Transcript
I wanted to write a character who I felt reflected some of my worst tendencies. I'm compulsive Googler. I love to see what people are doing. So, what was it like working with Charlize and Patrick?
Well, Charlize just give a tour de force performance in this movie, and it's really a privilege to watch her, because it's amazing to see this incredibly stunning person with perfect DNA transform herself into someone who's kind of haggard and pitiful at times. So I mean that is a feat. Patrick Wilson is incredible in this movie as this guy that she is obsessed with from high school and it is such a deceptively simple performance, he's amazing.
Patten Oswald is I think it's the best work I've ever seen him doing. He's really the heart of the movie. I mean it's just there's a lot of great performances in here.
And high school themes seem like a right territory for you. What is it about that is so compelling.
It's funny this, I tried to answer that question with this movie. because I, like Mavis, the character in Young Adult, I write about teenagers, too, and I've often wondered why I'm so drawn to those stories, and sometimes I think it's because I haven't grown up myself. So, I wanted to write a character who, I felt, reflected some of my worst tendencies.
Do you ever wonder about any of your old high school peers or ever want to reconnect with any of them?
Wonder's an understatement. I'm a compulsive googler. I love to see what people are doing and I haven't known why that is. I feel like I should be able to move on, but when that information is accessible it's hard to.
And Facebook has made it a lot easier too.
Too easy.
Tell me, like what were you like in high school?
You know like most people, I was one of the in between kids. I was, I had a lot of friends, but I wasn't what you think of as the popular girl. I played in a band. You know, I was kind of the outspoken class clown, more outgoing than I am now, weirdly enough, but yeah, I had a good time.
So, would you put yourself in any category? You know, there are always, like, the cool kids, like you said, like the geeks, the band I don't know if this is a thing anymore. But in 1995 it was I was what you would call an alternative kid. Dyeing your hair with Kool-Aid.
Do you have any other projects coming up soon?
I do, I'm going to direct at the end of February. I wrote wrote a new script about a young girl who's very innocent and sheltered and she goes on this personal odyssey to Vegas to try to figure out who she is. What she wants from the world. And is this also high school themed or a little bit younger or older?
It's not. Twenties. Twenties? Yeah. Which is actually, now that I think about it, it's the first time I think I've written about a twenty-something so it should be interesting.
