Unconditional Love by Jocelyn Moorhouse

Author:Jocelyn Moorhouse
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Text Publishing Company
Published: 2019-02-17T16:00:00+00:00

14

A movie is a war. And if you don’t know it’s a war you’re missing something. The war is between the problems, the people with the ideas, and the people with the money. The crazies versus the bean counters.

DICK SYLBERT

In September 1995, I had been sent the script for A Thousand Acres, by Australian writer Laura Jones. I thought it was brilliant. Jessica Lange and Michelle Pfeiffer were attached to star, and they were also producers on the movie.

I had adored Jessica since first seeing her play the angel of death in Bob Fosse’s movie All That Jazz. We met in a restaurant in Beverly Hills when I was still pregnant and close to completing the final cut on Quilt. She was gorgeous and gracious. We got along well and talked about what an extraordinary story unfolded in A Thousand Acres. Based on King Lear, Jane Smiley’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel turns everything inside out and tells the story from the daughters’ point of view. The two oldest daughters in the Cook family are traumatised victims of their father’s incestuous abuse. The youngest daughter, who was never abused, sees her father as a loving man. It is a powerful and disturbing novel. I could easily imagine Jessica playing the role of the brave, long-suffering eldest sister, Ginny. Michelle Pfeiffer was perfect for the role of the middle, more dangerous sister, Rose.

When I officially got the job of directing A Thousand Acres, I was ecstatic, but Deb Newmyer asked why I wanted to do a film about incest, murder, cancer, suicide and dementia. ‘It’s just so depressing, Joss!’ she warned me. ‘Are you sure this is a good follow-up to Quilt?’

Around the same time, PJ was offered an amazing opportunity. Jerry Zucker, director of Ghost, Airplane and Rat Race, was producing a movie called My Best Friend’s Wedding, starring Julia Roberts. Both Julia and Jerry had seen Muriel’s Wedding and wanted PJ to direct their movie. He read an early draft, felt some of it wasn’t working yet, and was going to say no. I remember we were sitting in our local Starbucks, Lily in her stroller, transfixed by the whirring ceiling fan above.

‘I don’t want to do another movie with wedding in the title,’ said PJ. ‘People will think that’s all I ever want to do. Wedding movies!’

I told him he would be crazy to turn it down. Firstly, Julia was one of the biggest stars in the world. Secondly, Jerry Zucker knew comedy, and would be an amazing person to work with. Thirdly, the script was very, very funny.

Our friends Heather Mitchell and Martin McGrath were visiting Los Angeles. PJ asked Heather to read the script and advise him. She agreed he should do the movie, but she said the key to making the script even funnier would be to develop the character of George. PJ finally agreed to work with the writer, Ron Bass, on a new draft that gave a lot more scenes to George. The studio gave it the green light.

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