall of the Berlin Wall."
...
(My note:
Interesting that Matt is getting all this top billing in current
advertisements for
his old movies. Dare we assume that in spite of the lack
of box-office sucesses, Matt has nevertheless gained
recognition last year? Now, the day when they give him
top billing for "Saving Private Ryan" is when Matt will
have totally made it! :-) :-)
And, yes, Matt's new-found fans are in for a shock when
they see "Courage" for the first time, and some may come to
appreciate what an actor this guy really is.
)
The Jay and Silent Bob film started shooting yesterday, and Kevin Smith has confirmed that Matt/Ben are included with a very B-list cast. For some funny stories from Smith about the casting process, look at his columns on the www.psycomic.com site. In the last column he talked about how he finally avoided getting Heather Graham in the cast, and how David Duchovny should be there in a small role, with Judd Nelson and others.
The Dogma special edition DVD has been delayed, and will not be in stores later in January. No reason has been given for the latest delay.
(My response:
Thanks for sharing your opinion of ATPH. I am interested in
why even some Matt fans disliked it.
There are movies and there are films. Movies entertain,
films provoke. Yes, most people go to theaters to be entertained,
but there is a minority who wouldn't mind if a film does not
deliver everything in the open. I think of ATPH as a Christmas
present which comes with all kinds of parts - complicated parts
even - that require assembly. Few - myself included - would
prefer such a gift than being presented with a fully-assembled,
brightly painted bicycle complete with a shinny ribbon.
I must admit that had Matt not been the star of ATPH, I might
have been a hard sell. All things considered, however, I think
the film deserves far more cerdit than it has received. It
takes a lot of courage to turn out a film that speaks to us
quietly, if nothing else.
Thanks again for writing. And, yes, I truly enjoyed
the scenes you cited, as well as some others.
Indeed we knew about Matt's cameo role. And the reaction described here is similar to that reported elsewhere.
2. Their actual involvement
Andy Serwer: Guys, it is Andy again. What exactly -- Ben, what is your
involvement and Matt's involvement in Greenlight? Are you going to be in the TV
show at all? Could you be part of the movies? What are you going to do?
Ben Affleck: Part of our involvement, you know, it is -- obviously -- well,
no. You know, people's involvement is more apparent when you are in front of
the camera. OK. Well, you know, I can see this guy, so he must have been in the
show or movie. There is an awful lot of work that goes into what happens behind
the scenes, in terms of organizing and putting this stuff together. And that's,
you know, equally satisfying for Matt and I, which is, you know, the
satisfaction we felt has writers and satisfaction we felt as producers.
Ben Affleck: And so what we have been doing so far is, you know, helping get
this thing rolling and put together and getting people to hear about it and pay
attention to it. And we are also taking on the road executive producers of the
movie, which means that essentially we will do what executive producers do,
which is almost nothing. We will sort of laze around and be available to, you
know, give bad advice to, you know, the hard-working and dedicated men or women
trying to make their movie. Ultimately we are kind of, you know, executive
producers, typically kind of lend their name to something for the sake of
getting attention, you know, or.... One of the things we will do is try to use
what relationships we have had to, you know, assist this man and woman in
getting their movie made, and getting their movie made the best they can.
Ben Affleck: It is not the intention -- this is not an elaborate ruse to get a
screenplay for Matt and I to star in. We are not trying to get ourselves on
camera in the movie, but rather to produce the project as a whole.
Host: At some point, it is likely you and Matt would appear in the HBO TV show
as executive producers?
Ben Affleck: Exactly. Because it is a documentary on this person's process,
you know, the people who will be featured will not only be the actors, but the
crew and the behind-the-scenes people. Since Matt and I have a behind-the-
scenes presence in this project, I'm very confident that we will, you know,
show up in this TV series in that capacity.
3. How the partners met
Host: Chris, you are the lesser known of our two guests. You have a very
interesting background yourself. Could you talk a little bit about how you got
to know Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and your involvement with their work, and
how it led to LivePlanet?
Chris Moore: That's a big question. Basically, I was working as -- I actually
met Matt at Harvard but didn't know him very well there. When I quit my job as
an agent to go be a producer, I talked to Matt about being in the movies, the
first movie I was going to produce. Matt was unavailable. He was starring in
another project, but said he should meet my best friend Ben. Ben came in and
auditioned and was a genius. It was good, because I couldn't afford a casting
director anymore at this point. And we gave him the part, and we went off and
made the movie, and it ended up becoming called "Glory Days."
Chris Moore: During the time we were shooting that movie, Matt and Ben
finished the script to "Good Will Hunting" and asked me to read it. I thought
it was great, and said I would love to be involved in this process, and we got
involved together and decided to make an unlikely partnership of two stars who
are also great writers and a producer, and we went to get the movie made. It
was quite a long battle, and during those battles, we made hard decisions
together and learned to trust each other. "Good Will" turned into a big success.
Chris Moore: We decided to continue working together. We shared some offices
with our deal at Miramax films, just throw ideas around all the time, sort of
brainstorm on what we want to spend our time on and what our future needs to
be. And we came across, you know, sort of the Internet together, and wanting to
get involved with that and the media. And spent a lot of time brainstorming, as
we always do, and with our fourth partner, Sean, who also shared offices with
us, and decided that now is the time for a company like LivePlanet and these
ideas, Greenlight and Runner and the others we have, will be very successful.
***
4. What about movie projects
Host: Here is one for Ben from his old friend Ent1701. Do you feel that you
and Matt are perhaps spreading yourselves too thin -- movies, Runner,
LivePlanet, Pearl Street?
Ben Affleck: We are -- I mean, you know, essentially what happens, it just
means that he and I might do, you know, slightly fewer movies on average per
year. You can only do so much at one time. Right now, we are very excited by
dedicating ourselves to working on LivePlanet and developing this stuff. You
have to remember that most actors really only work, you know, six months out of
the year, [if] they do two movies a year. A lot of those people, obviously,
enjoy their vacation time. But Matt and I, you know, are easily made to feel
restless. Part of us feels like we have this opportunity to, you know, develop
some of this exciting stuff that we have been thinking about for a long time,
and we want to take advantage of that, because there may well come a time when
people are not interested in developing stuff that we come up with.
Andy Serwer: Guys, it is Andy again. What exactly -- Ben, what is your
involvement and Matt's involvement in Greenlight? Are you going to be in the TV
show at all? Could you be part of the movies? What are you going to do?
Ben Affleck: Part of our involvement, you know, it is -- obviously -- well,
no. You know, people's involvement is more apparent when you are in front of
the camera. OK. Well, you know, I can see this guy, so he must have been in the
show or movie. There is an awful lot of work that goes into what happens behind
the scenes, in terms of organizing and putting this stuff together. And that's,
you know, equally satisfying for Matt and I, which is, you know, the
satisfaction we felt has writers and satisfaction we felt as producers.
Ben Affleck: And so what we have been doing so far is, you know, helping get
this thing rolling and put together and getting people to hear about it and pay
attention to it. And we are also taking on the road executive producers of the
movie, which means that essentially we will do what executive producers do,
which is almost nothing. We will sort of laze around and be available to, you
know, give bad advice to, you know, the hard-working and dedicated men or women
trying to make their movie. Ultimately we are kind of, you know, executive
producers, typically kind of lend their name to something for the sake of
getting attention, you know, or.... One of the things we will do is try to use
what relationships we have had to, you know, assist this man and woman in
getting their movie made, and getting their movie made the best they can.
Ben Affleck: It is not the intention -- this is not an elaborate ruse to get a
screenplay for Matt and I to star in. We are not trying to get ourselves on
camera in the movie, but rather to produce the project as a whole.
Host: At some point, it is likely you and Matt would appear in the HBO TV show
as executive producers?
Ben Affleck: Exactly. Because it is a documentary on this person's process,
you know, the people who will be featured will not only be the actors, but the
crew and the behind-the-scenes people. Since Matt and I have a behind-the-
scenes presence in this project, I'm very confident that we will, you know,
show up in this TV series in that capacity.
***
Commented Felicity:
I think
that's the first admission from Ben that involvement in LivePlanet will result
in less movie projects for them both. And also some nice comments from Ben and
Chris about Matt's temperament, and his creative abilities.
11 May Mummy Returns 23 May Pearl Harbour 29 June A.I. 18 July Jurassic Park 3 27 July Planet of the Apes 16 November Harry PotterGangs of New York is down as a summer release, but it is likely to be much later (are they still shooting?) Not many of the biggies seem to have dates yet.
COLUMBIA TRISTAR HOME VIDEO TO RELEASE "DOGMA" SPECIAL EDITION DVD JANUARY
23, 2001TWO-DISC DVD RE-RELEASE WILL INCLUDE EXCEPTIONAL ADDED VALUE ELEMENTS
INCLUDING AUDIO COMMENTARIES, DELETED SCENES AND AN EXCLUSIVE DOCUMENTARY *
All-Star Cast: Matt Damon ("The Legend of Bagger Vance"), Ben Affleck
("Reindeer Games"), Chris Rock ("Lethal Weapon 4"), Linda Fiorentino ("Men in
Black"), Salma Hayek ("Time Code"), Alan Rickman ("Galaxy Quest"), Jason Lee
("Almost Famous") and Jason Mewes ("Scream 3") * Written and Directed by
Kevin Smith ("Chasing Amy") * 1999 Theatrical Release * Insert with
Collectible Dogma Merchandise and Offers
DVD ADDED VALUE ELEMENTS
Cast and Crew Audio Commentary by Director Kevin Smith, Ben Affleck, Jason
Lee, Jason Mewes, Producer Scott Mosier and Vincent Pereira
Technical Audio Commentary by Director Kevin Smith, Producer Scott Mosier and
View Askew Historian Vincent Pereira
"Judge Not In Defense of Dogma" Documentary
Complete Set of Storyboards from Three Major Scenes
100 Minutes of Deleted Scenes with View Askew Crew Intros
Weblink to the Official View Askew Site
Hilarious Cast and Crew Outtakes
Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash Spot
Saints and Sinners Talent Files
Bonus! Follow the Buddy Christ for More Hijinks with Kevin Smith, Ben
Affleck, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes and More!
Talent Files (Kevin Smith, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Chris
Rock, Alan Rickman, Jason Lee, Salma Hayek and Jason Mewes) Culver City, CA
(11/9/00) - On January 23, 2001 Columbia TriStar Home Video will release
DOGMA SPECIAL EDITION DVD. From director Kevin Smith (Clerks and Chasing
Amy), DOGMA features an all-star cast which includes Matt Damon, Ben Affleck,
Chris Rock, Salma Hayek, Linda Fiorentino and Alan Rickman.
SYNOPSIS: One of the most talked about movies of the year is also one of the
funniest! In this hilarious comic fantasy from writer/director Kevin Smith,
two banished angels (Damon and Affleck) find a loophole that would get them
back into heaven. The only snag? They'll be destroying existence in the
process. In an effort to stop them, the overworked voice of God (Rickman)
taps cynical mortal Bethany (Fiorentino) to save the world by preventing the
angels from reaching their unholy destination, New Jersey. Throw in two
unlikely prophets (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith), the quick-witted, yet
little-known thirteenth apostle (Rock) and a sexy, former muse with a case of
writer's block (Hayek) and you've got an hysterical and thrilling race
against time.
Rated R
128 Minutes
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround
Format: Widescreen
Languages: English, French and Spanish
Subtitles: English, French and Spanish
Trailers: "Dogma"
SLP: $29.95
DVD #05614
UPC #0-43396-05614-5
The Premiere was held as a part of the Santa Fe Film
Festival which for the most part had taken place in
late November/Early December. This SPECIAL screening
was provided compliments of Miramax and the NM Film
Commission. It was held in a small, private theater
with priority seating for those persons who had worked
on the film in some capacity. The general public
"contributed" $20 which was returned to the film
festival bank. There was no empty seat and several
viewers were allowed to stand in the back.
When I arrived there was a buzz in the air and the
reception area was packed with all sorts of
people--artsy types, ranchers, prisoner looking
types--you know them from the movie :)!, social types,
and reps from our state government. The majority of
these people had a connection to this film and all
were anticipating a great time.
After a short intro by a member of the film festival
board who recognized the contributions of certain
audience members, ATPH was screened. What struck me
most about the audience was their complete focus on
the movie from start to finish--the theater was
unbelievably quiet. After it was over, most stayed to
view the credits. We were all dissapointed when we
discovered no mention of the New Mexico shoot
locations; there was a 'thank you' to the San Antonio
ranch. For this group, that was a MAJOR oversight
although I don't believe it detracted from the
enjoyment of the film. I did hear rumblings that
Miramax/Columbia and Billy Bob would get an earful! I
know the NM Film Commission and Greer Garson Theater
were hoping to get added exposure from this project to
draw movie revenue to the State.
After the showing, people gathered in the lobby area
and talked about what they had seen and felt about
Billy Bob's film. This adult audience was, of course,
very familiar with the novel and had positive comments
regarding the screenplay's adherence to McCarthy's
work and the photography. As for the acting, people
seemed to enjoy Matt as JGC and Lacey as the more
emotional best friend but were overwhelmed in their
approval of Lucas Black in the Blevins role.
I had the opportunity to visit with a couple of
gentlemen who participated in ATPH--both eccentrics
and incredibly interesting people. The first was a man
(I left his card at home and I can't recall his name,
dah?) who acted as Henry Thomas' stuntman. He has been
a part of some 124 movies, mostly Westerns, filmed in
NM and the Southwest and owns a movie memorabilia shop
off the Santa Fe Plaza. He mentioned that many of the
riding scenes had been severely cut as were scenes
with Penelope and the final "sentiments" talk scene
Dona Alfonsa has with John Grady Cole. However, he
felt the heart of the movie was intact. I made time
to visit his "MEMORA-BILLIE" shop later in the week.
The minute I walked in I spotted a color, 8 X 10 of
our man Matt and this stuntman posed out in the Las
Vegas, NM terrain. In typical fasion, Matt had his arm
around the stuntman and he sported that patented
smile. When I asked the stuntman what he thought of
Matt and the entire experience, he underscored what my
personal impression was when I met Matt and what
others have testified. The man said that he was most
impressed with Matt's generosity. He said that during
filming the players were given exactly 40 minutes to
take their meal break, regroup, rest, etc. He said
that on several occasions, Matt gave up his personal
time to greet and take photos with high school
students who had been brought to the set or to visit
with the local extras. He said he was the most
friendly, down to earth "STAR" he had ever known. He
specifically gave me examples of horrible, male-diva
behaviors by Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin
Costner. "None of them could hold a candle to Matt" in
the personality department.
The second gentlemen I met was the man who played the
character jailed with JGC, Lacey, and Blevins. This
"haunting spirit" of a character who returned JGC's
good deed with a deed of his own, is a novice actor.
He said he came to the set as an extra for the prison
scenes but explained laughingly, "I was asked to play
the imprisoned man after the casting director saw how
ugly I was!" He said the experience of working as an
actor with the likes of Billy Bob, Matt, Henry and
Lucas was the highlight of his life! He marveled at
Matt's fluency in Spanish and if I may add--with the
correct inflection and accents! He said he enjoyed
their personal coversations in Spanish, particularly
when they were talking about someone on set who didn't
understand it! He said he has photographs and his
newly acquired "acting credentials" hanging proudly on
the wall of his business. Turns out this man is a
masseur from Abiquiu, NM (the village made famous by
Georgia O'Keefe and location of the movie's river
crossing). Get this ..., his live-in companion is a
beautiful 30-something woman who stands about 5'11 and
could easily model.
It was so enjoyable talking to these two characters
and feeling their joy and excitement. Their eyes lit
up and their body language underscored their feelings
of near euphoria when they spoke. It must have been an
incredible group of people and setting to work in.
Out of sheer, personal need, I also attended the first
showing of ATPH for the general public. This one was
at a Santa Fe theater. To my dismay, it was held in
the smallest theater--a 300 seater. When the previews
began, the room was filled to capacity. Certainly the
interest among Santa Feans was due to it being filmed
in the area and to the great press the local papers
and Albuquerque television stories gave it.
Some people who had never read book found ATPH
"boring" and expressed dissapointment that the love
story was "much about nothing". They didn't buy JGC
falling for Alejandra without any foundation for such
a love. I just had to shake my head when one
20-something girl said, "I liked MS. CONGENIALITY much
better!" Sadly, they just didn't get it!
Overall, though, I think that many of the people in
addition to those who worked on it, did walk away with
a sense of the movie's themes particularly those of
HONOR and friendship. However, there aren't many of US
who will take the time and effort to observe, analyze,
dissect and truly appreciate such a brilliant piece of
work. Sadly, most movie goers will walk out of the
theater and the last 2 hours will be quickly
forgotten.
I have seen ATPH three times now and each time, I have
been struck by the masterful cinematography showcasing
the beauty of the area I grew up in. That is a normal
reaction for me because I have never taken my
birthplace and family home for granted. I have reveled
in its seemingly never ending space and clear skies
and I ache for that feeling when I am not there. I was
most affected by the emotive response that this movie
create for me. It is as many have criticized, simple.
But--it is fundamentally simple in that volumes of
words are spoken by a glance or by silent moments--the
silence between JGC and Lacey as he prepares to board
the bus back to Texas; the look in the eyes of JGC and
Alejandra before she turns to board the train. One
knows what those characters are experiencing. Emotions
and inner turmoil are symbolized in ways which tear at
the heart--An imaginary dancing spirit of a tired man
symbolizes the happiness which John Grady Cole feels
but will not allow himself to exhibit when he hangs up
the phone; the flowing tears of two young lovers
experiencing heart break for the first time; the old
prisoner who offers JGC the warmth of a pancho and a
meal of rabbit. Was he really there or was it his
spirit that returned to help JGC believe in the
'goodness'of humanity once again?
I feel sorry for those who cannot find beauty or personal meaning in this film. They truly don't know what they missed--
On a more personal note I actually went to sneak a peek at Matt's building yesterday. After all, I have been here for over 2 months and live less than a mile away from the lofts in which Matt resides. My gym is not too far from the lofts so after my workout I ventured down the road a bit to catch a glimpse. I'm not sure what the exact building is (as there are a few in this specific group of lofts), but they appear to be quite nice. The part of town they are in is basically considered Tribeca adjacent. As far as Matt having to go through a Co-op board interview it is actually quite standard, especially in the case of a celebrity. Co-op boards are concerned about constant partying and all the other excesses that often go along with being a celeb (need I mention his buddy Ben Affleck)? I'm sure Matt is a lot more savvy about that kind of stuff then his buddy Ben.
After reading Felicity's "gossip" about New Year's Eve I could have died! I was literally a few blocks away from Matt and his buddies with my clan at a club in Tribeca. What a New Year's treat it would have been to stumble upon Matt and Joaquin (another favorite of mine)! Oh well......
In return I offer this bit of information. I saw the update about
TVGuide.com. Check out www.tv-now.com/stars/mattdam. It shows Matt's
current month TV schedule for regular broadcast & cable networks. It lists
shows, dates, times, synopsis, director and other stars. You can look up
other celebrities too (like Ben and Gwen).
(Note: Thank you for mentioning this site. There is a link to it
in my
Some good sources of Matt Info page on this
site - the link to the page can always be found at the bottom of this
page.
)
BTW did you know that in Kevin Smith's Silent Bob movie Matt is supposed to play an actor who plays Will Hunting? I cringe to think that he's going to make fun of his most successful role. Don't go there, Matt!
Horsing Around on the Set
The story finds Damon as Texas cowboy John Grady Cole who gets tossed around
a bit. His dream career is cut short when his mom sells the family cattle
ranch in Texas. In need of a job, he enlists his best friend, played by
Henry Thomas, to head to Mexico in search of the ideal ranch to call home.
The adventure leads to much more than cattle wrangling � there are
skirmishes with the locals, a bit of jail time, and, for Damon, an affair
with the boss�s daughter, played by Spanish actress Penelope Cruz who is now
working with Tom Cruise in Cameron Crowe�s Vanilla Sky.
While the horseback riding and Texas accent were new territory for Damon,
there was little room for dry runs. Some may say practice makes perfect, but
not Thornton. �We don�t rehearse, we don�t even do camera rehearsals, I�ve
never understood rehearsals and I never will,� said Thornton who prefers to
get the cameras rolling on the first take while keeping his cast off guard.
�You�re always trying to get the most natural performance you can out
of people, actors can become very self conscious,� said Thornton. Especially
during a love scene. Thornton did his best to keep Damon and Cruz
comfortable when hitting the sheets on the set.
�Billy Bob dressed as a hunter that day,� explains Cruz who started the
game of dress up. �I gave him a hunter outfit with a plastic gun and a hat
and glasses, like Charlies Angels glasses. So in case there was some kind of
tension on the set he jumped into bed with us, dressed as a hunter,� said
Cruz.
Lookin� Good
Even potential technical glitches were risked for the sake of the acting,
which proved to be a liberating experience for Damon, �Billy would say, �if
it�s out of focus it�s out of focus in my movie because that [scene] was it.
� It�s a level of trust that was just amazing, it was really an amazing
experience.�
Of course, they had the benefit of the New Mexico landscape which makes
it pretty tough to get an ugly shot. �All we had to do is walk out there in
terms of the big vistas, it�s there,� said Thornton who insisted on using
the same production crew he teamed up with for Slingblade. Studio exec�s
questioned his choice, out of concern the crew was more used to low budget
productions, but he insisted the landscape would add no unmanageable
challenge.
�The easy stuff is going out and capturing a lightning storm, my
grandmother probably has 8 mm film of great lightning storms,� joked
Thornton.
Joking aside, he was determined to use the landscape to convey the
emotions and challenges facing Damon�s character. �Not only are the people
in his life disappearing from him, but the land is too. In this movie, I
think the land was sacred in that way.�
So are the beliefs of Damon�s character who lives by a strict code of
honor, and remains optimistic even after wrongly doing time, and losing his
home.
�I wish I was that good a person,� says Damon. �Despite everything he
goes through. It�s kind of a choice to go on or not once you see everything
that life can do, you have to either keep trying, or give up. And the fact
that he�s going to keep trying is really admirable.�
Why does (Matt) always have to play a genius? 1 "Good Will Hunting" - math genius 2 "Rounders" - card genius 3 "The Legend of Bagger Vance" - golf genius 4 " The Talented Mr. Ripley" homicidal genius 5 "The Rainmaker" - legal genius What the hell?
On this site's 100K hit milestone:
Sometime yesterday the hit counter for this page went over 100,000.
That's 100 thousand visits since I put a counter in. My correspondents
and I are all mighty proud of it.
This site would have folded a long time ago, but for the
contributions of everyone, Felicity's in particular. When
I first started the site in the wake of GWH's glory days and at
the peak of my infatuation with Mr. Damon, I wanted to write a column
to rhapsodize about this fresh young actor every week. This soon got
out of hand.
Fortunately, by then
Felicity and I have been exchanging really long emails, with hers
full of good finds. It soon dawned on me that I could turn the
site into a venue for Matt news. Speaking from experience, I know
that one of the frustrations of being
a fan is the lack of up-to-date information. And a web site is the
perfect
venue for disseminating news. At the time, there were lots of
Matt sites, most of which featured a lot of photos, and some also
carried news. I decided to make the site information oriented,
nothing but the news, m'am.
With the emails keep coming in, I only need to
stitch the items together, and all Matt fans benefit from it.
Judging from those who have written, this site is reaching Matt fans
all over the globe.
I also know that every time when there's a new Matt film opens, the
number of hits escalates. I am hoping that the site is reaching
the long time Matt fans, as well as helping to inform
(and indoctrinate :)
new recruits.
So, thank ye one and all, and let's try to keep this thing going
for as long as Mr. Damon enriches our lives with his artistry, his
dedication to his work, the sharing of the warmth of his family and
his friends, his congenial personality, and that
heart-melting smile.
Buzzz ... wrong. Wonderful movie, and not just for scenery or Damon�s acting. The theme is honor in all its facets. The most significant criticism you make is that there is no sizzle between Damon and Cruz. First, the relationship is not at the heart of the movie � that would be a distortion of the story, at least as appearing in the book. Too much sizzle and the whole project gets sidetracked. Second, passion and true love are not the purposes of the relationship, but rather the process of discovery, growth, first relationship. The whole thing rang true for me. Yes, some emotional distance, but that was purposeful. You�ve fallen prey to current movie clich�. � Grant Barber
ET: And in 'The Third Wheel' you worked with MATT DAMON and BEN AFFLECK. Denise: Those buddies. I was so fortunate to work with them. They're great.
6. �All the Pretty Horses�
Billy Bob Thornton (director) and Ted Tally (writer) have adapted
Cormac McCarthy�s 1994 novel into a classic Mex-Tex Western, and Matt Damon
comes of age.
Tuesday December 19 2:48 AM ET
Julia Stiles 'Bourne' for Spy Thriller Role
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Julia Stiles (''10 Things I Hate About You'') has
joined Universal's spy thriller ``The Bourne Identity'' The 19-year-old
actress will play a Paris-based officer of a U.S. national security agency.
The picture, directed by Doug Liman (''Go,'' ``Swingers''), is an adaptation
of the Robert Ludlum novel about an amnesia victim (Matt Damon) saved by a
fishing crew only to discover he's being hunted by assassins. Shooting is in
progress in Paris and next moves to Prague.
Stiles, who will be seen in Fine Line's upcoming ``State and Main,'' joins a
cast headed by Damon and Franka Potente (''Run, Lola, Run''). Co-stars
include Chris Cooper (''American Beauty''), Clive Owen (''Croupier''), Brian
Cox (''The Boxer'') and Adewale-Agabaje (''The Mummy Returns'')
Well. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a happy new year. I spent the Lion's share of my holiday watching ALL 250 TAPES!! Next year I'm going to fight the lawyers so that we can read the top 250 scripts. Too frustrating trying to pick from tapes alone. Matt and I spent the holidays watching these incredible tapes. I must say, you guys (and ladies) did a great job for the most part. i found myself pausing and telling my friends to "get in here, you have to see this" about a number of the entries. There is SO MUCH talent out there. It was truly inspiring to see. Matt and I were particularly impressed with a number of contestants who found amazingly creative and occassionally brilliant ways to communicate their abilities. It was very, very rewarding and any issues of 'mediocrity' were put to bed once and for all after looking at the tapes and reading the application forms. The 250 are amazing people, by and large. Funny, sad, compelling, interesting and fascinating. I congratulate you all. Now, the hard part. Just paring down to 30 will be a challenge, much less trying to get 10, then 1. I can assure you folks who made tapes that all the best will be featured in the series, regardless of the outcome of the contest. You have a great deal to be proud of. I was truly awed by some of you...and pissed. You made my job very, very hard. Thank you Ben
Here's one that I thought of when perusing all the angry posts over not making the 250. It's from one of my favorites--always comes to mind when I read a review i think is way off base (like EW's of ATPH): something like this: Half close your eyelids, loosen your hair, And dream about the great and their pride; They have spoken against you everywhere, But weigh this song with the great and their pride; I made it out of a mouthful of air, Their children's children shall say they have lied I think it's called "To those who have spoken ill of his beloved" but I'm not sure. W.B. Yeats
Gus Van Sant in Neon magazine (British) March 98?
Interviewer: Did you get on with Matt and Ben?
GVS: They're a team - they're like a married couple - but they're certainly
not threatening...
Neon: You've spoken very highly of both, Matt in particular.
GVS: Matt's just a very caring person. If one of his friends is having
trouble in Boston he'll stop what he's doing and go and be with his friend
in their time of trouble - as opposed to saying, "I wish I could come up,
but I'm too busy now." But he has a lot of friends and a lot of trouble at
all given times. Sometimes he reminds me of River [Phoenix], actually, the
way he used to be. Very caring and compassionate.
Film Review Special 1998
"It's bizarre" he says, referring to his recent introduction to fame and
fortune. "I feel like I'm living somebody else's life - I don't know whose,
but I'd sure like to meet him!"
Empire magazine - SPR release
"I've worked with all these people I could learn from. I felt somewhat out
of place even being in the same room as them. To work with them is
something I think I'd like to do for as long as I can until people figure
out that I'm a charlatan."
Interview magazine Dec 97
(question about college experiences)
Matt: Ben's too modest to tell you this, but he's the most well-read person
I know. He's certainly a lot smarter than I am.
Ben: That's why we stayed friends: because we lie for each other in crucial
moments.
Matt: We're constantly accused by people who come in an out of our circle of
friends that we're the most boring people ever. There are people who go, "I
got tickets to see so-and-so, and why don't you guys come? We're like,
"Yeah, whatever," and end up at the same bar every night with the same
people telling the same old jokes. We've always been that way.
Ben: Matt's just better at being diplomatic about these things.
Matt: The warrior and the clown thing again. {Ben had previously said they
were the warrior and the clown}
Matt: My engagement hadn't worked out, so I was living with our other buddy,
Soren. {{I didn't know or forgot that he was actually engaged to Skylar}}
The best-selling book All the Pretty Horses is only the latest chapter in the Oscar-winning It Boy's flourishing film career. By Stephen Schaefer Toothy grin, plain black T-shirt, Caterpillar work boots, and khakis � in a milder season and a warmer clime, Matt Damon would have been ready to hop on a Harley and motor on down to the beach. Faced with the prospect of a gray, wintry afternoon in midtown Manhattan, N.Y., where he'd alighted from Paris for two days of press and the premiere of his oft-delayed, long-awaited All the Pretty Horses, the young star was content simply to sit � minus an entourage or any of that Hollywood stuff � drag on a couple of Camel Lights, and chat. Recent history has been kind to Damon. After bouncing around in a variety of movie and television bit parts, entering and exiting Harvard (sans degree), and making a striking impression as a traumatized Army medic in the Meg Ryan-Denzel Washington vehicle Courage Under Fire, fate called his number in 1997. That's the year he went from struggling actor to rising matinee idol nearly overnight with the wham-bam, one-two punch of starring roles in Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of The Rainmaker and Gus Van Sant's Good Will Hunting. (The latter film, of course, famously netted Damon a screenwriting Oscar, which he shared with buddy Ben Affleck.) Three years later, the fellow who couldn't catch a break (of the star-making variety) is the man who's not likely to get one (of the relaxing, lazy afternoon kind) any time soon: The Park Avenue Hotel suite where he spoke with Mr. Showbiz wasn't empty. Three sizable and stuffed black tweed suitcases sat in a corner by the foyer, jammed to bursting, Damon revealed, with wardrobe selections for Ocean's Eleven. The in-demand actor, who just turned 30, will begin work on that project for red-hot director Steven Soderbergh as soon as he completes Doug Liman's The Bourne Identity, based on the Robert Ludlum potboiler. With typically high energy and positive spirits, Damon talked straight about why Horses was held up for a year, the rumors of an affair with Spanish starlet Pen�lope Cruz, and the box-office bogey tallied by his fantastical golf flick, The Legend of Bagger Vance, earlier this year. Both you and your All the Pretty Horses co-star Pen�lope Cruz have emphasized that you're just friends and are not dating. Why the hell not? Unfortunately, I never see her. She's busy. It's like I see her once every six months, very briefly. She's a great, great friend and a special person, and I came away from this movie with really close ties with a lot of the people in it, and a lot of the crew that worked on it. With everything else, I have these abiding friendships, and it feels great. What's your reaction to the here-today-gone-tomorrow fate of November's The Legend of Bagger Vance, a conundrum compounded by hostile reviews? I guess, in retrospect, people were waiting with loaded rifles for [director Robert] Redford's next movie. [Laughs] I had no idea. The vitriol! Really, for a guy who's just done amazing things, good things with his name and his career � it seemed too hostile to be just about our movie. I was surprised. Were you? Well, yes, actually. Maybe people were offended by the harmonious black-white relationships depicted in what was the Deep South in a segregated era. It was like a fairy tale � But it was a fairy tale. And [Redford] told me at the very beginning, "I'm sure we're going to get killed for this, because it's so optimistic." That's one of the reasons I really wanted to do it. I admired the fact that he went in there knowing that. But to see it borne out the way [Redford predicted] was a little shocking. Because people seemed to take it personally and attacked him personally. I don't think he deserved that. What about being Matt Damon, a bankable star who's in competition with other actors your age? If Horses doesn't kick, will you have nightmares, thinking, "Last year I was on top with The Talented Mr. Ripley, and now I've got two flops in a row. What do I do?" This movie was, for the first time in my life, "I don't care." I want people to really love it, to love it as much as I do. But if they don't, it's OK. We just disagree. I've never felt that way before; I've always felt like, "Well, maybe they know something I don't." But not in this case; we just disagree, and that's fine. I've never been prouder of anything than [All the Pretty Horses]. This was a significant, life-changing experience, making this movie, and I feel I'll be chasing this the rest of my career. In terms of, you know, [box-office success], I'm not ignorant of the effect stringing together a bunch of bombs will have on anybody's career. I'd like to keep working on movies like this and not worry [about grosses]. If I could do a movie like this every few years, I'd be very happy. Horses was held up a year for release and got substantially trimmed from a running time of three hours to under two. Does it have a chance? I really hope so. As far as the [release] baggage, a lot was made of it that shouldn't have been. One of the reasons it didn't come out last Christmas was that Ripley was coming out, and they always wanted to release it at Christmas. Both are Miramax co-productions, and Harvey [Weinstein, top dog at indie distributor Miramax] didn't want to take money out of his own pocket. Billy [Bob Thornton, the movie's director] has final cut at two hours, and this is the movie Billy feels great about. It's the age-old thing between directors and studios; the director will always want it longer. And any time a movie takes a long time to come out, people start speculating. It would really be a shame if that was the rider to every article about the movie. People assume this isn't the cut everyone's proud of. [But] that's just not true. Why was it so special? Billy Bob. He's just a miracle of a director and an amazing human being. The way he worked with all of us and the way he runs a set was bliss. The result � I'm so in awe. And, leaving myself out, the acting in the movie � I'm not counting myself in this � but all those actors are flawless, top to bottom. If we discount the idea that he was eating only orange foods as a ridiculous rumor, is Billy Bob really nuts? The orange food just came out today, and that's pure fantasy. It's kind of fun, being that I'm a good friend of his, to watch the things written about him, because they're so completely off-base and wacky. We laugh about them. He's got his eccentricities, but we all do. He's not nuts. He's someone I trust implicitly. If I could do every single movie with him as the director, that would be ideal for me. That's not bullshit. I haven't felt this way ever, and I don't know if I'll feel this way ever again, so this is my chance to say it. Horses has a naturalness and a low-key sense where things are said without being spoken. Were you playing the subtext a lot? The subtext is what the book's about, and what these guys are about. Whenever they speak, they [actually] have something to say. We're used to a culture where we keep talking no matter what. In preparation for this, it was interesting. I was with a rider, a wrangler � a real cowboy � all day, and I was peppering him with questions, and he turned to me and, not in a mean way, said, "I've said more in the last three days than I have in the last three months." He didn't mind it and it was true, but he wasn't used to talking that much. In the movie you get a wicked scar from a nasty knife slash. Do you have any real scars? I have a couple of scars. When they shaved my head for Saving Private Ryan, [I found out] I have scars all over my head. I think they're just "little brother scars," standard "getting smashed into walls by my brother" stuff. But I guess I have more than I remembered, which is all over my head. They're covered by my hair. When they took the clippers to it, they were all laughing, and actually, the lady asked me if I was a little brother. [I said yes] before I knew what she was taking about. Did you want to grow up to be cowboy when you were a kid? Any other childhood dreams? Everyone flirted with the idea of being a cowboy. I wanted to be in the NBA or play major-league baseball, but it became clear that that wasn't a reality. Was it odd for you to play a cowboy after playing so many prep-school characters? Yeah, although in Geronimo, I was a cavalry officer, and in Good Old Boys with Tommy Lee [Jones], a kid from west Texas. I've actually ended up shooting four or five films in Texas, and a good part of my adult life's been spent there. I feel comfortable in Texas. I like it there. Did you get bowlegged from riding a horse? Yeah, but the good thing was we rode horses for a month before the movie and took care of them, so we didn't have to act it. We just walked that way and didn't have to think of it. It's like when I had to be uncomfortable for a scene [in The Rainmaker], Francis Coppola strapped rocks to me, all over my body, these really sharp rocks, and then he said, "Now just try and be comfortable." Instead of having to act uncomfortable or act bowlegged, you just [experience it]. It really helps. How do spurs make you feel? I didn't wear spurs. We had spurs, but they were dulled down. The horses were so good; these horses are like great automobiles. When you're intent on hitting a mark, [you can make] these horses lean, instead of step, by just touching them. They're very sensitive and smart, and trained to be movie horses. They didn't need spurs. But sure, anytime you put on spurs, you feel like a child in the Old West. Have you ever tangoed with tequila? No, but that's only because I haven't tangoed much. I've done just about every other dance with tequila. Would you bite the worm? Sure. Is there a chance you'd return to this character, John Grady Cole, again? After all, All the Pretty Horses is the first of what Cormac McCarthy calls his "border trilogy." There's also The Crossing and Cities of the Plain. The second one, John Grady isn't in it, it's about a character named Billy Parham; and then Billy and John are in the third. If we're to go on, someone else would have to play the character. If Billy Bob wanted to do it, I'd do it. I'd do the phone book with Billy Bob. What's going to be different with Horses on DVD? This version will come out first on DVD, and then down the line, at some point, there [will] be a special edition. Talking to Billy, he said he didn't know how [he'd] do it. Like Good Will Hunting has scenes on the DVD that weren't in the movie. I don't know. What gives you the willies? Snakes. Most any snake. Do you like your taco with hot sauce or mild? Hot. Ever been to Tijuana, Mexico? Yeah, when I was 13, I went with my grandfather, who, at the time, lived in Orange County [in California]. He and my grandmother took my brother and my mom and me; we drove down for the day. Tell me about The Bourne Identity, which you're in the middle of filming right now. Isn't it a big, international thriller? The Bourne Identity is being directed by Doug Liman, who did Swingers and Go. That's Doug's style. His father was [a key] prosecutor in the Iran-Contra proceedings and he's not going to make a "rah-rah, we're good, they're bad" [kind of movie]. He will make one much more ambiguous, morally. And I've never looked at things that way. I know actors who say they need a big movie, and they have a miserable time because they're not connected to it, or [don't] like it, or [don't like] any of the people they're working with. And it comes out and it's terrible, and it's a totally miserable experience all the way around. Then they go back to the drawing board and say, "I've got to strategize somewhere." I say, "Who cares?" Fail or succeed based on your own taste. Isn't The Bourne Identity about a man who wakes up and doesn't know who he is? He's trying to find out who he is, he doesn't remember. And as the movie progresses, he discovers a number of things about himself: He can speak several languages and he's a good fighter. Franka Potente of Run Lola Run is also in it. Doesn't he kill people as well? What have you found out about that? The best way is to shoot them. I can kill you a number of ways. And how many people have you killed so far in The Bourne Identity? Shockingly few. In the movie, I do kill one person � who's trying in kill me. It's self-defense, and not a big "blowing up Paris" and "blowing up everybody" kind of movie. What's the strangest place you've ever woken up in? Man, because I haven't had a home for so long, I haven't woken up in any place that isn't strange. If I visit my brother, I'll wake up with the dog licking my face. Or the kids jumping on me. Usually I wake up and don't have any idea where I am, because I've been traveling so much. Like the thing where you get up and you don't know where the light switch is, because you don't know what room you're in. Or even what country you're in. "OK, I'm in France. I'm in Paris. I'm on the fourth floor. OK, I remember this place." While this has been great, making these movies, and I've been having a wonderful time, I'm looking forward to not having that experience. I'm ready to put my feet up. One critic of Proof of Life worried that Tony Gilroy, who wrote that screenplay, might not be able to make much out of the far more complicated Bourne Identity source novel. I like Tony Gilroy a lot. He did a great job with the script [for The Bourne Identity], or I wouldn't be doing it. Then you're into Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven. It's not a remake, really, it's a revision, isn't it? A whole new scenario? It's contemporary, but it's got its own style, which is very cool. Will your character be cooler than George Clooney's? I don't know many people cooler than George. I'm [just] one of the assembled 11, I'm the last guy they get; I'm a pickpocket. You're famous for researching your characters. Will you learn to be a master pickpocket? What's interesting is [that] I'm thinking of doing this. There are a lot of pickpockets in Paris, on the [subway] trains, and I ride the trains a lot. I thought I could go with one of my friends � have him wear nice clothes with an empty wallet � and do the video camera surreptitiously, and just do it until they pickpocket him and watch how they do it. [Smiles] Maybe I'd put 20 bucks in there for the guy's trouble. I do want to see how it's done. It doesn't mean I'd become adept at it � just watch the technique so [I can make it] look real. What's the status of Greenlight, the contest you and Ben Affleck are sponsoring for aspiring screenwriters? Great. We're down to 250 [scripts] and the [screenwriting] community seems really strong. We can't create that community; it's up to the writers to do it, and they're into it and it seems to be doing exactly what we hoped it would do. It's getting exciting. When it gets down to 30 [finalists], we can start reading them. There are already all these scripts that are posted, but we're not allowed to read them, legally; we can read the reactions to them. "You've got to read this script! You've got to read this script!" There are all these scripts we're dying to read. Legally, it has to be down to 30 and, as was always our hope, not only the guy or girl who gets to make their movie, but [also] the other 29 get a boost. Hopefully, all 250 [finalists] will get some action. Any of your own screenplays in the hopper? Nothing [that's] really fully formed. I know I really want to write something, and Ben does. So hopefully next summer we'll be able to sit down and do that. Do you want to direct? Yes, we both want to direct. Especially after this experience, it would be a great life if I could do that. Have you ever had a fistfight with Ben? No. Arguments, yes. Everyone's got arguments, but we tend to see things in very similar ways. The arguments have never lasted, ever since we were young. We debate more than we argue. Could you kick his ass if it came to fisticuffs? No, he's a pretty big guy. I've got some tussle in me, [but] he's big, 6-foot-3, and I don't know how much he weighs � 200-and-something pounds. I'd have to bring a big stick. What's up with your Finding Forrester cameo? I just did it because Gus called me and asked me to. When Gus says, "Jump!" I say, "How high?" How many movies have you made now? Do I include, like, Mystic Pizza? You were an extra in it? I had one line in Mystic Pizza. But you were an extra too? Extra! I was an extra in Field of Dreams, The Good Mother. I was an extra in a lot of movies. But starting with School Ties, [there's] Rising Sun, Geronimo, Good Old Boys, Courage Under Fire, Rainmaker, Good Will Hunting, Saving Private Ryan, Rounders, Dogma, The Talented Mr. Ripley, All the Pretty Horses, and The Legend of Bagger Vance, which is 13. Plus cameos in some of [the] movies [of Kevin Smith, director of Dogma]. Now that you're moving on past the "golden boy" stage of your career, is there less pressure on you? Do you feel established? I don't know if anyone ever feels established. It's a pretty insecure business in general. Again, going back to what I've said before, I'm looking more for that feeling of artistic serenity, which is very elusive and very rare.(Commented Felicity: That sounded pretty cool - I like the search for 'artistic serenity'.
| E-mail: | [email protected] |
| URL: | http://mattdamon.cjb.net |
|