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Interview with Cheryl Hines
Cheryl Hines’ directorial debut “Serious Moonlight” kicks off the Austin Film Festival at 7 tonight at the Paramount Theatre. (Tickets are still available.) It’s the regional premiere of the very dark comedy, which stars Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton, Justin Long and Kristen Bell.
Hines, best known as Larry David’s long-suffering wife on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” was approached to direct the movie after she co-starred in the quirky 2007 comedy “Waitress,” which was written and directed by and co-starred Adrienne Shelly.
Shelly was tragically murdered before the film was released, and she left behind other scripts, including “Serious Moonlight.” Shelly’s husband Andy Ostroy, knowing how well Hines clicked with Shelly and her comic vision, asked Hines to direct the movie.
We chatted with Hines today right after a panel she participated in at the Screenwriters Conference and a couple hours before the “Serious Moonlight” premiere, where Hines will answer questions afterward.
How are big premieres like this for you? Are they nerve-wracking?
Hines: It is nerve-wracking. Just sitting there wondering if the audience is going to like it. I find film festivals to be a very warm place. People are usually so accepting and excited about filmmaking, and they’re excited to see a film that other people haven’t seen yet, so it’s really fun. That said, it feels like I’m going to have a heart attack every time the film starts rolling. … The movie has played maybe four other festivals, and the reception has been unbelievable. We premiered it at Tribeca and there were a thousand people in the audience and I thought I was literally going to pass out before it started. It was unlike anything I’ve felt before. But just hearing everybody laugh, hearing people gasp, is so rewarding.
Why did the producers approach you to direct, even though you’d never directed a feature before?
“Serious Moonlight” has a very unique tone to it. It’s dark, it’s funny — it’s odd. It’s about a woman who finds out her husband is cheating, so she holds him hostage until he loves her again. And he says that would take a miracle for that to happen. There are moments that are violent, funny and dark. So they wanted to make sure they found somebody who could capture the tone.
Hines at the Stephen F. Austin Hotel today
Why did they think you were the right person? Because of your experience in “Waitress”?
Yes, and I think they knew that I really appreciated Adrienne’s writing. I really clicked with her. While we were shooting “Waitress” I understood what was funny about the script. The producers had interviewed a lot of people to direct, but a lot of them wanted to change the script. So they stood back and thought that they needed the film to be more personal, that they needed to find a person who’d connected with Adrienne. And they thought of me.
Did you stick strictly to the script, or did you allow any “Curb Your Enthusiasm”-style improvisation?
There was not a lot of improvisation going on. They did not want to change the script. And this story doesn’t really lend itself to improv. It was written in a certain style and tone.
Directing a feature film— is it really, really hard?
Yes, yes. I lost weight, my face broke out, I didn’t sleep. It is really, really hard.
What’s so hard about it?
This is what’s hard about it: No matter how much you prepare there are problems every second of every day of the shoot. They’re problems you can’t foresee. You don’t know if an actor’s going to run over their cat on the way to the set and get to the set upset. Things like that happen every day. Lights blow out. Or those aren’t the same flowers that were in the shot yesterday. At any given moment things fall apart.
Would you do it again?
(Pause) I think I would. But if you would have asked me while we were shooting I would have said no way I would ever do this again. But now that I have some perspective I understand what to worry about and what to let go and what to prepare for and what to control.
What is the current status of your character on “Curb Your Enthusiasm”? You’re on the show, then you’re not on the show …
There have been a few episodes that I have not been on this season. But in the show Larry and I are separated … I guess we’re divorced. Well, let’s say separated. We’ve never said the word divorce. I don’t know if it’s legal. But we’re definitely not together. And this season he’s had the idea of the “Seinfeld” reunion and wants to cast me in the reunion, so I will be back. We’ve shot it, but I can’t tell you what’s going to happen.
Read more about “Serious Moonlight” and get ticket information HERE.
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By chick laws
October 27, 2009 12:46 PM | Link to this
My daughter is studying to get into theatre and movie makeup design. Any hints to get in this end of the movie busimness is appreciated.
Her name is Andrea.
By Marilynn
October 23, 2009 9:04 AM | Link to this
My boomer friends and I LOVED this movie! It was so well cast and the story is just hilarious. Dark comedy is the perfect description. There were so many little things in the movie that teased you about the ending and I can’t imagine a more satisfying movie ending. The Q&A with Cheryl afterwards was great too. She’s very charming, funny and articulate. The perfect choice to direct this film. I’ll be recommending it highly to friends! Congrats, Cheryl! (BTW, we came from Atlanta, Cincinatti and Seattle to meet up for this festival!)