THE COCA-COLA COMPANY AND THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY
COLLABORATE TO SHARE
NELSON MANDELA'S LIFE STORY
WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS NATIONWIDE
College tour will promote
civic engagement and servant leadership
ATLANTA, Nov. 13, 2013 - The Coca-Cola Company is teaming up with The Weinstein Company, a multimedia production and distribution company, to share exclusive free screenings of the soon-to-be released film, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, with college students in eight cities nationwide. The eight-city tour is designed to promote principles of fairness, civic engagement and servant leadership as advocated by former South African president and anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela.
"We share Mr. Mandela's passion for inclusion and equitable treatment of all people," said Lisa M. Borders, Vice President of Global Community Affairs for The Coca-Cola Company. "Nelson Mandela's courageous leadership in the face of systemic oppression, his compassionate action for community and personal sacrifice in the face of extreme adversity offer insights into challenges still faced today. His fight against Apartheid serves as an example of one person's ability to mitigate and even rectify injustice and disenfranchisement. We believe this film provides teachable moments of inspiration for our next generation of leaders." The nationwide college tour will kick-off in New York City on November 13 with the film's lead actor and actress, Idris Elba (Nelson Mandela), Naomie Harris (Winnie Mandela) in attendance. The tour heads to Los Angeles, CA on Nov. 18 and Washington DC, on Nov. 20. Screenings in other cities will be announced later.
"I'm thrilled that Coca-Cola is going to enable thousands of college students to see Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and learn about the life-story of Nelson Mandela," said Harvey Weinstein, Co-Chairman of The Weinstein Company. "They are helping a new generation of leaders be inspired by our greatest. Coca-Cola is one of the largest brands in the world and I salute them for taking a leadership role."
This partnership is led by Victoria Parker, Senior Vice President of Theatrical Productions and Corporate Affairs on behalf of The Weinstein Company.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world's most valuable and recognizable brands, our Company's portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.
Michael Dequina: This being your second film telling an African story, what is the appeal of African stories for you?
Justin Chadwick: Well, I'm interested in good stories wherever they're from. I have to say I have fallen in love with Africa. I had a fantastic experience in Kenya [making 2010's The First Grader]--beautiful country, great people. And in South Africa, there's an energy there, there is a definite energy. And it's, as you know, a very complicated history. It's a challenge working in that respect, but it's an exciting experience.
MD: I imagine part of that energy comes from still being a fairly new country, fairly recently with the end of Apartheid.
JC: It's come a long way, and it's still got a long way to go. For whole sections of the film, we were working as much as we could in and with real communities and adding people on both sides of the camera from those communities. We wanted a crowd to come from the community that we were representing and the people that we were representing. So there is a certain energy that comes from that, from people that are living and breathing the struggle today.
MD: How was it working in the South African film industry, which is rapidly emerging as a global production ground?
JC: It's a fantastic place to work. You have got great talent on both sides of the camera--fantastic actors and great, great technicians. The sound guys, for example, on Mandela are people I want to my next movie with wherever I am in the world. There is a real excellence there. And there's so many great stories, so many wonderful stories in that country--the country itself, in terms of how barren the country is, the landscape; the people. It was exciting to be there with a big size film. And the film is an independent movie; it's an independent African movie, made by Africans. Idris [Elba] and I and Naomie [Harris] are kind of like honorary South Africans; the rest of the people in the movie and involved in the movie were South African. So it's a credit to them.
MD: So do you know where in the world your next movie will be?
JC: No, not yet. [laughs] I'm out to promote this and to do what I can to get this out there. It's a tough business to have an independent movie placed in the multiplexes. You know what it's like.
MD: Let's hope this will help get that next journey and story made.
AH: Yes! It was a wonderful experience working with Justin. He talked to me about [Mandela] quite a long time ago since it was a long time in the making, and like all good things, they take time, and finally we're there.
MD: Now that you've scored two African stories, what's the appeal as a composer to work on African stories?
AH: It's funny because just by coincidence one of the first films that people really knew me from is The Last King of Scotland.
AH: [laughs] Yeah! I've always loved Africa, and I love African music, for all my life I have. So it's coincidental I think, or maybe it's fate just pushing me in this direction; I don't know, so it's a happy coincidence.
MD: Was there any special research into the music for Mandela?
AH: I did go to South Africa, and I worked with the wonderful talent there--the vocalists, percussionists, so it was all really inspiring to be there. And then we went to Abbey Road in London and combined it with the orchestra, so having the best of both worlds is what we wanted and what we got.
Although an animated feature starring turkeys, the lead characters of Free Birds--smart, smart alecky Reggie; tough turkey freedom fighter Jake, who enlists Reggie to assist in his time-traveling mission to remove their kind from the Thanksgiving menu; Jenny, daughter of the chief of a turkey tribe in the year 1621--are not only lent voice by, respectively, Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, and Amy Poehler, but also their famously live wire comic personae. This was very much in evidence on Saturday, October 12, when the trio along with the film's director, Jimmy Hayward, took part in a press conference in Beverly Hills that was atypical in its quick-witted energy but all too befitting the celebratory holiday spirit. Relativity Media thankfully provided video of the complete press conference for those of us who attended the event, for text transcription would have failed to captured the personalities of and undeniable chemistry between this group as they offered insight into the production, their characters, and their personal views on holidays and--yes--time travel.
Jaguar to feature the all new
F-TYPE sports car at Awards Ceremony
MAHWAH, N.J., Oct. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Jaguar Cars announced today that they will elevate their presence in Hollywood by joining with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles (BAFTA LA) as the official 2013 title sponsor of the BAFTA LAJAGUARBRITANNIA AWARDS®. The JaguarBritannia Awards®, taking place November 9 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, celebrates the achievements of those who have made an outstanding contribution to excellence in the international entertainment industry. Honors are given for excellence in film, directing and comedy, as well as for worldwide contribution to entertainment and for use of the moving image for humanitarian causes.
The 2013 JaguarBritannia Awards® will be hosted by award winning actor and comedian, Rob Brydon. BAFTA LA will honor Sir Ben Kingsley with the "Albert R. Broccoli Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Entertainment"; George Clooney with the "Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film"; Kathryn Bigelow with the "John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing"; Idris Elba with the "Britannia Humanitarian Award"; Sacha Baron Cohen with the "Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy"; and Benedict Cumberbatch with the "Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year."
"This partnership with BAFTA LA and Jaguar aims to highlight the increasing appreciation for British innovation in everything from the entertainment and fashion worlds to luxury goods and automobiles," said Jeff Curry, Brand Vice President, Jaguar North America. "We look forward to partnering with BAFTA LA to promote British excellence in the entertainment industry on both sides of the Atlantic and to celebrate the tremendous talent of the evening's remarkable honorees."
Jaguar will be showcasing its presence at the JaguarBritannia Awards through several activations taking place throughout the famed Beverly Hilton's grounds. The brand's own star of the night will be the recently launched 2014 Jaguar F-TYPE, a return to the company's heart: a two-seat, convertible sports car and a continuation of a sporting bloodline that stretches back more than 75 years. A series of F-TYPE cars including, in true British fashion, several which are to be Union Jack emblazoned, will be on display. Assuring the evening's honorees arrive in style, sleek Jaguar XJ sedans will chauffeur them to the event.
The awards are presented annually at a gala dinner where peers and colleagues celebrate the work and accomplishments of distinguished honorees. Proceeds from the gala ceremony support BAFTA Los Angeles' on-going education, scholarship, community outreach and archival projects. The awards will air on national TV on Sunday, November 10, 2013 on BBC America.
Jaguar is a premier manufacturer of luxury sedans and sports cars offering unparalleled design with tremendous performance. The company's vision throughout its storied history has been simple: To produce beautiful, fast cars that are desired the world over. Jaguar strives to provide a world class ownership experience to every owner. Today's Jaguar lineup consists of the XJ luxury sedan, XF sports sedan, the XK Coupe and Convertible sports cars and the two-seater F-TYPE. Jaguar designs, engineers and manufactures exclusively in the United Kingdom, at the Castle Bromwich manufacturing plant in the British Midlands. Jaguar is fully engaged with sustainability initiatives and social concerns with continuous involvement in environmental and community programs. For more information visit the official Jaguar website at http://www.jaguarusa.com.
The United States is one of the leading global markets for both Jaguar and Land Rover
Jaguar Land Rover employs 25 000 people and sells vehicles in 170 countries around the world
Jaguar Land Rover has two state of the art engineering and design facilities and three advanced manufacturing plants in the UK
In the 2012/13 fiscal year, Jaguar Land Rover has reported revenues of $23.8 billion, up 17% year on year ($20.4 billion last year)
Jaguar Land Rover has test facilities across the USA in the following states: California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Washington D.C.
Headquartered in Mahwah, New Jersey in the United States, Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC has offices across the USA and Canada. Jaguar Land Rover has offices in the following locations: California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Washington D.C.
Jaguar Land Rover is represented by more than 330 independently operated retail outlets in the USA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles is the only Anglo-American professional organization founded to promote and advance original work in film, television and interactive media. BAFTA Los Angeles serves as the bridge between the Hollywood and British production and entertainment business communities, and provides exclusive access to screenings, Q&As with creative talent, produces seminars with leading UK film and television executives and the Heritage Archive, featuring broadcast-quality interviews with distinguished British members of the film and television industries, giving life to the preservation of the UK film industry for future generations.
Maintaining a long tradition of recognizing the finest filmmaking and television talent, BAFTA Los Angeles hosts a series of events, including the prestigious Britannia Awards, the Awards Season Film and Television Tea Parties in January and September and the annual Garden Party.
A commitment to professional and community education is at the heart of the Academy’s charitable remit. BAFTA Los Angeles hosts the Student Film Awards and has an active Scholarship Program offering financial support and mentorship to UK students studying in the U.S. The Academy created The Inner City Cinema, a screening program providing free screenings of theatrical films to inner city areas not served by theatres. The success of Inner City Cinema has led to further free screening programs extended to multiple inner city parks through the Academy’s work with both the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks After Dark) and The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (Teen Summer Camps).
Broadcast to Air on BBC AMERICA
November 10, 2013 9:00pm ET
Los Angeles, October 22, 2013 -- The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles® (BAFTA Los Angeles) is pleased to announce that award winning actor and comedian Rob Brydon will host the 2013 BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards presented by BBC AMERICA. In addition, BAFTA LA will honor Golden Globe® Award winning and Emmy nominated actor, Idris Elba, with the BAFTA LA Britannia Humanitarian Award at the 2013 BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards on Saturday, November 9, 2013 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. For the second year in a row, the BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards will be broadcast on BBC AMERICA, airing in primetime November 10 at 9:00pm ET and on the U.K.’s Sky Movies on November 11, as a two-hour special including footage of the Britannia Awards Red Carpet.
Brydon is an award winning actor, writer and producer including four BAFTA TV Award nominations, two British Comedy Awards, and a Royal Television Society award. Rob Brydon MBE studied at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama before joining BBC Wales as a radio and television presenter. He first came to the public’s attention in 2000 with television shows “Marion and Geoff” and “Human Remains,” winning British Comedy Awards for both. Since then his extensive credits have included ”I’m Alan Partridge,” “Little Britain,” “Live at the Apollo,” “Rob Brydon’s Annually Retentive,” “QI,” “Have I Got News For You,” “Rob Brydon’s Identity Crisis,” “Would I Lie To You?” and BAFTA award winning BBC AMERICA series “Gavin and Stacey” where he played the lead role of Stacey’s Uncle Bryn. In 2009, Rob completed an eighty seven date tour of the UK with his stand up show, Rob Brydon Live, including a run in London’s West End. Rob returned to the stage in the Autumn of 2011 alongside Kenneth Branagh in The Painkiller at The Lyric in Belfast. In the Autumn of 2012, Rob made his West End debut in Alan Ayckbourn’s celebrated A Chorus of Disapproval directed by Sir Trevor Nunn. Rob has recently reteamed with Steve Coogan and Michael Winterbottom for the theatrical film “The Trip to Italy,” a follow up to the “The Trip,” which Brydon acted in and is scheduled for release in 2014.
“We’re really delighted that Rob will be hosting this year’s Britannia Awards. Rob has brought TV viewers wonderful performances over the years and is probably best known in the US from his roles in the hit comedies ‘Marion and Geoff’ and ‘Gavin & Stacey’. As one of the most diverse and respected comic actors in the UK, we are thrilled Rob will bring his wonderful Brit wit to the evening,” said Rebecca Segal & Deborah Kolar, Co-Chairs Britannia Awards.
The Britannia Awards are BAFTA Los Angeles’ highest accolade, a celebration of achievements honoring individuals and companies that have dedicated their careers to advancing the entertainment arts. Idris Elba will receive The BAFTA LA Britannia Humanitarian Award. Idris Elba is a Golden Globe® award winning and Emmy nominated actor, producer, director, humanitarian and an anti-crime ambassador for the Prince’s Trust. Elba constantly showcases his creative versatility both on-screen in television and film as well as behind the camera and continues to captivate audiences and secure his position as a formidable talent, with a string of acclaimed performances in high-profile films as well as multiple critically acclaimed television series. Elba’s charitable work off-set is just as commendable as his acting accolades which includes his devout involvement with the Prince’s Trust, Staying Alive Foundation and supporting causes related to AIDS & HIV, at-risk/disadvantage youths, children, health and education.
“Idris Elba has used his success in film and television to turn the spotlight towards a very deserving cause. His work with the Prince’s Trust for disadvantaged youth is highly commendable, and in complete accord with BAFTA Los Angeles’ own work in the inner city,” said Gary Dartnall, Chairman, BAFTA Los Angeles.
The Britannia Humanitarian Award has previously recognized Richard Curtis, Don Cheadle and Colin Firth. Elba is being honored for his work with the UK charity The Prince’s Trust, founded in 1976 by Prince Charles to help disadvantaged youth. The recipient of a grant from The Prince’s Trust himself, Elba was able to attend The National Youth Music Theatre at the age of 16; something he credits with changing his life. Starting his work with the Trust as an anti-crime ambassador, Elba helped launch ‘Prince’s Trust Undiscovered’ campaign, aiming to help young people caught in the recession.
He will join previously announced honorees Benedict Cumberbatch, who will receive the Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year; Sacha Baron Cohen, who will receive the Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy; George Clooney, who will receive the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film; Kathryn Bigelow, who will receive the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing; and Sir Ben Kingsley who will receive the Albert R. Broccoli Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Entertainment.
The Britannia Awards are presented annually at a gala dinner, where peers and colleagues celebrate the work and accomplishments of the year’s distinguished honorees. Proceeds from the gala ceremony support BAFTA Los Angeles’ on-going education, scholarship, community outreach and archival projects.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles is the only Anglo-American professional organization founded to promote and advance original work in film, television and interactive media. BAFTA Los Angeles serves as the bridge between the Hollywood and British production and entertainment business communities, and provides exclusive access to screenings, Q&As with creative talent, produces seminars with leading UK film and television executives and the Heritage Archive, featuring broadcast-quality interviews with distinguished British members of the film and television industries, giving life to the preservation of the UK film industry for future generations.
Maintaining a long tradition of recognizing the finest filmmaking and television talent, BAFTA Los Angeles hosts a series of events, including the prestigious Britannia Awards, the Awards Season Film and Television Tea Parties in January and September and the annual Garden Party.
A commitment to professional and community education is at the heart of the Academy’s charitable remit. BAFTA Los Angeles hosts the Student Film Awards and has an active Scholarship Program offering financial support and mentorship to UK students studying in the U.S. The Academy created The Inner City Cinema, a screening program providing free screenings of theatrical films to inner city areas not served by theatres. The success of Inner City Cinema has led to further free screening programs extended to multiple inner city parks through the Academy’s work with both the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks After Dark) and The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (Teen Summer Camps).
BBC AMERICA delivers U.S. audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including two Emmy® Awards, five Golden Globes® and eleven Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable’s most affluent and educated audiences and is available on cable and satellite TV in more than 80.4 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist. Find out more by following us on www.twitter.com/bbcamerica.
Beyond being the tag line for Kimberly Pierce's 2013 take on Stephen King's classic horror novel Carrie--memorably, enduringly first brought to film in 1976 by director Brian DePalma and star Sissy Spacek--"You will know her name" can also fit as a mission statement the last few years for its teenage star, Chloë Grace Moretz. With films such as Martin Scorsese's Academy Award-winning Hugo and the cult favorite superhero franchise Kick-Ass under her belt the last few, short years, she has not only established herself as one of the leading talents in her age range but is quickly emerging as one of the most recognizable and respected actresses in any demographic. On Friday, October 4, Moretz sat down for a roundtable interview in Beverly Hills to discuss taking on not only an iconic story and character of the titular meek, bullied, telekinetic teen scorned once too many, but perhaps an even more legendary individual scene in the history of movies. (Note: spoilers follow for anyone not familiar with any version of Carrie, whether onfilm or on the page.)
Did you have any previous familiarity with the previous feature film version of
Carrie before taking on the role?
It's a funny story because I saw the first film when I was filming Let Me In with Kodi Smit-McPhee. We watched it together for the first time, and we're both at the time like 12 or something. My mom was like, "I actually don't know if this is the most appropriate movie you should be watching, Chloë," and I'm like, "Yeah, whatever." [laughs] I fell in love with the story. DePalma made such a brilliant movie; he really did adapt King's book very well. I think he was a lot less linear to the book than our movie is, but DePalma really took his own instinct and ran with it and did such a beautiful piece of work.
What do you think distinguishes this version of Carrie from the previousones?
I think what it was on [Kimberly Peirce's] side was not to copy camera angles, not to copy exact look, not to copy exact blood dump. My big thing was that I'm never going to be doing this. [recreates Sissy Spacek's arms-down stance in the 1976 film] I'm never going to be doing that iconic thing that she did because it's too obvious. I'm going to keep my hands above my waist at all times, although if they are here I'm not going to be doing that symbol, because everyone knows that's the iconic Sissy Spacek, and we both agreed on that. And we wanted to kind of keep the mannerisms away from that so we were able to put our own spin on it because I wanted to be original. What we really did was just have the book there on set every day, and we compared page in the script to page in the book.
How does Carrie's relationship with her overprotective mother Margaret compare with your own relationship with your mother?
Well, my mom doesn't throw me in the closet and doesn't hit me with Bibles. [laughs] My mom is honestly one of the most amazing moms, but I think what she and Margaret have in common is that they love their child very, very, very much. And I think that is what was so cool about [co-star] Julianne's [Moore] take on the character because Julianne brought such a sense of love and endearment to the character. So no matter how hard she's hitting Carrie, she'll always go back into the closet and braid her hair and say, "I love you"--and you can see in Margaret's eyes that she wants nothing but a good and a safe environment for her daughter because she knows what could happen. She knows she's kept her daughter living under a rock, and she knows they're going to laugh at her. But at the end of the day, there's a twist in the fact that she's thinking that if they do laugh at her, at least she'll come back to her and she can be her haven. She kind of wants that but doesn't want that because she always wants to be her God. That's Margaret, and my mom is the type of mom who'll give me enough space to mess up, but she's like, "The minute you do, that's when I'll reel everything back in. But I'm going to give you enough space and enough time to make your own decisions and to form your own ideas and solutions to problems that happen in everyday life."
What was your first reaction to seeing yourself covered in blood in the prom dress?
I actually cracked up. [laughs] The first time we did it, it took two and a half hours to put all the blood on, so I kind of saw Carrie being made in front of my eyes. And we had this bust of my face that was a total cast. On Dark Shadows, I was a werewolf, and we had a cast of my face from movie, and they bought the cast for Carrie, and they had my face lying there all day. So the blood drips, that was a very strategic thing that they had mapped out in pre-production, so it was all a transfer. So I wish it was a bit more shocking since I saw the transfer go on, and I was sticky and tired. But I think that was the moment when I knew I was doing Carrie. That was the real moment I went, "All right, I'm actually doing Carrie. I am Carrie, covered with blood."
Did you have to remember not to touch your face when you were sticky and tired?
Yeah, I actually had a huge problem with that because I would start peeling [the blood] off my skin. They're little transfers, like tattoo transfers that you but on your body with water and everything, all over. So we do a base of that, and then we go over it with these bottles of blood, different colors of blood, and drip them on my body and rub it in with thick smoke and mud. I would like live in [the serial killer TV series] Dexter--clear plastic everywhere with blue tape, really disgusting looking with blood everywhere. [laughs] My trailer was covered in blood. But my car was the funniest because between takes, it was so cold outside, I'd run to my car and try and warm up, but then the blood would get hot, and it would cake onto my skin and get all tacky. And if I put my hand on there and left it for like a minute and pulled it off, it would just rip my skin off because it was so sticky. So I had to stop myself from wanting to just peel it off as it got warm and it covered with a cakeiness that was sticky like maple syrup.
Did you and the crew feel pressure on recreating such an iconic scene?
I think [the crew] was more terrified than I was because at the end of the day I was the actor who had to stand there and get it dumped on me. But I think they did something like 50 or 60 or 70 blood tests with one girl, dropping the blood every day, like five times a day, trying to figure out what height, what air pressure, do they drop it from a real bucket or do they use a compressed thing, what gives you the best splatter, different types of blood. We had to do two takes, first take one night, then a whole other night, to do it, one take [each day]. That's all they had for that entire blood drop. Then they're going, if we don't get this right, we're done, you know what I mean? It was two different [scene] set-ups each night, so if we don't get that first set-up right, we can't do it again, so you're screwed. It was being able for me to just walk on set and be super chill, I'm like, "Cool, whatever happens, happens." You know? "I'm good guys; don't worry about me." They were all so stressed out like, [in frantic tone] "OK, the camera's here, and the camera's here, and then we have this dropping, and then this is your head, and we don't know what we're going to do because it's a four-hour turnaround..." And I'm like, "OK, guys; calm down." [laughs] My only thing is I don't want to see anyone counting like one, two, three; I don't want to hear anything happening. I just want to be completely in the moment, smiling, happy, like I just won prom queen, and just whatever happens, happens. Then for me what was hard was knowing that after the blood hit, you then have to keep going on with the scene. So we didn't just like, blood hits, cut, you're done. It was like, blood hits, then follow it through for about five minutes and do the entire scene--which is really long. It's a really long time period. It was so funny because right after that first blood drop, Ansel [Elgort, who plays Carrie's prom date Tommy] looked at each other, and we started cracking up, and we hugged each other, and everyone was like, "NO!!!" because our blood got all over each other. [laughs] And he just slipped and fell right on the ground, and then I was slipping... it was ridiculous.
Do you think kids of every generation will always relate to the character of Carrie?
I think so. i think everyone's dealt with things that Carrie's dealt with, and you'll always have a heart for Carrie because she at the end of the day is a naive girl. Everyone has those moments where things just go right over their head and you're like, " I know that you're all laughing at me, but I don't know why you're laughing at me. It's an interesting character to play.
How do you most personally relate most to Carrie?
The naivete i think was my main thing. I have been home schooled since i was 9 years old, and in the scheme of what my friends are accustomed to in everyday life and what i'm accustomed to in everyday life, I live in a different way than them. I live in a very sheltered bubble. I'm always with my brother and my mom; I always have my little group around me. I don't interact with a ton of other kids my age all the time, and I kind of live in my little area. But they interact with hundreds of kids every day, and they deal with way more drama and way more hate and way more love than I do, in that sense with people that aren't your family. So what I think I kind of attach with Carrie is that she doesn't know that world of teenagers, and it's the one place that I don't feel comfortable. When I'm with a bunch of teenagers I don't know what I'm doing. [laughs] It is not my safe zone. [laughs] So I think that's where I really was able to connect with Carrie.
Carrie opens in cinemas nationwide today, Friday, October 18, from MGM and Screen Gems.
While ultimately centered on one woman's search into her romantic past to find her matrimonial match within a month, David E. Talbert's film of his novelBaggage Claim a wide-ranging canvas of colorful characters played by a large and impressive cast. So who better than to describe such characters (in every sense) and the appeal of the project as a whole than their portrayers, most of whom offered their thoughts at a press conference in Beverly Hills on Saturday, August 17.
On Montana Moore and her journey
"When we first meet her, she’s so hopeful. She thinks she’s met the man of her dreams, and she’s going to get married, and then... she’s not. It’s sad, and then as she’s dealing with her sadness, boom! Her younger sister comes in and says, ‘I’m getting married in a month,’ and she knows because of her mom how important marriage is, and how becoming a wife means becoming a lady to her family. So with a heartbreak, that mother, and her cute litle younger sister with a big ol' diamond ring, that has now sent her over the edge. She’s dressing for each man, she’s trying to be the right fit for each person, but the thing is that she has something in her constitution that just won’t let her compromise that much. She’s like, 'I’m willing to take another step in that direction, but I just can’t do it.' What’s beautiful about this romantic comedy, I think, is that there’s two happy endings. There’s one happy ending of a woman who stands up to her family and says, 'I don’t care what you think anymore, and from this journey I've come to love myself, and I’m OK with that.' And of course, like life, the moment that you no longer need a man, then the one comes--or a few of them--and there’s the second happy ending. But I thought in this modern world we live in, it was so important--David and I talked about this a lot--that Montana finds her own happiness before that moment because I think people are very tough on women. It’s not enough that you have a successful career, and you volunteer, and you take care of all of your nieces and nephews--'Do you have a man; do you have a child?" [It's] as if none of that matters unless you are married with a child. And that’s unfortunate; men don’t go up against that. We want the happy ending; it’s an amazing thing when you find the right person to share your life with, but if you’re just finding somebody just so you can fit in or so you can say, ‘I did it'--that’s why there’s so much divorce, quite frankly. I think what’s beautiful is at the end of the day the man she meets is the man that knows about all her baggage, he knows her number, and he loves her in spite of it all." --Paula Patton
On Catherine, Montana's much-married mother
"What David gave me in this film was a true arc to my character. Every character has an arc, but this meant so much because Catherine came out of the gate so desperate and dysfunctional. When you're not really paying attention to what your children are saying to you, there's something deeply wrong--and especially from a woman who has been married five times herself. But she has the arc where she comes around. This worked because of David E. Talbert and the chemistry I had with [the actresses playing] my two daughters; it was very special. This is my 63rd movie, and I'll never forget it. David gave me one of my best performances." --Jenifer Lewis
On Sheree, Montana's recently betrothed younger sister
"With her mother being such a hopeless romantic, I think she just wanted to make her mother proud, and that is what their mother thinks is success: getting married and having men support you and give you security. But I liked that she was just infused with joy. She was so bubbly and happy, so innocent and vulnerable and just open, and that was fun for me to play." --Lauren London
On William, Montana's neighbor and longtime best friend
"I was sent a different role, for one of the different guys, and when I read William, I just kind of connected. I think I related to William because every day as an actor you get to meet and talk to men on every level, from every hood, from every suburb, and the things that men say to me I don’t hear sometimes in publications. Men of color, black men--they are very vulnerable, what they think, how they feel. I always want to sow a good seed on film. So many people have given me a chance to roll; I feel like in that chance I just want to inspire. My mom groomed me 'as William,' so I had to play him. --Derek Luke
On Quinton, Montana's successful, world-travelling suitor
"I think the western countries still view Africans as men in loincloths chasing gazelles. That's okay too, but we're also elegant, urbane, and a great number of Africans are entrepreneurs. So that was important for me to convey. The concept of looking at Africans as if we're way behind the western world is quite false. So I wanted to bring that to a western audience, to open people's eyes about Africa and Africans." --Djimon Hounsou
On Gail, Montana's vivacious friend and co-worker
"Typically I play characters who have a lot of emotional baggage or stress. Gail is really carefree; she's a little loose. I thought that would be fun to play; I wanted to have fun. So when I read the script, David and I came up with a lot of different ideas on what she's going to look like. The first one was lots of cleavage." --Jill Scott
On Cedric, airport security guard
"Here’s the thing about TSA agents: they think they are a cross between junior cops and secret service. It ain’t that serious any of the time. I went to the islands, Trinidad and Tobago, to celebrate my birthday, and I came back through Miami, and I tell you the TSA people there in customs are on speed. The line was at least 45 minutes long just to get past all of that, and this dude was like, ‘Ma'am, my flight is leaving in 30 minutes; is there a way to get past the line?’ She was like, ‘No. Wait in line; you’re going to miss that flight. I hope you didn’t have important plans.’ She really did that in front of everybody. So that’s Cedric in a nutshell." --Affion Crockett
On Tanya, distracted airline counter agent
"My dad actually is a flight attendant. So I just thought about the stories--some of them I could never repeat--that my dad tells me that happens on airplanes and in the airport. I kind of brought some of that into my character. We've all been with those people at the airport where we're rushing, and they could care less." --LaLa Anthony
On Janine, hysterical lover of one of Montana's exes
"I think I scared my husband! I just put myself in the situation, how I would feel if I was being cheated on, and I just let it go; I had no hesitations at all. David was amazing; he was throwing things at me to say and do. It was a lot of improv, and I just had a lot of fun with it." --Tia Mowry
On the draw of the film
"The romantic comedy has been done so many times over and over, and David actually found a new way of presenting the story." --Taye Diggs, who plays Langston, Montana's politically ambitious ex
"The thing I really like about the movie is the fact that there were five eligible good guys who could end up with the prize. Also the way David writes is very non-stereotypical, which I love. He painted the picture of different characters that were different from we're used to seeing, and any time we can expand the horizon and show us in diverse lights--I'm up for it." --Boris Kodjoe, who plays Graham, Montana's man of her dreams
