Maggie lives a life full of inspiration: "My father is passionate about life, and has inspired that in me. My mother... taught me that I could do anything, and I always knew my point of view was worth something. Because of that I've made movies that challenge the classic 1970s feminist ideas. I see my mum in so many ways as vulnerable. But she has a tough front and I'm grateful for that because I think I've inherited it."
Maggie has shaped a productive life for herself in her birthplace of New York City and is comfortable with her family living in LA, needing "periods of separation". She is uncomfortable, however, by discussing her child and brother. Of Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie says: "I get asked about him a lot. It's boring because the most interesting things about our relationship are private." And that is the way it should stay. Maggie isn't afraid of making mistakes and she tries "to listen to what's going on inside me." "I certainly f**k up and I get confused. But I do think that my intentions are good."
Maggie is inspired by performance, music or a good book, and has learnt that relationships with girlfriends should be nurtured as much as that with a boyfriend. Not surprisingly, for a woman as focused and as happy as she admits she is, Maggie is not worried about her approaching 30th birthday. Being in her thirties "seems like a sexy, interesting place to be. My early twenties were so tempestuous, worse than being a teenager. I want to make movies that inspire you to be a thoughtful, caring human being. To be a thoughtful sister, or husband, or mother. I want to make movies like that."
The interviewer pays Maggie a great compliment: '..when she's animated, she is utterly charming, and if she agrees with something I've said, I feel sbsurdly pleased. I want her to like me, because I get the impression she's not won over easily.' You can read part of the interview here.
Includes pictures from Celebrity Baby Blog and IHJ.
28 comments:
Thanks for posting this WDW! I find Maggie almost as fascinating to read about as her brother. She obviously shares a lot of his values and ideals. She comes across as down to earth,honest, independent and confident in herself, and as such, I think she's a great role model for young girls, which isn't something you can say about most Hollywood actresses. Sherrybaby is on my must-see list now, but with it being released just in time for the school holidays I think I'll probably have to wait for the dvd :( Hopefully it won't be too long until it's on dvd here!
I'm glad you liked this Twisted Logic. I find I'm learning about Maggie all of the time. Obviously, Jake is my first love but, the more I learn about Maggie, the more fascinating I find her. As you say, she's a wonderful role model - an actress that is so different from anything remotely Hollywood. Jake seems comfortable in every place but Maggie is more fixed in what she wants and what she wants is a different world from LA.
And yet she and Jake seem so similar and, although I suspect they've had their rocky moments, I think they both aim to be as supportive as possible to the other.
Thanks for commenting, Twisted Logic :D
From what I know (which admittedly isn't much) about LA and Hollywood, it seems such a shallow and self-centred world.I don't blame Maggie for wanting to be away from it, especially with a young daughter to think of.
I'm not surprised she doesn't like to talk about Jake either. Although I'd love to hear Maggie talking about him, and giving us some new insights to him, I can totally understand how frustrating it must be, to be seen first and foremost as Jake's big sister. I think you're probably right about them having "rocky moments" but still being supportive. If I had a pound for every time I've wanted to strangle my little brothers I'd be seriously rich, but at the same time I'm hugely protective of them, as they are of me. And we're just a "normal" family. Growing up as part of a Hollywood family must have been a million times more intense. It's amazing how grounded they both seem, their parents obviously did a great job bringing them up:)
I need to rush to the market, come back, clik on this site, settle down, and read this article. TY so much for sharing with it with us. Hell, I may go downtown and get the magazine tomorrow.
I still am cowardly about Sherry's Baby...abuse being one of the situations I've face...but I'll buckup soon and rent it.
^^That deleted post is me having trouble with blogger - sigh - it's only publishing fragments of my comment...
Having a pack of younger brothers, that sounds scarey Twisted Logic! I don't blame Maggie either for not wanting to be forever associated with her little brother. They're both so talented, they deserve to be treated as individuals. I'm divided, because I want to hear more about what it was like to grow up with Jake but as a woman I support Maggie's independence. I agree, that Stephen and Naomi did a great job with these two and I bet life's seldom boring when they're together :D
Hey Sass. Thanks for commenting. SherryBaby isn't my type of film normally either. But I'm fortunate in that this isn't because of any personal experience. That must make it doubly hard. Maybe we should both try and see it. Thanks so much for your comment.
thanks WDW for another great Maggie article. I am so impressed by how grounded, centered and self confident both she and Jake appear to be.
I remember reading a quote from her last year.... something to the effect that Jake was the most honest person in her life. After reading these last 2 interviews, I wonder if Jake wouldn't say the same thing about her.
I would also recommend "Stranger Than Fiction"...... quite a different Maggie than the one in "Sherrybaby", but I thought it was an interesting and entertaining movie. She took what easily could have been the routine "girlfriend" role and created a memorable, sweetly quirky and tough character.
Wow, great article about Maggie and great pics too, especially the B&W. Yay for women, and the Gyllenhaal women, Naomi, Maggie and Ramona! I have a younger brother too, so we had our moments as kids, but I adore him always. I can understand them wanting to be two individual artists in their own right. I'm so amazed by their parents, that in such an industry and place as Hollywood, their children have grown up to be such wonderful people it seems. I'm looking forward to seeing Maggie's films. :)
Sass: "I still am cowardly about Sherry's Baby...abuse being one of the situations I've face...but I'll buckup soon and rent it. "
Sass I can understand just how you feel about it. I found the movie painful to watch despite its not having a connection with my immediate reality. Abuse again can take many forms, not all physical, and I saw powerful metaphors in several situations in the film. Maggie brings a delicacy and poignancy into the persona of Sherry ansd her predicament. Steel yourself and watch it, you won't be sorry.
Birdie: "She took what easily could have been the routine "girlfriend" role and created a memorable, sweetly quirky and tough character. "
It's good to find more people talking about this film. There is a pretty interesting discussion on about it at Stranger Than Fiction Would love to have you post your review.
And twistedlogic I love what you say about your little brothers. I can tell you that big brothers are pretty much as exasperating and as lovable!! WDW even a couple can feel like a whole pack!
Hi guys - thanks for your comments, I'll answer them all when I get back this evening :D
OT: I’ve just read an online review of the Zodiac DVD that is about to be released soon in the USA and apparently it has no extras.
(2 pages)
http://uk.dvd.ign.com/articles/802/802585p1.html
http://uk.dvd.ign.com/articles/802/802585p2.html
A comment on the site says there will be a director’s cut 2-disc edition DVD in 2008. If I am not mistaken I read somewhere that Jake was working on the commentary.
Thanks so much for this!!! I am really glad you included the picture of Naomi with Ramona. I think Naomi has to be the absolute "Rock" in this family. And I'm impressed with how thoughtful and intelligent both Maggie and Jake are.
Sorry for the double post, but I just wanted to say that I find Maggie's film work, so far, enormously interesting.
Maggie is a wonderful actress and deserves all attention she gets. I also like her strong, unique personality. What a difference to all those Hollywood plastic babes. She was so real in “Stranger than fiction”. Unfortunatly “SherryBaby” will not be shown here in Germany so I will have to wait for the DVD. IMO she and also Jake are fearless when it comes to shoosing film roles which are crossing some borders and will cause discussions and making people think. Hopefully “Batman” will get her an wider audience.
Incognita and Marina- your comments about your own sibling rivalry made me smile. Just shows that as human beings we're all pretty much the same under te skin.And Incognita, I don't envy you having older brothers rather than younger ones (I only have two btw WDW, but yes, that can feel like a "pack"!) At least being older than them I can play the "I'm older than you, so shut up!!" card (yes, we are as mature as that sometimes, even now that we're adults!)
((((Sass)))) I can understand your reluctance to watch Sherrybaby- I know something about abuse too, and I'm a single mother with a young daughter so it might be a bit close to home for me too, but sometimes film, books, etc that relate to one's own experiences can have a healing effect as well,so that's why I'm keen to see it. Maybe,as WDW says, we can agree to watch it on a particular day and then comment on it here.
Anon- I couldn't get the link about Zodiac to work, but I will be very annoyed if it's true.I hate it when they release all kinds of different versions just to screw money out of devoted fans. I haven't seen Zodiac in the cinema so I'll want to get the dvd as soon as possible, but there's no way I can miss out on Jake's commentary so I'll end up paying for it twice.(Btw he said in an interview at Cannes that he'd just finished doing the commentary for Zodiac).
Twistedlogic "And Incognita, I don't envy you having older brothers rather than younger ones "
Actually I didn't envy myself either until I lost one. That changed a lot of things for me.
And yes, SherryBaby is tough, really tough to watch, though it doesn't relate directly to my own experience. I can imagine how it would be for you in your situation, but I also agree that watching it can have a healing effect.
(((Incognita))) I'm so sorry to hear about your brother. I apologise if my comment upset you, I can't begin to imagine how awful it must be for you.
And yes, any work of art, whether it's film, music, literature or whatever, can have the power to hurt and heal in equal measures. We can all relate, as human beings, to painful situations, even if we have no direct experience of them. BBM is a prime example, so many straight women were moved so much by a tale of two gay men.
Stuff magazine in the annual Power issue IDs 30 guys under the age of 30 who're helping to forge the future. Jake is listed and according to the magazine he "basically owns Hollywood".
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/07/10/gone_trailer_ready_for_debut/
(((((twistedlogic)))))) don't worry and don't apologize. I was the one who started joking about it and I still do, because thinking of old times - the silly fights and the fierce protectiveness - the full package makes me smile and I dip into those memories to nurture myself. And BBM has greatly helped me to come to terms with the loss and to try and do things differently from before, wherever I can, especially when it comes to expressing love.
Hi everyone. You've been busy again I'm glad to see.
Birdie - I really like Stranger than Fiction. Strange indeed! An incredible premise and Maggie is a scene stealer. That's very interesting what you say about Maggie calling Jake the most honest person she knows. I suppose this can mean several things - that he can on occasion tell her unpleasant truths and that is also critical of himself. Being honest is a virtue but it can also be a tough, difficult trait.
Hey Marina - it is funny to think that, although loving Jake as we do, many of us are united in admiration of the Gyllenhaal women ;D
Hi Bobbyanna and Carla - it's a shame that some of Maggie's films aren't more widely distributed. I have no idea if SherryBaby will show where I live - if it does, I'll grit my teeth, get lots of popcorn and give it a go! As you say, both Jake and Maggie are fearless and indeed seem to welcome these challenges. As Sam Mendes, I believe, said - Jake gets turned on by criticism.
Twisted Logic and Sass - your reaction to the content of SherryBaby has far more meaning than mine because of your own situations. I would imagine that would make it doubly hard to watch. But, as with BBM, I agree with Incognita that these works of art can heal too, although I also think they can inflict a fair bit of damage. But catharsis is a wonderful process, I really believe that.
And yes, Jake has done a commentary for Zodiac - I've put a link to my old feature on this in today's new post. That should hopefully atone for the miserable offering that comprises this first release as, like you, Twisted Logic, I'm unable to wait for 2008 and I'll be buying any edition going. They have us sussed, don't they ;D
Thanks to the Anons for the links to the articles on the DVD release and to the article on Jake the Power Player - read the new post ;D
And lots of talk about families today - good to talk about our own families as well as Jake's - as well as the one big family of Jake fans.
I hope it's not too late for me to add a comment to your thoughtful thread on Jake, Maggie, challenging roles, and healing.
{And if this comes through a second time, I've had a hard time getting the publish feature to work).
I've been really moved by the way you've all helped each other understand the ways in which Jake's and Maggie's roles have pushed us to deal with loss and grieving. As one who has done grief counseling, I wonder if "group grieving" hasn't been an important part of post-BBM bonding between so many of us. I think we must be mourning not just the death of a fictional character but the real-life situations behind that, and the implications of them for our societies.
Jake and Maggie seem to push us to confront such losses and to find healing in facing them, and in helping one another. It's really been a joy to me to read your posters' comments, because I see that healing happening. It's helped me too.
Thanks again for this great site WDW.
Hey Kim - It's never too late for a comment anywhere on the site, I see them all and they're important to me. It's good to hear from you again. Thanks for persevering through the challenges that Blogger throws at us.
Your idea of 'group grieving' is fascinating and I think there's something to it and it may explain why the communities of 'Brokies' hold fast still. It's incredible to think that so many of us were so affected by the death of a fictional character - it must mean that Jake embodied in Jack Twist issues that strike deep within us all. How was he able to do that? So BBM hurt us to varying extents and we found healing through the community and, for some, through fanfic which found an alternative fate for Jack.
As you say, Kim, Jake and Maggie push us to this - you have to confront the pain before you can find a cure. I've found healing too and, as I go through another difficult period, it still helps.
I'm so glad you like the site, Kim. That means a great deal to me.
. . . the silly fights and the fierce protectiveness - the full package makes me smile and I dip into those memories to nurture myself.
You're so right, Incognita. I'm so sorry about the loss of your brother, and glad that you have these memories of him.
And that was a beautiful post, Kim. It really was a grief process, experiencing Brokeback Mountain and what happened to Jack, and the tragedy of J&E not being able to have a life together. It reached something in all of us and wouldn't let go for a long time. It will always affect us I think, and be in our hearts. :)
Thanks for that lovely comment Marina. I think that's why we don't feel the need to let it go.
Kim: "As one who has done grief counseling, I wonder if "group grieving" hasn't been an important part of post-BBM bonding between so many of us. I think we must be mourning not just the death of a fictional character but the real-life situations behind that, and the implications of them for our societies."
Kim you have touched the core of the entire BBM related process that we are all going through together. Thank you for your wonderful post .. I feel deeply moved, inspired and reassured all at once to read your words. I look forward to more comments from you.
WDW you are so right about having to confront the pain first. And these incredible siblings have catalysed that process for many of us.
Thanks WDW, Incognita & Marina--
Glad I managed to get onto the tail end of this conversation and appreciate your comments. This thread is timely since the Matthew Shephard Act (the Hate Crimes Bill already passed by the House but in trouble in the Senate) is up for a vote today (July 13) apparently. Those of us in the US can work the phones to help shore up support for a piece of legislation that strikes at the heart of BBM and Jake's brave stands on human rights.
Thanks Kim - it sounds like you have a battle on your hands - I wish you good luck. Thanks for highlighting this issue.
BBM taught many of us to look at ourselves and each other in a new light - BBM may have been set almost in a different world from my own but it had relevance written all over it.
Post a Comment