‘Swing Vote’: Talking Movies, Politics with Kevin Costner
By Emily Christianson, Hollywood.com Staff
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Monday, August 04, 2008
HW: Madeline Carroll is just starting out in this business. Could you relate to her at all?
KC: We have one thing that's really in common. I remember when my first big break happened to me. It was on The Big Chill and it's this kind of thing where you feel like the wheels are in motion and it's a gigantic secret because there's no one like this around, that movie is going to take a year to come out and in the instance of The Big Chill for me I actually never appeared. I was obviously cut out. But I knew at that moment that it had happened for me, and I think that Madeline had been doing smaller parts, some commercials or doing whatever she was doing, but this role was a really significant role. I think one of the reasons that Madeline's as good as she is, is because she has an awareness of what's in front of her. She knew that she had an opportunity to score in this movie, and you did.
HW: You were wearing multiple hats on this film including star and producer. Now, we here you were practicing with your band until 2 a.m. every night.
KC: [Laughs] It's a pretty cool life, huh. I think you forgot that we financed it too…This movie wasn't going to be made because it was determined that it didn't have an upside economically in the foreign markets. I wasn't going to argue. Our standing in the world community is such, it was argued that no one wants to see a movie about an American election because a lot of people aren't very happy with us. But I had the same thing thrown at me on Bull Durham. It didn't have an upside. Field of Dreams didn't have an upside. But I don't think that's reason enough to not make a movie. So I did wear a lot of hats…Performing [with my band] is something that fills me up and when I'm being creative I feel like I'm at my best.