Quite a bit of news this week. Firstly, Jake Gyllenhaal attended Saturday's LACMA Art and Film Gala in LA which celebrated the work of two masters - Martin Scorsese and David Hockney. Thanks very much to IHJ for the photo.
The movie news is that Jake has been attached to Southpaw, a boxing drama to be directed by Training Day's Anthony Fuqua. The Wrap tells us:
'If the deal gets signed, Gyllenhaal will play a left-handed prizefighter who wins a title but suffers a tragedy soon after and must put his life back together to earn the respect of his young daughter. While the film is set against the backdrop of the boxing ring, Fuqua previously told the Los Angeles Times that “the heart of the movie is about a man learning to be a father.”... “Southpaw” is expected to start production next year.'
Any thoughts? I enjoy watching boxing movies - including those about ex-boxers having to put their lives back together - almost as much as I enjoy Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve. I'll be interested to see what happens to this.
After a break for jogging and while Jake Gyllenhaal irons his shirt, collects his dry cleaned suit and ponders over which shoes to wear for tomorrow's Golden Globes, here is the second part of the sensational and lengthy interview conducted with Scott Feinberg. In this part Jake covers the 'teenage in transition' roles, the big movies of the mid 2000s, living privately in the public eye and his pride in Love and Other Drugs. As before, there are times when words are unclear and/or muffled and I've done my best and so, as previously said, any mistakes are mine and not Jake's. Over to Jake:
Teenager in Transition
'I just remember being pretty confused! There was a lot coming at me and I didn't... and I think that was what Donnie Darko was born out of, Bubble Boy was born out of that - the question of confusion of adolesence and growing up and being out there on my own for the first time. And even the movie Highway that I did with Jared Leto which never came out at the the theatres. The Good Girl really. All of these characters came out of, I think, a sense - I think I have always tried to just,... but I guess I just learned from the lesson of the moment... where I was in that moment I think, that I kept on questioning...'
I care very deeply about what I do and I think that leaves me very vulnerable in a lot of ways
'It's funny but I've seen over the past five years the image of an actor really sort of change. What an actor does and what people expect from them. Being outside scrutiny, and the internet and all these things - you have to maintain integrity (laughs). There are a lot of different things that changed since 2005 to 2011, you know what I mean? In terms of what it is to be an actor and what young actors think it is to be an actor. There are people acting all the time, all over the place, themselves, really. For me, I think I saw, there was definitely a phase in there with Proof and Jarhead and Brokeback Mountain - those came at me in way that was just like kismet. There was just a real... being at work with those movies. And yes the beginning, trying to find a real ease in the acting process and I think that ease translates maybe into being an adult.'
'And then with Brokeback and what Brokeback became, that was... all of us in that process, that was overwhelming. I see that a lot with people involved in movies that are such... and become these huge things in culture and that happens, it does happen. I think there was a little bit of searching after that for me. I was like, Ok, there's Rendition and then there's... I did Zodiac, which was, looking back on it, particularly the honour to be working with David Fincher and Mark Ruffalo and Tony Edwards and Downey, and seeing where Downey was, that was a really special time. There was searching in that, for me that's what it feels like when I think of that.'
'And then even with Prince of Persia there was a search in there, figuring that out. And then I think when I did Love and Other Drugs there's a... to be there's a real clarity actually, just knowing the character, finding a character that, a real character that I fell in love with. And for the first time... there are a couple I'd say - Donnie Darko and Jarhead and Brokeback, even October Sky, there are a couple of characters in there that I felt sure about and when my instinct comes up like that I go after it like a wolf! I mean I really do! And I did with that. Imagine me with... that for me was Love and Other Drugs. That, that marks the beginning of something else for me and that's why I feel so proud of it and that's why the character and the role I feel... I feel at ease with it. Like when the movie came out, there's usually a lot of... I like to think that they're only there... I care very deeply about what I do and I think that leaves me very vulnerable in a lot of ways to some people's responses but with this one, with Love and Other Drugs, I was like I didn't really care... and that's the beginning of another phase for me, which is different than I've ever felt before.'
I'm just as guilty of being interested in the people that I admire
'I approach all this stuff with great trepidation because I always feel that I never know how my words will be interpreted which I think is the weird irony like I said of being an actor because ultimately the only thing I see that I want to see from actors is vulnerability and I want to see them open their hearts. And when somebody tries to do that in their work and other people know very little about what's actually going on and tend to paint a very, very simple picture. I'm not necessarily sure why that happens but I think it's just... we're all part and parcel of it, do you know what I mean? I'm just as guilty of being interested in the people that I admire or somehow I find as interesting as the next person. I do happen to be a part of that, of some people's interest.'
'But I think, to be really honest, which is hard to be, I think it is kind of really... I think for a while there I thought it sort of impacted my life in a way and then I realised like, you know,... I'm a very private person. I try - the irony about all of this is that I really try to be a very private person and I definitely am, in choosing what I want to do, giving up that privacy, which is already confusing (laughs). But I think that... I think what I've noticed is that it's so hard for anybody, whether they're under scrutiny by a photographer or by some tabloid, or whatever, any journalist, whatever you might do, it's hard for anybody to find themselves, really their true selves. It's just frustrating when people have intentions and the intentions are... They've made it so, so simple when it's a so complicated, fascinating, extraordinary thing. And that's what I see movies moving away from too - it's harder and harder to have people make movies about complicated, fascinating... because that's not what's being consumed as much but actually it feels like maybe there's talk about it this year, that maybe people are really wanting that. That they really do want that... I realise, as I said, that it can be seen like 'Why the hell are you in these things every week?', they might not like that.'
'There is something that I would love... I love that people understand that it's a funny thing, I think, in the end and you hear about celebrities getting upset at the photographers and I understand why! (Laughs) I don't know what it is but it's just a real... it's made it impossible for people to be totally honest because when you're honest it's manipulated.'
Love and Other Drugs
'When Annie came on the project, as what happens when anybody who's a great actor, they're looking for the reasons for why their character exists. That's the first real question you always have to ask and sometimes actors I think can fit themselves into something that's the way they've been given weight to, they can create weight themselves. Sometimes the weight's already there entirely written by the writer and they just show up and read their lines and somehow the story creates something even deeper than you could have imagined. But in the case of Annie and that role, it wasn't as much and I made a decision, which was great advice from a lot of different people who had read the story, that the strength of the script was always - and I believe the strength of the movie is too - is its love story and all the rest of it, not that all the rest of it can go away, but in a way it could.'
'And what I think mattered the most as an actor is going towards the thing that works. Its seen for any created thing, that anybody who has any great success in the movie business, moving towards the thing that works and that is the most honest. And when Annie came on, she was like 'what the hell is this girl doing here?' I don't understand. Is she just like a thing... to create sympathy?' And we worked on it to make it a real love story and we just started cutting things, that the story used to be a story about this guy who goes through a journey and then it became a love story.'
'And I think it really was born out of Ed, Annie and I all deciding that that was something... At any point along the way me, or Annie or Ed could have said 'I'm out of here. No, this isn't the story I wanted to tell.' I could have said I wanted to be that guy who learned something and Annie could have said this character isn't developed enough and if it's not about her I'm out of here, and Ed could say any number of different things. But I think we were all on the same page with it and Parkinson's is what she deals with and I think the movie deserved a trememdous amount of more weight than it had been given initially in the script. So we just went that way and I hope that answers your question.'
Thanks
'It means a lot that you like the movie. To me, Annie, Ed and I tried so... we tried so hard to make something special with this movie and the fact that people respond to it makes me... how much hard work was put into it and how much we care about these characters. It means a lot, thank you.'
Personally, I am delighted to hear Jake mention Zodiac. It sounds that now Jake looks back on that as an important part of his career. I'm thrilled with David Fincher's success with The Social Network, including victory at the Critics Choice Awards. And so good luck to Jake and Anne for tomorrow night's awards!
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).
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!
Ten years ago this week, there were jobs going as extras on the new Jake Gyllenhaal movie. But to fill the bill, you had to have a certain look, which went something like this: 'Jeans, baseball caps, T-shirts, flannels and tie-dye. Props such as candles and flowers are encouraged.' While no fee would be paid, the best costumes would win prizes, including snowboards and mountain bikes. If there's any film of Jake's that would require its extras to bring along candles and flowers, it would be Highway.
Back in July 1999, the production crew of A Leonard Cohen Afterworld, as Highway was then known, descended on Seattle to recreate the Kurt Cobain vigil of 1994. While this was a source of excitement for Nirvana fans (and for that rare beast in 1999 - the Gyllenhaalic), it didn't go down too well with the rest of Nirvana: '"The real problem is that the average kid listening to the radio or reading the paper has no idea that we're not involved with this... offering door prizes as a means of getting people to 'look grunge' for the camera." Novoselic added, "It's the same old story, people trying to exploit everything Nirvana stood for -- and continues to stand for -- just to turn a buck." A representative of the Estate of Kurt Cobain also weighed in on the subject, adding, "We are not participating in this film. We find it without merit and boring."'
In response, the film's production told Nirvana's fans '"We are not in any way attempting to recreate the memorial service in any way that denigrates the memory of Kurt Cobain. If anything we're trying to do as much justice to that time as possible. In our script, that memorial serves as the backdrop for major life-changing moments in our main characters lives."
Filming continued in Las Vegas for eight days. Of course, this wasn't Vegas at its shiney best. This was the trailer park from which the two heroes had to escape: 'After all, as one character observes, "Las Vegas in the day is like a showgirl without her makeup."
But filming for Highway didn't just attract attention in Seattle. It also drew stares in the small town of Wilkeson in Washington, which was taken over by the film for two days that summer. It didn't just get attention because the scene involved cutting the top off a perfectly decent car, but because Jared Leto's girlfriend at the time, Cameron Diaz, who sat and watched the scene from across the street. A 'quick-thinking neighbor dashed into Wilkeson Grocery, the town's general store, grabbed its rental copy of "Mary," and persuaded Diaz to autograph the box. It now sits in a place of honor on a shelf behind the checkout counter ... right next to the box for the store's copy of "Prefontaine," which bears Leto's autograph.' I hope that now at least they would stop to get a Jake signature.
'Wilkeson seemed to be taking the filming in stride. Crowds were small at Chuck's - just clumps of people really, looking on and occasionally taking snapshots. One young woman asked Leto, Gyllenhaal and Blair to pose for her, and with a smile they complied.'
'Why the roof amputation? "Road trips are best done in convertibles," said Guy Riedel, one of the picture's two producers.'
This post is dedicated to Pilot's many devotees - and one in particular (I think she knows who that is). Includes pictures from IHJ.
Last night it was tweeted that Jake Gyllenhaal had been seen at Jenny Lewis and Ray LaMontagne's show at the Hollywood Bowl that evening. And today we have the pictures of Jake and Reese leaving the Bowl. As compensation for the report that Jake was irritable with the paps while Reese argued with them while less than sober, we do have chesthair. Jake is nothing if not protective here while Reese looks like she's having some fun. Hopefully they enjoyed the concert.
Am I the only one who wants to turn Jake's VIP Guest sticker the right way up?
I wonder if Jake is growing Rendition hair for a purpose...
And, speaking of rock, now for the strange news of the day. A blog reported at the weekend that they had seen a report in the Rollingstone that said that the movie about Kurt Cobain, now entitled Heavier than Heaven, was at last in pre-production and that Jake Gyllenhaal is included in the cast as Axl Rose! To add some credence to this is the identity of the screenwriter - David Benioff - who was, of course, the writer for Brothers. Quite an array of actors is listed as associated with the project. So is this true?
Jake is now linked with a whole heap of musical movies - it does seem to be a running theme. I cannot picture Jake in Guns 'n' Roses, no matter how hard I try. And thinking about Kurt Cobain inevitably makes me think about Pilot.
Jake Gyllenhaal has a rapport with animals, of this we can be sure, and, no doubt, this will further be revealed by Jake's interaction with snakes, monkeys and camels in The Prince of Persia. But as we have to kick our heels and tap our fingers for a fair bit before we can enjoy that for ourselves, I thought today I'd have a look at the role of animals in Jake's working life - this post therefore excludes actual pets and it also excludes actual horses, because we've talked about them recently. It does not exclude plastic lobsters standing on their heads.
But, before dismissing Jake's pets all together, I should quote from Jake's account of his childhood experience of owning small, furry (sort of) animals: 'My parents got us two little poodles that were unshaven, they were all scraggly and dirty and everything. And I had hamsters that ate themselves! That happens. The poodles didn't eat them.' I must say that Jake is lucky his hamsters were intent on eating each other and not bits of him. Maybe the poodles had a sense of humour - that can make up for looks.
Part and parcel of being an actor is that you have to work with animals. Jake has been fortunate in that they haven't featured in every movie - Robert Graysmith was far too obsessed to own an animal and Douglas Freeman didn't have the time in his job to look after one.
Cats and dogs
I believe that Jake has never played a cat owner, although he has been one in real life. I have strongly resisted the urge to post the picture of Jake with the kitten. Instead, this is the only on-screen occasion that I can find of Jake with a cat, but it's not necessarily the kind of cat-owning behaviour I would advise.
The evil doctor didn't just use laser cats, he could call on another species in times of dire need.
Dogs have also featured elsewhere. In Moonlight Mile, Joe took care of Nixon the dog, which had unusual and interesting digestive habits, little improved, I would have thought, by the amount of peptobysmal Jake kept feeding him.
Both Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar had to be good with animals, both when at work and when off duty (or, as in this case, skiving).
Sam had less of a rapport with animals, especially canines.
Small, furry animals
Despite Jake's personal bad experience with cannibalistic hamsters, as Jimmy he had much in common with his guinea pig.
Rabbits have quite possibly - with the exception of horses - been the most popular animals in Jake's films and all kinds have been seen, and not all of them have been small and furry.
Not being a naturalist or a vet, I am not 100% sure that these following animals are rabbits, but going by earlength I am putting them in this class.
Ugly animals
Fortunately, ugly creatures are seldom seen in Jake's films. The most notable examples were Jarhead's scorpions. I thought that instead of posting a picture of a scorpion, I would post a picture of Jake looking at a scorpion.
And although Tobey Maguire did get the highly sought after Spider-Man role, young Jake did give it a good go.
Human-alligator hybrids were also a feature of Highway, and of no other Jake movie (of course, I can't know this for sure about the forthcoming releases, but I'm relatively confident).
Working animals and farm animals
Not surprisingly, the film about sheepherders features the largest number of working animals. In addition to the previously mentioned dogs, there were also several hundred sheep (not all of which were real but all of which were stupid).
I don't know whether bulls in a rodeo count as working animals or not, and I have even more trouble classifying this make of bull.
There was a cow in Bubble Boy, or rather two halves of one cow. Be thankful that in this picture it's enjoying (albeit dead) the final seconds of still being in one piece.
Wild animals
Coyotes usually thrived when Jack Twist was around, but when Jack and Ennis teamed up, elks didn't have it too good.
When Sam wasn't battering wolves over the head with a torch or leading them a merry dance through the bowels of a Russian ship in the heart of frozen Manhattan, he usually had little but the weather to contend with. But, at one point, Jake did find himself in a previous Ice Age and in another Roland Emmerich movie.
No animals were hurt during the making of this post - except for the CGI ones (they all came a cropper).
Thanks to Ruby for reminding me of certain animals (of course, I'm not saying that Ruby herself reminds me of certain animals but that her list did - camels were a no-go though). Includes pictures from IHJ and Sam's Path Petting Zoo.
