Summary
Edward Burnsis an underrated and prolific auteur filmmaker born out of the early ’90s indie school.
Since then, Burns has written, produced, and directed a grand total of fourteen feature films.
His latest,Millers in Marriage,had its world premiere at this year’sToronto International Film Festival.
Image via TIFF
you might watch the full interview from TIFF in the video above or read the conversation transcript below.
EDWARD BURNS: It’s a look at three married couples who are all in their 50s.
They happen to be related.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
I always love hearing about how stories evolve along the way.
BURNS: Originally, it centered around three sisters-in-law.
That, at some point, I changed, and I can’t really remember why.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
I find that stuff so interesting.
BURNS: Oh, I love that idea!
That would be interesting.
Image via DreamWorks
Or if you do have something to say, does anybody care?
Can you get your novel published?
Will the gallery show your art?
Can you get your film financed?
My peer group, a lot of us, are all wrestling with those questions.
Maybe the character that I play, even though I play a contemporary artist.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
There is that moment where he’s just wondering, can he still find an audience?
You mentioned you don’t suffer from writer’s block.
So, yeah, acting is a weird thing.
Image via Paramount Pictures
Sometimes you’re free to get in your head about it.
You asked, how do you work your way through it?
You just kind of have to get out of your head sometimes.
Image by Photagonist at TIFF
That, I think, is why we were able to put together this ensemble.
The little tiny things that we’re all wrestling with.
I think that’s what they gravitated towards.
Someone you hadn’t thought about but then wanted to jump in?
BURNS: I think Patrick Wilson.
Would you ever consider this?
Because, again, it’s an ensemble, so it’s not huge parts.
It stressed me out way more than I thought it would to see him play mean like that.
BURNS: And he said, I’ve never done that before.
I really want to.
There are a million different techniques out there.
Every technique is the right technique as long as it isyourtechnique.
Patrick is more like after every take, he kind of wants to explore.
I kind of dig what was happening.
Would you be okay if we explored that a little bit more?
So, that was fun for me.
And again, I’d worked with Patrick before, so I knew he kind of likes that.
Then I would say Julianna is such a professional.
She’s so good.
I haven’t gotten to work with an ensemble like this.
And Campbell Scott, too.
You know, the color of the couch, the color of the walls.
Can we make the day?
BURNS: Benjamin Bratt brought a vulnerability to that character that I didn’t see in the screenplay.
And I think Julianna’s character, the idea that she was a little icier than I originally thought.
I cant remember if we discussed it with her, but like Mary Tyler Moore’s character inOrdinary People.
BURNS: It’s kind of the same thing.
I made three movies before I got to act inSaving Private Ryan.
We ended up doing, like, nine takes.
So at lunch, we went to him and said, What happened today?
Why did you, today, give us some feedback?
And he goes, Well, because today you didn’t know what the hell you were doing.
And then he went on to explain.
He’s like, Look, I cast you guys for a reason.
That changed my approach moving forward.
People warm up at a different pace.
So, that’s what I do now.
Can we slow down?
With a cast like this, quite honestly, theres very little directing.
Spielberg’s been Oscar-nominated over the course of six decades, but how do his recognized films compare?
The industry has changed considerably, especially in recent years.
BURNS: I don’t know.
I’ve made, as you know, a number of microbudget movies.
Especially with how high certain numbers are nowadays.
BURNS: Even for a contemporary drama like this.
So, I don’t really know.
The business has never been easy.
So, the business has always been tricky.
People just don’t go to the theater the way they used to.
BURNS: We always used to come up with our lists of compromises.
So with that partnership means there are gonna be certain compromises you have to make.
So, are you comfortable with those compromises?
The micro-budget compromises are a little different.
So depending on the screenplay, you have to decide, what compromises are you willing to make?
Then you go micro-budget.
It was just like, Who do you like?
You’ve worked with so many of the best of the best as far as actors go.
BURNS: Again, I was very lucky, right?
Edward Burns Talks Golf, Ireland, and ‘Finnegan’s Foursome.’
Are you able to tell me who you cast in those roles and if they had to be golfers?
BURNS: It went great.
We just came back from Ireland two weeks ago.
It was really a special experience.
So, me and Brian dArcy James play the brothers.
Brian is inMillers, as well, and I’ve worked with Brian a bunch of times.
He is so funny in this movie.
And then his daughter is played by Erica Hernandez, who was in my showBridge and Tunnel.
Shes got a great voice but could not play golf, so she had to do pretty extensive training.
Learn how to properly swing.
And she had some dance training.
So we did that, and her swing looks gorgeous.
That’s a wild inciting incident.
BURNS: We’re not as pro.
One more question about this one.
What isyourpersonal greatest strength and weakness as a golfer?
BURNS: Weakness is getting off the box.
I can hit it far, and I don’t have a consistent miss.
So, I can hook it, I can slice it.
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