Director Mark Rydell, whose new TNT film James Dean debuts 8 p.m. EST Sunday, Aug. 5, has helmed such gems as On Golden Pond, and knows a thing or two about Hollywood. But have his opinions on big-screen productions soured over the years?
Rydell, hard at work in Los Angeles, spoke about Tinseltown, James Dean, newcomer James Franco, and how most of what you see on the silver screen these days is “pure junk.”
Mark, how are ya these days?
Rydell: My God–busy. [Laughs] I’ve got a stack of movie scripts to go through this afternoon.
Excited about the movie’s debut?
Rydell: Actually, we already premiered it on the big screen the other night. Seven or eight hundred people. The response to it has been extraordinary.
It’s a different sort of biopic than we’ve seen. Not just because of the content but because of the way you structure the story. You begin with a scene from East of Eden, then jump back to Dean‘s childhood. Why the decision to do that?
Rydell: It shapes the film. Seeing him in that scene–emotional, weeping–then flashing back to him as a child…it shows he’s this tortured guy right from the beginning, then you see why. You see how traumatic his childhood was. The father-son relationship.
Or lack thereof.
Rydell: Yes! Exactly. Lack thereof.
You used to know James Dean from working together on a ’50s TV show. You’ve called him “quirky” before. Did James Franco capture that aspect of Dean?
Rydell: Absolutely. He comes off as very temperamental and troubled, yet charming in a way, ya know? Dean was told he was worthless from a very young age. Franco managed to show how needy a guy Jimmy really was.
Speaking of Franco, you’ve worked with young, talented stars who have gone on to win Oscars, such as Tom Hanks. Is Franco on a similar path?
Rydell: If he can keep his head, he’ll be as big as Jimmy Stewart or Monty Clift. I have no doubt about it. His possibilities are unlimited. As long he learns how to handle life.
I know such actors as Leo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt were interested in this role. But you definitely sound confident in your choice.
Rydell: Yeah, I really felt he was perfect. He just stunned us all. It was miraculous that he came to us.
The film depicts a more tortured soul than we’ve seen in the past. Will this movie change the public’s perception of Dean?
Rydell: I hope so. It would be good for people to understand this man. He was a genius. I did not want to glamorize him–but to reveal him. To tell the truth.
Was making this picture–a made-for-TV movie–any different for you than with big-screen productions?
Rydell: No, not for me. Really, it’s not a TV movie, ya know? Didn’t feel any different at all.
As for Dean himself, what lessons about the man do you most want viewers to learn?
Rydell: Just to understand him. That’s it. So many things have been done about Jimmy, but he still doesn’t receive the respect he deserved. He was an excellent actor, but he was just, just–doomed, though.
What sort of films will you be tackling in the near future?
Rydell: Well, I’ve got a pile of scripts on my desk. One is about Monty Clift, actually. But it all depends on the quality of the scripts, not just the subject matter, ya know?
Staying on the small screen or moving on?
Rydell: Hey, if television is where the quality is, then that’s where you’ll find me. Television, I think, is a better place to work right now anyway, ya know? I mean, you’ve got HBO, TNT, Showtime–they’re all doing better work than what you see on the large screen. On the large screen, they substitute explosions for drama. It’s junk. The studios, they’re all in horrendous competition for bucks. Their versions of drama look like cartoons to me.
So I don’t suppose I should ask, “Seen any good movies lately?”
Rydell: [Laughs] Yes, you should! I mean, there are good, quality pictures out there. I’ve seen several this year. Ben Kingsley had a wonderful movie out called Sexy Beast–you just didn’t see it in theaters, did you? And there was Divided We Fall and With a Friend Like Harry. Excellent. But there’s no distribution. Nobody can go see them. Instead, you get this junk on all the screens. Pure junk. It’s all greed. A real shame.
