Ed Harris' obsession
PUSSSYKATT
Talk about obsession. Ed Harris has devoted only the last 10 years of his life
to a movie that has left him both exhausted and exhilarated.
The project is "Pollock," a biopic about the tumultuous life of American
painter Jackson Pollock, in which the 49-year-old Harris makes his directorial
debut. He also plays the title role, and those who have seen his work in the
film are whispering Oscar.
Yet Harris is nowhere near done.
"Even though I'm going on to other things, I'm still very much involved with
the marketing aspect of [the movie]," said Harris after the film was screened
last week at the Guggenheim Museum.
"Pollock" will be released in Los Angeles for one week in December for Academy
Awards consideration, and also in New York for a week next month, but audiences
across the country will have to wait until February for the nationwide release.
"I just hope it has a nice life out there in the world," Harris said.
The actor-director seems not at all worried that people who have never heard of
the master of drip technique might not choose to see the movie.
"I'm hoping that if it gets out a little bit, people will see it's not just an
art film," said Harris, who was surrounded at the screening by such A-listers
as Robert De Niro, Hilary Swank and Chad Lowe, Chazz Palminteri, Angie Harmon,
Joe Pantoliano, David Bowie and Iman, and the movie's co-stars, Marcia Gay
Harden and Stephanie Seymour.
"There are some universal things going on in terms of struggle, relationships,
the desire to create, the battles people fight with themselves," said Harris.
"So, hopefully, ["Pollock"] has a larger appeal than just to painters."
Harden, who plays Pollock's wife, the artist Lee Krasner, agreed.
"This story is a very classic relationship story, and I think people will be
drawn to that," she said.
"And on top of that, [Pollock] is a great American painter."
Harden added that she felt extremely lucky to have been able to work with
Harris in his first stint as a director.
"It was a labor of passion for him. It was a story that he wanted to tell and
needed to tell," she said.
"He dove into the deep end. I felt like he guided me and pulled from me a
performance that was surprising to me. He took me deeper than I had thought I
could — or probably was even ready to — go. I felt safe, though."
Swank, who won the Best Actress Oscar last March for her starring role in "Boys
Don't Cry," seemed impressed that Harris managed to pull off the movie without
a lot of Hollywood support.
"It's very hard to show both sides of the creative life and the actual life,"
she said. "They did it so well and so beautifully. Any movie that's made with
very little money — more power to you."
"[Harris] is at the top of his game," added Swank's husband and fellow actor,
Lowe. "You can tell his heart and soul, every cell in his body, is devoted and
committed to the role. It's very inspiring."
Even though Harris himself wouldn't go that far in praising his film, he did
smile and allow himself a small pat on the back.
"I feel good about it," he said. "It's hard to be objective about it, but I'm
very proud of the film."
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Ladylevite
ladylevite
>Subject: Ed Harris' obsession
>From: agcgoss...@aol.com (PUSSSYKATT)
>Date: 11/26/2000 8:50 AM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <20001126085011...@ng-fq1.aol.com>
jaded bitch
assistants as to where the paint should be placed on the canvas rather than put
it there himself?
jaded
Bird Lady
says...
> He is, but why obsess over a man who (at least in his later years) directed his
> assistants as to where the paint should be placed on the canvas rather than put
> it there himself?
>
> jaded
Honey, most artists end up doing that, from way back when. Owning an
Andy warhol means you really own a peice by Andy's groupies. Jeff Koontz
never touches one of his works. And Picasso had other people put
together his sculptures. Rennaissance artists had their studios finish
off most their works after they were laid out.
At least Pollock had an interesting life, and Harris is such a GUY (oh
don't he just send out the sex vibe!) just like Pollock was, I think the
film has good prospects.
The only problem I have is Marcia Gay Harden as Lee Krasner, Pollock's
wife who was one ugly (but talented) woman. Pollock used to humiliate
her in public about her looks, and I'd like to see a really unattractive
actress try to pull off the reactions to those moments, not someone as
pretty as Marcia.
bel
Tekkwryter
<snip>
>The only problem I have is Marcia Gay Harden as Lee
>Krasner, Pollock's wife who was one ugly (but talented)
>woman. Pollock used to humiliate her in public about her
>looks, and I'd like to see a really unattractive actress try
>to pull off the reactions to those moments, not someone
>as pretty as Marcia.
Harden's looks are arresting, but she also has the kind of face that can be
made up to appear much less than attractive...and God knows, if they give her
the haircut she had in Space Cowboys, she's halfway there. :-)
Cheers,
Linda