'All wet and tousled' and making an impact

This afternoon, I optimistically braved the UK opening weekend of Wall-E on the first day of the school holidays. I wonder how many of the hyper kiddies had the environmental message of the film explained to them - but Wall-E did make its case graphically. And that reminded me of another other environmentally-messaged popular movie starring a certain 'wet and tousled' Jake Gyllenhaal, The Day After Tomorrow. Incidentally, the UK Freeview channel Film4 has developed a worthy passion for this film and is showing it again tonight at 9pm. [The last time it was on, I was out and I got home to find Mr WDW recording it 'in case you don't have it'.]



Last weekend, one of those top 100 or top 50 shows was on TV and it was the turn of the Greatest Disaster Movies. I sat there expectantly for Jake's only offering to the genre (except perhaps Donnie Darko) and was not disappointed to find it at number 5, right up there with the Towering Inferno. I was, however, mystified at the winner, Die Hard. A disaster movie? And Con Air was up there in the top 10 too; they might as well have stuck The Sound of Music in there for good measure.



This post includes a couple of video interviews with Jake, recorded in near-freezing conditions on a hot LA day, at the presentation of the trailer of The Day After Tomorrow. Here you can enjoy Jake discussing how Roland Emmerich tried to compensate for the carbon footprint of this massive film by creating a forest, and also how Jake is trying to do his bit for the environment.



When The Day After Tomorrow was released in May 2004, Newsweek reported: 'But this $125 million global-warming disaster movie, from the director of the aliens-attack disaster movie "Independence Day," could make Jake Gyllenhaal crushworthy to the rest of the country, as well as Hollywood's newest leading man. That's not why he did it, though. Honest. "I really wanted it to mean something," he says. As the world is being drowned by tidal waves, the father of Gyllenhaal's character, played by Dennis Quaid, sets out to save his estranged son. "Neglect in a family is very similar to the neglect we, as humanity, have for the environment," Gyllenhaal says. Noted. But he still gets all wet and tousled in the movie, so the real disaster he'll endure is an attack of 12-year-old girls. "Well," he says with a laugh, "I only wish I were 12 again so I could actually have fun with that."'


Variety reported that 'A rally featuring former VP and environmental advocate Al Gore will be held a couple of blocks away from the pic's May 24 preem in Gotham and hosted by MoveOn.org. Mark Gordon, producer on the $125 million pic, said no one involved in the picture planned to participate in the campaign, adding he didn't think the sudden attention would affect "Day's" box office potential. "If they want to use our picture to make people aware of their concerns about the environment, it's not anything I have control over," Gordon said. "My biggest issue is that the movie opens to the biggest number we can. The fact that there is enthusiasm, controversy and discussion is only good for our business."'


'Though it's not planning any events connected to the film, the Natural Resources Defense Council said it has briefed Jake Gyllenhaal, who stars in "Day" on global warming. "He had wanted to make sure that as questions came up that he was able to speak to these issues," NRDC spokesman Jon Coifman said.'

According to the Scottish Daily Record, Al Gore wasn't the only politician to be moved to action by the film. The Clintons 'were blown away by the film's special effects. Bill called Jake to say how much he had enjoyed it.'


Maggie talks family on the Jimmy Kimmel Show

The Maggie Gyllenhaal talk show circuit continues. This time it was the turn of a host who was, until today, unknown to me, Jimmy Kimmel. You can see the video here and listen to Maggie describe her family's roots and how, at long last, it was decided by the powers that be that maybe Maggie should be allowed to read the script after all.


Articles from WDW archives. Includes pictures from IHJ and Interview.