Jake Gyllenhaal is a man of three films and in today's post there's a little bit from all three - and a fourth. Firstly, there are some new stills from Enemy, both in front of and behind the camera.
There are also some new images from Prisoners, including a wonderful on set photo of Jake with little Erin Gerasimovich, the talented young actress who plays Anna Dover. Incidentally, Prisoners topped the UK box office not only for the first weekend of its release but also its second!
Jake is currently filming Nightcrawler in LA with first-time director Dan Gilroy. Variety has this from its producer: “We really had no choice but to shoot this in Los Angeles, because it’s set in L.A and it’s a quintessentially Los Angeles kind of project in that the city is very much a character in the movie,” said producer David Lancaster. “It’s a similar situation to ‘Drive,’ where it’s essential to set the movie in L.A. And we also got the tax credit.” Thanks to a very fortunate spectator we have our first view of Jake (in pink) in character - a currently unnamed character.
I'm still waiting for the the podcast of Jake and Hugh's London Apple event but iPlayer has captured their interview with Edith Bowman for her BBC Radio 6 show. Their bit of the show begins at about the 2 hour and 37 minute mark. Jake and Hugh also appeared on Steve Wright in the Afternoon on BBC Radio 2 and you can listen to some of that here. They also appeared on the Lorraine Show and that is here.
Jake recorded an interview with Neil Fox and that's available to listen to in two parts here.
Apologies if any of the links don't work for you due to region. This is a most annoying irritation.
Thanks so much to IHJ for the wonderful photos. Do take a look at the gallery as it is overflowing with scans of recent interviews in the media.
And now for the fourth film. This wonderful interview from 2002 when Jake was promotion The Good Girl alongside one of my very favourite of Jake's co-stars, Jennifer Aniston, is now available to watch again. Marvellous.
Showing posts with label The Good Girl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Good Girl. Show all posts
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
Jake Gyllenhaal in the movies - Prisoners, Enemy, Nightcrawler and The Good Girl
Labels:
Dan Gilroy,
Enemy,
Hugh Jackman,
Jake,
Jake Gyllenhaal,
Jennifer Aniston,
Nightcrawler,
Prisoners,
The Good Girl
Friday, 7 October 2011
Jake Gyllenhaal goes back to school and Anna Kendrick tells us more about 'brutal' and 'startling' End of Watch
Jake Gyllenhaal has been putting in some more hours in the classroom. In addition to helping kids grow food with Edible Schoolyard, and distracting them in English classes with the help of Ethan Hawke (full account here and some pictures here), Jake spent some of yesterday at LaGuardia Arts in NYC with the dramatists and gatecrashers. Unfortunately, we have yet to see any pictures although quite a few of the pupils have been painting an image of the class with words.
From Aiss Ice baby: 'One he was so marvellous.he had on green cargo pants,with a hole above the knee,and a white t-shirt. his stuffed bookbag was on the floor next to him. on his little table there was a full, un-opened jug of orange juice. he answered questions,and made jokes and told all these wonderful little anecdotes about actors he knows. oh,he was just too good. also he said his only goal in acting was for people to be able to pronounce “gyllenhaal” correctly.'
Many thanks to IHJ for the wonderful new old pics from Good Girl's festival appearance at Sundance back in 2002. Thanks too to BBMISwear for the much appreciated help with some of the links.
My review of Melancholia, quite possibly my favourite film of the year so far, is up at MovieBrit.
From Aiss Ice baby: 'One he was so marvellous.he had on green cargo pants,with a hole above the knee,and a white t-shirt. his stuffed bookbag was on the floor next to him. on his little table there was a full, un-opened jug of orange juice. he answered questions,and made jokes and told all these wonderful little anecdotes about actors he knows. oh,he was just too good. also he said his only goal in acting was for people to be able to pronounce “gyllenhaal” correctly.'
From Arielleighrose: 'I met Jake Gyllenhaal today with my drama class at LaG. He came to speak to us and answer questions. He was down-to-earth, funny, and generally awesome and I loved him as much as I thought I would. He is a beautiful human being and I told him so and I got to shake his hand. It was amazing.'
It's good to think of Jake inspiring another generation of future actors and performers - as well as making them a little giddy.
Jake has also been seen just about everywhere else since then, including the Town Hall - with the Face Pet - and in shops and in cafes ('The fact that I'm sitting like 3 feet away from Jake Gyllenhaal right now is making it really difficult for me to eat my lunch'.) and in other cafes ('I just saw Jake Gyllenhaal at my coffee place... pretty eyes, nice hair, he's tall, good taste in coffee.... *le sigh* ah, he's beautiful'. And then there's always trains.
Fortunately, there were no lovely dogs distracting the tweeters this time...
End of Watch
I'm delighted to say that Anna Kendrick has been continuing to do her bit to tell us little bits about End of Watch, this time to the AV Club:
'In End Of Watch, I play a wife who doesn’t have her own storyline outside of being married to Jake Gyllenhaal. That freaked me out a little bit, because I thought, “Oh, this might be really bad,” but I feel like the wives in that movie, even though they don’t have their own storyline, they ground the entire thing, because if these men are putting their lives on the line in a vacuum, it feels like a videogame. It doesn’t matter. If you see their lives outside of that, it means something. There’s a reason for those kinds of roles, in a lot of cases.'
'It’s pretty tough. The script is really startling, but then surprisingly, you find moments of levity in places where you wouldn’t, necessarily. I was thinking about that, like, “Oh God, this is my first movie where there’s no comic angle, no infusion of comedy.” But then you get on set and you think, “Oh no, real life, when it feels honest, is really funny and really light, as much as it can be really dramatic.” I was surprised at that. It’s a startlingly brutal script, but I think there are moments of levity.'Do read the rest of this interview, there is a lovely tribute to Michelle Williams' work in Brokeback Mountain.
Many thanks to IHJ for the wonderful new old pics from Good Girl's festival appearance at Sundance back in 2002. Thanks too to BBMISwear for the much appreciated help with some of the links.
My review of Melancholia, quite possibly my favourite film of the year so far, is up at MovieBrit.
Labels:
Anna Kendrick,
End of Watch,
Jake,
Jake Gyllenhaal,
NYC,
School visit,
Sundance,
The Good Girl
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Never mind the Oscars - Jake Gyllenhaal is the Most Kissable Man
Never mind the Oscars, it's time to get down to the awards that really count. For today it was announced that Jake Gyllenhaal has been awarded the Most Kissable Man award. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentists who clearly know a lot about smiles and, it would seem, also about kissing, put Jake above Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Denzel Washington, all three of whom are relatively kissable, just not as kissable as Jake Gyllenhaal.

Actually, seeing that picture above reminds me of the interview from which it was grabbed, back in Rendition days when Jake was in London and turned everyone to mush. Versions of this video no longer work across WDW and so here is a replacement:
I digress... back to the Most Kissable Man:
Then there was Emmy Rossum's famous audition for The Day After Tomorrow, during which she adopted the direct approach.



Anyone who has seen Love and Other Drugs wouldn't have failed to notice that there is a fair amount of kissing in it. I look forward to proper analysis on the arrival of my blu ray, which is currently in the post.

Actually, seeing that picture above reminds me of the interview from which it was grabbed, back in Rendition days when Jake was in London and turned everyone to mush. Versions of this video no longer work across WDW and so here is a replacement:
I digress... back to the Most Kissable Man:
Then there was Emmy Rossum's famous audition for The Day After Tomorrow, during which she adopted the direct approach.



Anyone who has seen Love and Other Drugs wouldn't have failed to notice that there is a fair amount of kissing in it. I look forward to proper analysis on the arrival of my blu ray, which is currently in the post.

Tuesday, 6 July 2010
Jake Gyllenhaal: Actor, Movie Star, Heart throb - WDW Guide Part I
One of the delights of Prince of Persia is that it's introduced a whole bunch of potential Gyllenhaalics-in-the-making to Jake Gyllenhaal. It's hard to see how anyone can resist but, nevertheless, it should be pointed out, that once one has dived into the cool nectar pool of Gyllenism, you won't want to pull the plug out. So, as a big welcome to all the new readers and commentors here at WDW, many of whom are now discovering Jake's earlier films for the first time, here is Part I of the WDW crib sheet to Jake Gyllenhaal's movies. Do feel free to disagree with my comments in the comment section )which may now actually be working...).

Title: City Slickers
Date: 1991
Role: Danny Robbins
Hotness: NA
Mascara-proof? Yes, unless you're really broody
Chemistry: NA
Hair: 5/10
Bonus features: Shoulder-popping
As a mere nipper, Jake Gyllenhaal semi-starred in the very successful film City Slickers as the attention-seeking, cute son of Billy Crystal, who left his father in no doubt that the only way he could ever be seen in public with him again is if he became a cowboy. As John Stewart once said, this was Jake's first cowboy movie, although, for me, this film will always be known to me as Blazing Saddles. I always get them muddled up. Billy Crystal has since said that Jake entertained the cast and crew with Show Tunes, heralding the beginning of Jake's side-career as set comic.
WDW rating: 8/10 (although that could be due to Blazing Saddles)
Title: October Sky
Date: 1999
Role: Homer Hickam
Hotness: Developing
Mascara-proof? Semi-waterproof mascara required
Chemistry: NA (although Laura Dern looked keen)
Sex scenes: NA (but Laura Dern looked keen)
Hair: 7/10
Bonus features: Good science and plenty of dirt
October Sky gave Jake his first lead role. Still at college and reading literary classics between scenes, Jake starred as a coal miner's lad who looked to the stars to avoid his fate beneath the ground. In this role, Jake made an astronaut who'd been to the moon cry. Without doubt, this is one of Jake's finest roles and I defy you to stay dry-eyed when the young Homer faces up to his fate and gets into that coal lift. This was the first effective use in a movie of Jake's blue eyes - a heart throb in the making and a fine actor to boot. One of my favourites.
WDW rating: 8/10

Title: Donnie Darko
Date: 2001
Role: Donnie Darko
Hotness: 5/10
Mascara-proof? No (although you may not understand why you're crying and it may be at the wrong bit)
Chemistry: 6/10 (Jenna Malone)
Hair: 7/10
Sex scenes: Donnie was too stressed
Bonus features: rabbits, smurfs, Halloween
The film that Jake is asked about more than any other, Donnie Darko is the most confusing film ever made and no one has a clue what it's about, including Richard Kelly, from whose mind it sprang, and Jake. It is quite possible that the only person who knows what's going on is an IT officer that I worked with in 2004. When prompted Jake can deliver some great transcendental background but the delight of Donnie Darko is that it doesn't really matter. The end is painful, heightened by Donnie's sister being played by Jake's sister, and Maggie has said that when filming the final scenes she and Jake kept apart to keep the emotion raw. The soundtrack is excellent - never has Duran Duran been used to such great effect. This film was not a 'commercial success' (it opened in the US just days after 9/11) but it continues to win over new fans and in the UK especially has been a big success. I can't think of any other film that can be argued over quite like this one or treasured quite like it. First of the great Jake commentaries.
WDW rating: 10/10

Title: Bubble Boy
Date: 2001
Role: Jimmy Livingston
Hotness: 2/10
Mascara-proof? No (father and son scenes are very moving)
Chemistry: 4/10 (Marley Shelton) Jake had a thing for Ever Carradine
Sex scenes: No sex before marriage
Hair: 0/10
Bonus features: underpants, Bubble Guinea Pig, dinosaurs
Nothing divides the modern world quite like Bubble Boy. At times Jake has defended it, at other times he's brushed over it. But, without doubt, no Jake film has the power to make my sides hurt with laughter like this one. The script is fantastic, Jake's delivery of those lines is spot on, the supporting actors - notably Swoosie Kurtz and John Carroll Fynch (who arguably appears in every Jake film ever made) - are fabulous. Other elements to relish include the Bright and Shiney people, Jimmy trying to buy a bus ticket and the stealing the beer scene. And the cow. 'And then Pinocchio came out of his plastic bubble and touched the filthy little whore next door and died. The End!' 'Supper time was the best! Nothing could beat Mom's homemade, vitamin-rich, soy-based, germ-free, fat-free fiber cookies.' Last but not least, Bubble Boy features my favourite Jake Gyllenhaal commentary: Jake and director Blair Hayes were made to be a double act. Some people think this film is rubbish - they are, of course, wrong.
WDW rating: 9/10

Title: Lovely & Amazing
Date: 2001
Role: Jordan
Hotness: 5/10
Mascara-proof? Yes
Chemistry: 5/10 (Catherine Keener)
Sex scenes: kiss in a car
Hair: 5/10
Bonus features: bad shirts, photography tips
Lovely & Amazing was the first in a stretch of films when Jake appeared as an older woman's lovetoy, plaything and sex object. The downside of this arrangement was that Jake did not appear in these films enough, with much of the attention focusing on the inner turmoil of the older woman in question. Meanwhile, Jake's character was left in the dark(room) quite a lot of the time. Catherine Keener was a great match for Jake here and, of course, they were later to team up again (although not romantically) in the film that may never be but one hopes it will be, Nailed. Not a bad film by any means, this film is, however, penalised as Jake wasn't in it very much.
WDW rating: 5/10

Title: The Good Girl
Date: 2002
Role: Possibly Holden
Hotness: 5/10
Mascara-proof? No
Chemistry: 9/10 (Jennifer Aniston)
Sex scenes: Yes (Jen's first)
Hair: 5/10
Bonus features: swimming, accents, car interiors
This is a film that grows on me whenever I see it, which, admittedly, isn't very much as I've only seen it twice. Again we have a film where Jake is taken under the wing of an older woman - although as the woman is Jen Aniston, this can hardly be seen as detrimental. This film isn't particularly light and should not be watched sober. It also had the peculiar side-effect of putting me off American shops for a while. Other people rave about this film. Other people also rave about Jake's hair in this film. This film does, though, have the potential of being a great tragedy (depending on how sober one is).
WDW rating: 6/10

Title: Highway
Date: 2002
Role: Pilot
Hotness: ?
Mascara-proof? ?
Chemistry: ?
Sex scenes: ?
Hair: ?
Bonus features: Goggles, alligators, glove puppets
How to describe Highway....? I can't, despite having seen it on a number of occasions, and therefore I called on the world's leading expert on Highway, Ruby, known throughout Jakedom for her 'Pilot thing'. And I quote: 'Jake's character is called Pilot! And he's the major old-school happener :D Pilot is adorable. John C McGinley plays a long-haired middle-aged stoner called Johnny the Fox. Piii-lot. He's adorable and sexually confused. Jake has a spider painted on his face. He's searching for the "once in a lifetime girl of my dreams and reason to believe" Pilot is adorable. It has an alligator boy. um.....Pilot is adorable.' And there you have it. I have to add that the eyes have it in Highway.
WDW rating: 6/10; Ruby rating: 10/10

Title: Moonlight Mile
Date: 2002
Role: Joe Nast
Hotness: 8/10
Mascara-proof: No. Don't wear it!
Chemistry: 10/10 (Ellen Pompeo)
Sex scenes: Hot
Hair: 5/10
Bonus features: New England scenery, post office, dog
Moonlight Mile marked a change in Jake's career. Still the young man, at the beck and call of his elders and betters, he nevertheless showed that he could hold a film tightly together and the camera loved him. Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon and Holly Hunter - fine actors - and yet the camera loved Jake. This was Ellen Pompeo's break and the chemistry was bound to sizzle - her casting followed her encounter with Jake in an LA carpark when he told her that she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. The power and emotion of Joe Nast's scenes are matched every step by the power and emotion of Bertie's. This film contains the most emotional of all Jake's lines for me - 'I lost my friend' - and I could wrap myself up in the big, comfy brown blanket that is Moonlight Mile and I would wallow in it. There's a strange mix here of suffocating brown earth and big blue sky - perfect.
Another great soundtrack (Rolling Stone's Moonlight Mile will tear your heart out) and another great commentary.
WDW Rating: 10+/10

End of Part 1: After Moonlight Mile, there could be little doubt that Jake Gyllenhaal was a name to watch (even if one couldn't spell it). No longer would he be the distraction in a story of women facing crises in their lives - Jake had a couple more steps to take and then he would be in the lead. I have no doubt that there are many who would disagree with some of my views above - so I would love to hear what you think.
Note: The films above are presented in IMDb order of release.
Includes pictures from IHJ. Thanks to Ruby for the Pilot input!

Title: City Slickers
Date: 1991
Role: Danny Robbins
Hotness: NA
Mascara-proof? Yes, unless you're really broody
Chemistry: NA
Hair: 5/10
Bonus features: Shoulder-popping
As a mere nipper, Jake Gyllenhaal semi-starred in the very successful film City Slickers as the attention-seeking, cute son of Billy Crystal, who left his father in no doubt that the only way he could ever be seen in public with him again is if he became a cowboy. As John Stewart once said, this was Jake's first cowboy movie, although, for me, this film will always be known to me as Blazing Saddles. I always get them muddled up. Billy Crystal has since said that Jake entertained the cast and crew with Show Tunes, heralding the beginning of Jake's side-career as set comic.
WDW rating: 8/10 (although that could be due to Blazing Saddles)
Title: October Sky
Date: 1999
Role: Homer Hickam
Hotness: Developing
Mascara-proof? Semi-waterproof mascara required
Chemistry: NA (although Laura Dern looked keen)
Sex scenes: NA (but Laura Dern looked keen)
Hair: 7/10
Bonus features: Good science and plenty of dirt
October Sky gave Jake his first lead role. Still at college and reading literary classics between scenes, Jake starred as a coal miner's lad who looked to the stars to avoid his fate beneath the ground. In this role, Jake made an astronaut who'd been to the moon cry. Without doubt, this is one of Jake's finest roles and I defy you to stay dry-eyed when the young Homer faces up to his fate and gets into that coal lift. This was the first effective use in a movie of Jake's blue eyes - a heart throb in the making and a fine actor to boot. One of my favourites.
WDW rating: 8/10

Title: Donnie Darko
Date: 2001
Role: Donnie Darko
Hotness: 5/10
Mascara-proof? No (although you may not understand why you're crying and it may be at the wrong bit)
Chemistry: 6/10 (Jenna Malone)
Hair: 7/10
Sex scenes: Donnie was too stressed
Bonus features: rabbits, smurfs, Halloween
The film that Jake is asked about more than any other, Donnie Darko is the most confusing film ever made and no one has a clue what it's about, including Richard Kelly, from whose mind it sprang, and Jake. It is quite possible that the only person who knows what's going on is an IT officer that I worked with in 2004. When prompted Jake can deliver some great transcendental background but the delight of Donnie Darko is that it doesn't really matter. The end is painful, heightened by Donnie's sister being played by Jake's sister, and Maggie has said that when filming the final scenes she and Jake kept apart to keep the emotion raw. The soundtrack is excellent - never has Duran Duran been used to such great effect. This film was not a 'commercial success' (it opened in the US just days after 9/11) but it continues to win over new fans and in the UK especially has been a big success. I can't think of any other film that can be argued over quite like this one or treasured quite like it. First of the great Jake commentaries.
WDW rating: 10/10

Title: Bubble Boy
Date: 2001
Role: Jimmy Livingston
Hotness: 2/10
Mascara-proof? No (father and son scenes are very moving)
Chemistry: 4/10 (Marley Shelton) Jake had a thing for Ever Carradine
Sex scenes: No sex before marriage
Hair: 0/10
Bonus features: underpants, Bubble Guinea Pig, dinosaurs
Nothing divides the modern world quite like Bubble Boy. At times Jake has defended it, at other times he's brushed over it. But, without doubt, no Jake film has the power to make my sides hurt with laughter like this one. The script is fantastic, Jake's delivery of those lines is spot on, the supporting actors - notably Swoosie Kurtz and John Carroll Fynch (who arguably appears in every Jake film ever made) - are fabulous. Other elements to relish include the Bright and Shiney people, Jimmy trying to buy a bus ticket and the stealing the beer scene. And the cow. 'And then Pinocchio came out of his plastic bubble and touched the filthy little whore next door and died. The End!' 'Supper time was the best! Nothing could beat Mom's homemade, vitamin-rich, soy-based, germ-free, fat-free fiber cookies.' Last but not least, Bubble Boy features my favourite Jake Gyllenhaal commentary: Jake and director Blair Hayes were made to be a double act. Some people think this film is rubbish - they are, of course, wrong.
WDW rating: 9/10

Title: Lovely & Amazing
Date: 2001
Role: Jordan
Hotness: 5/10
Mascara-proof? Yes
Chemistry: 5/10 (Catherine Keener)
Sex scenes: kiss in a car
Hair: 5/10
Bonus features: bad shirts, photography tips
Lovely & Amazing was the first in a stretch of films when Jake appeared as an older woman's lovetoy, plaything and sex object. The downside of this arrangement was that Jake did not appear in these films enough, with much of the attention focusing on the inner turmoil of the older woman in question. Meanwhile, Jake's character was left in the dark(room) quite a lot of the time. Catherine Keener was a great match for Jake here and, of course, they were later to team up again (although not romantically) in the film that may never be but one hopes it will be, Nailed. Not a bad film by any means, this film is, however, penalised as Jake wasn't in it very much.
WDW rating: 5/10

Title: The Good Girl
Date: 2002
Role: Possibly Holden
Hotness: 5/10
Mascara-proof? No
Chemistry: 9/10 (Jennifer Aniston)
Sex scenes: Yes (Jen's first)
Hair: 5/10
Bonus features: swimming, accents, car interiors
This is a film that grows on me whenever I see it, which, admittedly, isn't very much as I've only seen it twice. Again we have a film where Jake is taken under the wing of an older woman - although as the woman is Jen Aniston, this can hardly be seen as detrimental. This film isn't particularly light and should not be watched sober. It also had the peculiar side-effect of putting me off American shops for a while. Other people rave about this film. Other people also rave about Jake's hair in this film. This film does, though, have the potential of being a great tragedy (depending on how sober one is).
WDW rating: 6/10

Title: Highway
Date: 2002
Role: Pilot
Hotness: ?
Mascara-proof? ?
Chemistry: ?
Sex scenes: ?
Hair: ?
Bonus features: Goggles, alligators, glove puppets
How to describe Highway....? I can't, despite having seen it on a number of occasions, and therefore I called on the world's leading expert on Highway, Ruby, known throughout Jakedom for her 'Pilot thing'. And I quote: 'Jake's character is called Pilot! And he's the major old-school happener :D Pilot is adorable. John C McGinley plays a long-haired middle-aged stoner called Johnny the Fox. Piii-lot. He's adorable and sexually confused. Jake has a spider painted on his face. He's searching for the "once in a lifetime girl of my dreams and reason to believe" Pilot is adorable. It has an alligator boy. um.....Pilot is adorable.' And there you have it. I have to add that the eyes have it in Highway.
WDW rating: 6/10; Ruby rating: 10/10
Title: Moonlight Mile
Date: 2002
Role: Joe Nast
Hotness: 8/10
Mascara-proof: No. Don't wear it!
Chemistry: 10/10 (Ellen Pompeo)
Sex scenes: Hot
Hair: 5/10
Bonus features: New England scenery, post office, dog
Moonlight Mile marked a change in Jake's career. Still the young man, at the beck and call of his elders and betters, he nevertheless showed that he could hold a film tightly together and the camera loved him. Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon and Holly Hunter - fine actors - and yet the camera loved Jake. This was Ellen Pompeo's break and the chemistry was bound to sizzle - her casting followed her encounter with Jake in an LA carpark when he told her that she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. The power and emotion of Joe Nast's scenes are matched every step by the power and emotion of Bertie's. This film contains the most emotional of all Jake's lines for me - 'I lost my friend' - and I could wrap myself up in the big, comfy brown blanket that is Moonlight Mile and I would wallow in it. There's a strange mix here of suffocating brown earth and big blue sky - perfect.
Another great soundtrack (Rolling Stone's Moonlight Mile will tear your heart out) and another great commentary.
WDW Rating: 10+/10

End of Part 1: After Moonlight Mile, there could be little doubt that Jake Gyllenhaal was a name to watch (even if one couldn't spell it). No longer would he be the distraction in a story of women facing crises in their lives - Jake had a couple more steps to take and then he would be in the lead. I have no doubt that there are many who would disagree with some of my views above - so I would love to hear what you think.
Note: The films above are presented in IMDb order of release.
Includes pictures from IHJ. Thanks to Ruby for the Pilot input!
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Jake Gyllenhaal's Holden Caulfield - 'The Malcolm X of white suburban boys'
Today it was announced that JD Salinger has died, at the grand old age of 91. I may have had the feeling while reading it that Catcher in the Rye was not aimed at me - I never suffered the growing pains of a teenage boy after all (well, not in the first person anyway). But it was a book that I have read, my partner has read, my family has read and many of my friends have read. Also, it is a book that this chap called Jake Gyllenhaal has read. This book has influenced across age groups, genders, borders, oceans. It's not always been put to the best of use - I'm a John Lennon fan - but it will continue to be read, making the reader think about, and reassess, how they fit into their own world. It made me afraid a little.

So, here is Jake talking about Catcher in the Rye to Chelsea Clinton for Interview.
'CC: Right. Well, speaking of reading, are you reading anything interesting? JG: I happen to be rereading my favorite book, [J.D. Salinger's] Franny and Zooey. Have you read that book? CC: I have. Have you also read The Catcher in the Rye? JG: Of course. Many times, actually. CC: How old were you when you first read it? JG: I think I was 12. We went on a family vacation to Hawaii, and my sister gave it to me for Christmas, and I remember I couldn't put it down. You know, my production company is called Nine Stories Productions, which is an homage to J.D. Salinger's book of short stories. After The Catcher in the Rye I read everything he wrote. And now I'm back on another kick, reading them all again.'

'CC: Are you finding different lessons in them now than you did when you were younger? JG: I think now I have an appreciation of the specific more than the broad--the ideas, the sort of Buddhism that pervades all of Salinger's work. You know, I think it's genius that J.D. Salinger doesn't want anybody to make a movie of his book, because there's no way anyone can play it. it is what it is to everybody. I've met many people who actually dislike it. Especially some women I know. CC: Really? Why? In protest of the--and here I will try to shield those who haven't had the good fortune to read it yet--various tools Holden uses in his night of self-discovery? JG: I don't want to be gender-specific, and I hate separating male from female, but I do think that male angst, especially in an adolescent boy's life, is very specific. I think girls moving into womanhood go through it earlier and in a somewhat different way. So by the time they're the age where boys start going through it, they've sort of already gone through it, and some people just don't relate.'

'CC: That's interesting. I don't think I've ever encountered anyone who has a vehement dislike for the book. I know people who don't like it as much as I would have anticipated they would, but I've never had the benefit of having to defend why I like it. It's a special experience to read it when you are at the age Holden is in the book. I had to read it in high school, and it really compelled me and my friends to think about where we were in our lives. JG: Mm-hmm.'

'CC: I would encourage people to read it in the hope that maybe it would have a similar inspirational effect. Did you feel Holden Caulfield-esque while you were making The Good Girl? Do you even agree with your character's interpretation [of the book]? JG: There's something about him that makes me think he's only read that one book. He's so lost that he just sort of takes on this "Holden" persona because he understands it's universal. There's a funny line in the movie where [Jennifer Aniston's character] says to my character, "Your name's Tom?" And he says, "Tom is my slave name. Holden's what I call myself." CC: [laughs] I remember that part. JG: The Malcolm X of white suburban boys.'

Later on, during the promotion of Jarhead, Jake reiterated his affection for the works of Salinger: 'Q: What's your favourite book? JG: JD Salinger's Franny And Zooey. Q: What about Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye? Your character in 2002's The Good Girl was obsessed with it. JG: I've read that many times. I went on a family vacation to Hawaii when I was 12 and my sister [actress Maggie Gyllenhaal] gave it to me for Christmas. I couldn't put it down. My production company is called Nine Stories Productions, a homage to Salinger's book of short stories.'

And here 'Jake professes his fondness for J.D. Salinger's novel. ('It was actually the first book I related to when I was young.')' Jake's mother Naomi has also said that she reads Franny and Zooey, 'my favorite book in the world', every five years.

Of course, Jake starred in The Good Girl not only with Jennifer Aniston but also with Zooey Deschanel, who was named after the Salinger character in Franny and Zooey. Jake's character in This Is Our Youth also reminded more than one critic of Holden Caulfield.
Some influences get everywhere.

Includes pictures from IHJ.

So, here is Jake talking about Catcher in the Rye to Chelsea Clinton for Interview.
'CC: Right. Well, speaking of reading, are you reading anything interesting? JG: I happen to be rereading my favorite book, [J.D. Salinger's] Franny and Zooey. Have you read that book? CC: I have. Have you also read The Catcher in the Rye? JG: Of course. Many times, actually. CC: How old were you when you first read it? JG: I think I was 12. We went on a family vacation to Hawaii, and my sister gave it to me for Christmas, and I remember I couldn't put it down. You know, my production company is called Nine Stories Productions, which is an homage to J.D. Salinger's book of short stories. After The Catcher in the Rye I read everything he wrote. And now I'm back on another kick, reading them all again.'

'CC: Are you finding different lessons in them now than you did when you were younger? JG: I think now I have an appreciation of the specific more than the broad--the ideas, the sort of Buddhism that pervades all of Salinger's work. You know, I think it's genius that J.D. Salinger doesn't want anybody to make a movie of his book, because there's no way anyone can play it. it is what it is to everybody. I've met many people who actually dislike it. Especially some women I know. CC: Really? Why? In protest of the--and here I will try to shield those who haven't had the good fortune to read it yet--various tools Holden uses in his night of self-discovery? JG: I don't want to be gender-specific, and I hate separating male from female, but I do think that male angst, especially in an adolescent boy's life, is very specific. I think girls moving into womanhood go through it earlier and in a somewhat different way. So by the time they're the age where boys start going through it, they've sort of already gone through it, and some people just don't relate.'

'CC: That's interesting. I don't think I've ever encountered anyone who has a vehement dislike for the book. I know people who don't like it as much as I would have anticipated they would, but I've never had the benefit of having to defend why I like it. It's a special experience to read it when you are at the age Holden is in the book. I had to read it in high school, and it really compelled me and my friends to think about where we were in our lives. JG: Mm-hmm.'

'CC: I would encourage people to read it in the hope that maybe it would have a similar inspirational effect. Did you feel Holden Caulfield-esque while you were making The Good Girl? Do you even agree with your character's interpretation [of the book]? JG: There's something about him that makes me think he's only read that one book. He's so lost that he just sort of takes on this "Holden" persona because he understands it's universal. There's a funny line in the movie where [Jennifer Aniston's character] says to my character, "Your name's Tom?" And he says, "Tom is my slave name. Holden's what I call myself." CC: [laughs] I remember that part. JG: The Malcolm X of white suburban boys.'

Later on, during the promotion of Jarhead, Jake reiterated his affection for the works of Salinger: 'Q: What's your favourite book? JG: JD Salinger's Franny And Zooey. Q: What about Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye? Your character in 2002's The Good Girl was obsessed with it. JG: I've read that many times. I went on a family vacation to Hawaii when I was 12 and my sister [actress Maggie Gyllenhaal] gave it to me for Christmas. I couldn't put it down. My production company is called Nine Stories Productions, a homage to Salinger's book of short stories.'

And here 'Jake professes his fondness for J.D. Salinger's novel. ('It was actually the first book I related to when I was young.')' Jake's mother Naomi has also said that she reads Franny and Zooey, 'my favorite book in the world', every five years.

Of course, Jake starred in The Good Girl not only with Jennifer Aniston but also with Zooey Deschanel, who was named after the Salinger character in Franny and Zooey. Jake's character in This Is Our Youth also reminded more than one critic of Holden Caulfield.
Some influences get everywhere.

Includes pictures from IHJ.
Labels:
Jake,
Jake Gyllenhaal,
Jennifer Aniston,
Salinger,
The Good Girl,
Zooey Deschanel
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Jake and the Good Girl and friends
By all accounts, Jake Gyllenhaal's Good Girl audition(s) were memorable. Not only did he throw a chair into the newly painted wall of writer and actor Mike White, Jake also made Jennifer Aniston speak to his friends on the phone.

'"I called all of [my friends]," the 21-year-old actor said, jokingly. "[He] made me talk to them," Aniston said with a smile. "I'm at the audition, I'm like, (mimes talking into telephone) 'Dude, you guys hold on. Before I go, would you just say hi to my friend?' " Gyllenhaal said. "No, I got the part, and my cell phone wasn't working. It didn't get good reception in Simi Valley where we shot, so I couldn't really call any of my friends that often. But yeah, I was very excited. I think more so that [Aniston] was doing something that was so out there and that I'd be a part of that."'

As for the love scenes: '"We're not naked, so there's that," Aniston explained. "Let's just get that clear," echoed Gyllenhaal. "We weren't naked. I was only naked. She wasn't naked."'

Jen had no trouble breaking the ice with Jake: 'We met each other and adored each other right off the bat. It was easy. As for the bedroom scene, we just bit the bullet, man, it was quick. Miguel [Arteta, the director] had it all set up and ready to go. It was two takes and we were done. You just dive in fast and furious as you can. Like diving into a cold pool.' I always get nervous with the photo below, seeing Jake so close to the (alledged but still scary) Zodiac....

At the Toronto Film Festival in 2002, while promoting Moonlight Mile, Jake had another anecdote about filming those scenes with Jen: 'Aniston's husband, Brad Pitt, was good humored about it, says Gyllenhaal. "At one point, I said, `Thank you so much for letting me make out with your wife.' And he said, `Don't worry about it. We can share."'

For those who haven't heard it, here is the famous Wall Incident, as described by Good Girl director Miguel Arteta to the Philadelphia Inquirer in July 2002: '"I saw over a hundred up-and-coming young actors. And it's a hard part, because Holden at first seems like this incredibly attractive, intellectual, brooding hero. But then layer by layer, whoever was going to play him had to reveal a really out-of-control, deranged person. That's a lot of range. We would have these auditions (with) a scene from the beginning and a scene from the end and you could just see actors falling to one side or the other."

'Then Gyllenhaal, who had been shooting another pic, came in to test with Aniston. "We were in Mike White's brand-new house," Arteta says. "We were doing the auditions there with Jennifer, and Jake came in and got into this scene where he had to get angry and he picked up a chair and threw it at Mike's brand-new wall. He put a huge hole in it. Mike was like, `Well, he definitely gets the part, but he better pay me back for my wall.'" (OT: I can't mention Mike now without thinking of the Amazing Race Thailand Fiasco...)

Includes pictures from IHJ.

'"I called all of [my friends]," the 21-year-old actor said, jokingly. "[He] made me talk to them," Aniston said with a smile. "I'm at the audition, I'm like, (mimes talking into telephone) 'Dude, you guys hold on. Before I go, would you just say hi to my friend?' " Gyllenhaal said. "No, I got the part, and my cell phone wasn't working. It didn't get good reception in Simi Valley where we shot, so I couldn't really call any of my friends that often. But yeah, I was very excited. I think more so that [Aniston] was doing something that was so out there and that I'd be a part of that."'

As for the love scenes: '"We're not naked, so there's that," Aniston explained. "Let's just get that clear," echoed Gyllenhaal. "We weren't naked. I was only naked. She wasn't naked."'

Jen had no trouble breaking the ice with Jake: 'We met each other and adored each other right off the bat. It was easy. As for the bedroom scene, we just bit the bullet, man, it was quick. Miguel [Arteta, the director] had it all set up and ready to go. It was two takes and we were done. You just dive in fast and furious as you can. Like diving into a cold pool.' I always get nervous with the photo below, seeing Jake so close to the (alledged but still scary) Zodiac....

At the Toronto Film Festival in 2002, while promoting Moonlight Mile, Jake had another anecdote about filming those scenes with Jen: 'Aniston's husband, Brad Pitt, was good humored about it, says Gyllenhaal. "At one point, I said, `Thank you so much for letting me make out with your wife.' And he said, `Don't worry about it. We can share."'

For those who haven't heard it, here is the famous Wall Incident, as described by Good Girl director Miguel Arteta to the Philadelphia Inquirer in July 2002: '"I saw over a hundred up-and-coming young actors. And it's a hard part, because Holden at first seems like this incredibly attractive, intellectual, brooding hero. But then layer by layer, whoever was going to play him had to reveal a really out-of-control, deranged person. That's a lot of range. We would have these auditions (with) a scene from the beginning and a scene from the end and you could just see actors falling to one side or the other."

'Then Gyllenhaal, who had been shooting another pic, came in to test with Aniston. "We were in Mike White's brand-new house," Arteta says. "We were doing the auditions there with Jennifer, and Jake came in and got into this scene where he had to get angry and he picked up a chair and threw it at Mike's brand-new wall. He put a huge hole in it. Mike was like, `Well, he definitely gets the part, but he better pay me back for my wall.'" (OT: I can't mention Mike now without thinking of the Amazing Race Thailand Fiasco...)

Includes pictures from IHJ.
Monday, 23 March 2009
Mission success! Jake's amazing handshake with Mike White 23 March
Good job everyone! The profuse apologies (see earlier post this evening) to Jake Gyllenhaal for being less than flattering about his hats and socks have done the trick and brought him out of the woodwork. Today, Jake met up with old Good Girl friend Mike White for lunch at Brentwood's Le Pain Quotidien, home of the astounding pastries. And here we can see Mike and Jake sharing the Secret Handshake and Wrist Grip.





Loving the hoodie, Jake! I'm perturbed by the undone laces but I'm not going to mention that here...


Mike was both a writer of, and an actor in, The Good Girl back in 2002.

Mike and his father have been entertaining many of us with their courteous and constantly cheerful double act on the current series of The Amazing Race*. *Please don't tell me what happened on the last show, I'm watching it with timelag - Go Mike and Mel!

Many thanks to IHJ for the pictures.





Loving the hoodie, Jake! I'm perturbed by the undone laces but I'm not going to mention that here...


Mike was both a writer of, and an actor in, The Good Girl back in 2002.

Mike and his father have been entertaining many of us with their courteous and constantly cheerful double act on the current series of The Amazing Race*. *Please don't tell me what happened on the last show, I'm watching it with timelag - Go Mike and Mel!

Many thanks to IHJ for the pictures.
Labels:
Jake,
Jake Gyllenhaal,
Mike White,
The Good Girl
Saturday, 21 March 2009
Making poetry
April is National Poetry Month in America - I'm envious, I want one of those here too. The event is kicked off on April 1 by the Poetry and The Creative Mind event, presented by the Academy of American Poets at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center. Amongst the creative minds attending the gala and taking part in readings is Maggie Gyllenhaal. But the image a month of poetry brings to my mind is that of Holden in The Good Girl reading his poetic efforts to Justine, or a young Jake mixing takes with reading 'dead white males' on the set of October Sky.

I remember Douglas quoting The Merchant of Venice in a North African country, showing how little times have changed, and I remember Hal finding poetry in a mathematical proof. Then there's Swoff resting on a pipeline, reading Julius Caesar, and there's Jack singing his drunken heart out about Water Walking Jesus. And I hear 'Cellar door', repeated over and over so it loses its prosaic meaning and is now the title of an ode.


I read an article about Walter Murch, the film editor of Jarhead, a man who also composed music and translated Italian poetry. And yet, to edit a scene, he would do it mute. But sound - and silence - is crucial in directing an audience's response to a scene or a situation in a film: 'To demonstrate, Murch flips on his computer, clicks the mouse a few times and instantly pulls up a scene from Jarhead. Swofford's character, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is in combat for the first time and there's an artillery barrage. Everyone else ducks for cover, but he stands up. And the camera moves closer to him. Then, in the distance, there's a muffled explosion followed by dead silence.'

'This fleeting silence is a golden moment for an editor - a chance to put the audience right there on the battlefield. Jarhead's director, Sam Mendes, originally wanted that silence to stretch for several seconds. But Murch came up with a better idea. Pieces of dust and sand from the explosion hit the actor's face in slow motion. Then you hear the sound of the particles hitting his face. "My combat action has commenced," the character says. Murch says the tiniest of sounds can help create the sense of silence in a film. "By manipulating what you hear and how you hear it -- and what other things you don't hear -- you can not only help tell the story, you can help the audience get into the mind of the character," Murch says.'

So then you think of the forced and frustrated silence of cowboys on a mountain or in isolated towns, who, when they do speak, use the least words to convey the most feeling and the ignorant, misuse of language makes its own poetry.

Includes pictures from IHJ.

I remember Douglas quoting The Merchant of Venice in a North African country, showing how little times have changed, and I remember Hal finding poetry in a mathematical proof. Then there's Swoff resting on a pipeline, reading Julius Caesar, and there's Jack singing his drunken heart out about Water Walking Jesus. And I hear 'Cellar door', repeated over and over so it loses its prosaic meaning and is now the title of an ode.


I read an article about Walter Murch, the film editor of Jarhead, a man who also composed music and translated Italian poetry. And yet, to edit a scene, he would do it mute. But sound - and silence - is crucial in directing an audience's response to a scene or a situation in a film: 'To demonstrate, Murch flips on his computer, clicks the mouse a few times and instantly pulls up a scene from Jarhead. Swofford's character, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is in combat for the first time and there's an artillery barrage. Everyone else ducks for cover, but he stands up. And the camera moves closer to him. Then, in the distance, there's a muffled explosion followed by dead silence.'

'This fleeting silence is a golden moment for an editor - a chance to put the audience right there on the battlefield. Jarhead's director, Sam Mendes, originally wanted that silence to stretch for several seconds. But Murch came up with a better idea. Pieces of dust and sand from the explosion hit the actor's face in slow motion. Then you hear the sound of the particles hitting his face. "My combat action has commenced," the character says. Murch says the tiniest of sounds can help create the sense of silence in a film. "By manipulating what you hear and how you hear it -- and what other things you don't hear -- you can not only help tell the story, you can help the audience get into the mind of the character," Murch says.'

So then you think of the forced and frustrated silence of cowboys on a mountain or in isolated towns, who, when they do speak, use the least words to convey the most feeling and the ignorant, misuse of language makes its own poetry.

Includes pictures from IHJ.
Labels:
Brokeback Mountain,
Jake,
Jake Gyllenhaal,
Jarhead,
October Sky,
The Good Girl
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