Archive for Film Commentary

I remember the casting process for this film. A dear friend of mine, by the name of Seymour Casell, flew me out so I could audition for this film. Thank you Seymour. I’ve never forgotten that kindness.

I remember the audition being very stressful, as the director wanted to see what happened when he really pushed my buttons the wrong way. I guess he got what we wanted, as I got the part! It was great working with Andy Garcia. He is a very intense actor and great to work with. He has a great sense of humor and treats his fellow cast members and crew with much respect.

Gary Fleder, the director, was also great to work with and I was surprised at his professionalism, being that he was still so young at the time. He has since gone on to become very successful in his career, and we have remained friends. I didn’t have very many scenes in this film, but funnily enough many of my fans seem to love this performance, and think of it as one of my best. I had to lose a bunch of weight for it, which wasn’t easy, but i did it and it worked for the part. I had a great time, and I’m glad that I did it.

I know that this film is one of my fans favorite films, performance wise. I think that a lot of folks could relate to my character. She embodies the essence of teenage angst, and the anger that some of us go through, when we find out that life is not all wine and roses.

I have had many people come up to me and thank me for my work in this film. They say things like, “Your character got me through high school”. When I ask how, they say either “Well, I was a very different kid. I hated high school, and I had a really hard time there. Seeing how strong she was, and how she rose above it all inspired me”, or “your character helped me get away from my abusive parents”.

These kind of statements blow me away. This is one of the reasons film is such a powerful medium. Through all the ups and downs of dedicating my life to acting, it is finding out things like these that really make me proud, and help me to know that I am following the right path.

This was a difficult film to make, as here were so any special effects. Also, character wise, it took a lot of concentrated energy. Playing a true psychotic is challenging. Thats why I did it.

Working with Wim Wenders was a lifetime goal of mine, and when I got the part in this film, I think I danced around the room for at least a week.

A living legend, Wim is uncontestedly one of the greatest directors of all time. He is brilliant and an amazing human being. Someone I love very dearly. Getting to work with Sam Shepherd and Jessica Lange, Tim Roth and Gabriel Mann was a honor and a treat.

We had a really good time on this show. We shot it in Butte, Montana. A strange and yet beautiful place. It is a town that time forgot. It was one of, if not the first town to have electricity in that part of the country. It had once been a booming mining town, but when the mines were closed down, the town was kind of abandoned. When you go there now it is as if time simply stopped. All of the buildings are just as they were at the turn of the century. There is a very odd and mysterious light in that place. A very small population and packs of wild dogs run wild on the empty streets. Its very cool.

Wim is a great director to work with. He is wonderful with actors and shoots for the thing I love most in acting-realism. I am a HUGE fan of his work. Particularly, “Wings of Desire” and “Paris Texas”.