James Vanderbilt talks to us about his directorial debut Truth, which stars Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett.
James Vanderbilt is best known as a screenwriter in Hollywood, but he has taken the plunge into the director’s chair for his new film Truth, a retelling of the 2004 drama that pitted newsman Dan Rather and corporate giant CBS against then-President George W. Bush.
Vanderbilt’s studio credits include The Rundown, The Amazing Spider-Man and White House Down, but Truth has no explosions or CGI. It has more in common with his 2007 masterpiece Zodiac in that they’re both stories of heroic journalism and mystery.
Robert Redford co-stars in the film as broadcaster Dan Rather, and Cate Blanchett is his 60 Minutes producer Mary Mapes. Even if you know the story of Truth going into the film, Vanderbilt assures you he has planted several facts and surprises about the real-life story you didn’t know before.
The energetic writer-director was recently in San Francisco promoting Truth, and this is a transcription of his conversation with us.
Q: This film is very focused on media culture and practices. Was it important for you to show early versions of the movie to journalists and members of the press for their input?
James Vanderbilt: I wanted to show it to filmmakers, but I also wanted to show it to people who weren’t filmmakers because if you only show it to one group of people, you’ll only get notes through that prism. The best version for me is to hear from everybody.
Q: You’re right, because some people might see one or two movies a year while others might see a hundred.
Vanderbilt: Yeah, and that’s really valuable.
Q: You’re obviously very experienced with handling studio notes on big-budget films. Do you write with a studio mentality in mind?
Vanderbilt: I try to write what I think is interesting. It’s really about what tells this particular story in the best possible way. Like, if you’re writing an action film you know you can’t go more than 25 minutes without punching someone in the face. There’s a rhythm to it, an ebb and flow.
Q: This movie is filled with verbal action scenes.
Vanderbilt: Yeah, we definitely talked about that. In the movie’s final panel meeting I told Cate Blanchett and Dermot Mulroney, ‘This is our version of a gunfight. I want to keep the audience on the edge of their seat.’
Q: Since the movie is based on a true story, how do you keep the audience on the edge of their seat if they know where the drama is going?
Vanderbilt: When I came to the story I didn’t know as much about it as the final movie. There was a process of discovery for me about what had really happened. People who go into this movie, even if they know where the story is headed, there will be plenty of new information and discovery for them as well. But we also structured the film so if you had never heard of Dan Rather, you would know who this person is and why this story is important.
Q: In the investigative process, were there things you discovered you didn’t use in the film?
Vanderbilt: Yes, for a variety of reasons. Sometimes for time, sometimes it wasn’t relevant. I’m also writing movies about real people, so I’m aware that what I write will affect their lives.
Q: I’m guessing you’re referring to Zodiac.
Vanderbilt: Yeah, but it’s funny. I’ve spent half of my time writing studio films and the other half writing character dramas like this one, but the studio ones are the only ones that have gotten made. This is only my second film about real people.
Q: The Rundown doesn’t count as a character drama?
Vanderbilt: Clearly that movie is based on a true story, a historical drama.
Q: I do remember a lot of drama on that set, especially in post-production.
Vanderbilt: Oh, by that time as a screenwriter I was long gone.
Q: What about your other recent studio film, White House Down? At the time that script was bought you were competing with another movie with a similar premise (Olympus Has Fallen). Did you feel any studio pressure to distance yourself from that movie or come out first in the marketplace?
Vanderbilt: Well, we’re not sitting here talking about London Has Fallen, but I loved making White House Down. That’s the part of my brain that loves slamming G.I. Joes together. The studio was great about it, they bought it and knew we weren’t going to be first to come out, but they loved it anyway and 13 months later we were in theatres.
Q: For what it’s worth I think it’s the better of the two movies.
Vanderbilt: Thank you very much. It lives forever and it doesn’t go away.
Q: Exactly. No one is going to remember how much money it made or what it opened against 10 years from now. The movie will speak for itself.
Vanderbilt: Thank you.
Q: Getting back to the film, you obviously have great leads in Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford, but your supporting cast is just as strong. Did you struggle getting all their schedules to line up to make this movie at your budget?
Vanderbilt: I wrote the first draft of this movie in 2007, but it wasn’t the right time to make it. Everyone perceived it to be a movie about then-President Bush, which it’s not. All the President’s Men is not about Nixon. I think we had to get some distance from his presidency and the event to make people understand that this is a movie about journalism. I pulled it out of the drawer a year and a half ago, and finally wanted to make it as a director. We sent it to Cate Blanchett the day after she won her Oscar for Blue Jasmine, and we thought, there’s no way she’s going to say yes to us. But she wonderfully responded to the script and committed to the movie. Once I had Cate and Bob Redford, I think it became an attractive package for other actors who wanted to work with them. I think it was also kind for both of them to jump off the cliff with me as a first-time director. I think it made the other actors think that, if the veterans trusted me, they can too.
Q: How easy or difficult was it for you as a first-time director?
Vanderbilt: I think it was easier for me because I’ve been on a lot of movie sets as a screenwriter and was able to see other directors work. I also did a lot of preparation. From the directors I talked to and admire, that’s how they work.
Q: Did you talk to David Fincher since you worked together on Zodiac, another journalism movie?
Vanderbilt: Yes, absolutely. He was great, and he had worked with Cate on Benjamin Button, so he said nothing but great things about her.
Q: David Fincher is tough on set, but he knows what he wants.
Vanderbilt: I’m not so sure about that. The thing about Fincher is he has this reputation for being tough, which he doesn’t hate at all, but he’s one of the kindest people I know. His crew worships him, and if you’re not a nice guy, crews won’t work with you again. He does a lot of takes, but you can’t argue with the results. I’d work with him again in a heartbeat.
Truth is now playing in limited release.
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