Jake Gyllenhaal parties, Source Code's first showing and Peter Sarsgaard to go (possibly) to Comic-Con

On Martha's Vineyard, in the summer, non-famous people are so few and far between, they stand out as a bit of a curiosity. Every summer the island sinks a few inches further into the Atlantic Ocean, such is the weight of the influx of arty, movie, music types. At the same time, as the Exodus empties Beverly Hills, one can wander through the deserted streets of Hollywood, tumbleweed blowing past one's ears, vultures circling overhead. Should you be fortunate enough to be on MV at this golden time of year, it is more than likely that you will be outnumbered by the famous, who will mill round you, excited to hear what life is like for this outnumbered breed of non-famous.


Last Friday, there was an account on Facebook that 'Mitchell enjoyed dining with the stars (tho not dancing with them) Friday at the home of Tamara Weiss of Midnight Farm on Martha's Vineyard. Name dropping--impossible to resist...Tamara's husband cooked for Mitchell and Carly Simon, Jake Gyllenhall, Jim Belushi, Amy Brennerman (Private Practice/Judging Amy), Busy Phill...ipps (Cougartown), and NY restaurateur Keith McNally (Pulino's, Balthazar, Minetta Tavern...)...'


It's great to see Jake spending more time with fellow godparent for Matilda Busy Philipps. I wonder how these parties go when the stars turn up - do they get introduced, I wonder, or are people expected to know who everyone is and what they do? What is MV Star etiquette? Do you learn it or are you just born with knowledge of it? I will also admit to thinking that 'Cougartown' was another place on MV, like Edgartown. Sounded like an interesting place.


Source Code

Source Code is coming together! A Jake Gyllenhaal director who tweets is to be reasured and Duncan Jones has been doing a great job of keeping us up to date with developments to Source Code. Admittedly, Duncan's about as good as most other people in knowing how to spell Jake's name, but he had this to say on 19 July: 'Just finishing the edit. it's called Source Code, and Jake Gyllenhall is in it! Should be fun!'


On 14 July there was a significant and triumphant tweet: 'Finally got a chance to show a cut of Source Code to a small audience last night... saw a woman in front of me jump in her seat! Victory!' This means one of three things: a) Duncan gave her a tickle; b) the audience was very short; c) SC was bloody good and full of surprises. I believe that Duncan will be at Comic-Con in San Diego this week but not because of SC, but as a visitor.


Comic-Con

One other person who may well be at Comic-Con this week in San Diego is our very own Peter Sarsgaard. Peter, of course, plays the baddie (Hector Hammond) with the very big head in the Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds. Tim Robbins plays his father. Peter is expected to be in San Diego, as is another of Jake's co-stars Natalie Portman, who will be publicising Thor. More details here and here. This will be a fun event to follow.


Many thanks to IHJ for some wonderful new old stills and on set photos from that most amazing of Jake movies, Zodiac. They illustrate the post tonight.

Jake - 'Can I go back and do my part over again?'

According to Variety, Nailed may be back up and running today for its last push before the next uphill struggle - getting the film put together, distributed and onto our screens. Only two days are left for filming, although probably without Jake Gyllenhaal who has probably reached that happy stage where he can put Nailed behind him. The last shooting will cover a key restaurant scene. Incidentally, a poster on IMDb has said that Jake's character's name in Nailed is not Howard Ryder but Howard Birdwell, which, if it's true, sounds a little better.


When Anne Hathaway arrived at the Australian premiere of Get Smart on the Gold Coast this week, her thoughts were also on the role that gave her confidence as an actress:


'But there was one other role she considers a personal breakthrough - playing Jake Gyllenhaal's wife in Brokeback Mountain. Hathaway said she had sobbed for an hour after seeing the film. "That was the film that I decided I wanted to be an actor," she said. "I didn't know if I had the chops for it. It was the first time I really came up against my own limitations and surpassed them. I remember thinking if this possible once, it's possible again and it's worth spending the rest of my life trying to get back to this place. Before then, I was having a lot of fun acting but it didn't feel inevitable."'


Talking of Jake's co-stars, and how actors can grow from particular roles or from working with particular actors, I liked this tribute from Jake to Peter Sarsgaard, regarding working with the older actor on Jarhead: 'Gyllenhaal was left in awe. "I spent the whole movie going, 'Is Peter just lazy? Does he care to be here?' "Gyllenhaal says. "And in that remarkable big moment, the crux of the film, I sat there after three or four takes, all phenomenal, and I shook my head. You could see all the dominoes that he'd lined up, in his performance, up to then. He knocked them over, and I was like, 'Whoa. What? Can I go back and do my part over again? From the start?' You never know what he's doing. But he's just lining up the dominoes."'



Includes pictures from IHJ.

Jake's our favourite fella while Maggie takes a break

In response to People's poll for the Sexiest Man Alive (which, I believe, extolled a man named Matt), AfterElton called on its gay and bisexual male readership to vote for its own Hot 100. Apparently, despite thousands of votes, Tom Cruise got zilch - not a single vote - and even George Clooney had to wait in the wings. But at number one is our very own Jake Gyllenhaal - named AfterElton's Favorite Fella because he fulfils every requirement for heat. That means pretty on the inside just as much as on the outside, being inspirational to the gay community and not being afraid to be associated with that community or gay stories. Jake fulfils every requirement and is adored by the gay and bisexual community, just as he is by every other part of his unique fanbase.



This is the verdict on Jake: 'It might seem like we only love him for playing a gay rancher in Brokeback Mountain, but really, we love Jake Gyllenhaal for being our favorite boy next door. Born and raised in L.A., Jake grew up around the business; his father was a director and his mother was a screenwriter. Not only is he sexy, but, before moving to Hollywood, Jake was saving lives as a lifeguard. Bet you didn’t know he’s sweet, too? (He gave ex girlfriend Kirsten Dunst a lovely little kitten for her birthday one year. Altogether: "Aaawww....") Jake is a matinee idol with legit acting chops (he was nominated for an Oscar for Brokeback) and a genuine respect for his gay fans; not only did he make a surprise appearance at this year's GLAAD Awards, but he also dedicated a rousing (and impressive) performance of Dreamgirls' showstopper to his gay fans — in drag — on Saturday Night Live."


Maggie takes on Katie

I fear that neither Jake nor Maggie were on Tom and Katie's party list for the Welcome Posh and Becks to LA Bash. Maggie has been heard throwing some doubt on Katie Holmes' thespian prowess as Rachel Dawes in Batman. According to WENN, Maggie said: "I’m not walking into Katie Holmes’ performance,... I’m thinking of it as an opportunity to play somebody who’s alive and smart. Chris (Nolan the director) asked me to do this because he wanted me, not because he wants some generic lady in a dress.” Of course, we all know how easily innocent remarks can be taken out of context but Maggie's statement does seem to me to have an edge to it and no-one could ever accuse Maggie of not being brave enough to express an opinion.


The Nantucket idyll

Talking of Maggie, she and Peter have recently been spotted in 'a Nantucket love nest', 'in one of those charming rose-covered cottages at the Summer House in 'Sconset.'. As is my wont, this set my mind wandering to the idyll that is the Summer House, which includes white beaches, elegant and historic streets and cottages, and the Pineapple Inn, which was 'built for prominent whaling captain Uriah Russell and has been completely restored as a grand traditional inn featuring four poster canopy beds with goose down comforters, handmade oriental carpets and 19th century antiques and artwork. The bricked patio with its pineapple fountain and the formal dining room each offer a unique ambiance to linger over a cappuccino in the morning along with fresh squeezed orange juice, home made muesli and pastries that rival any bakery.' For the culinary amongst us, here is a menu from the restaurant. The whole place sounds absolutely delightful and relaxing and conjures up memories of reading Moby Dick - one of my favourite novels - as well as visiting B&Bs in the English countryside. A strange mix but it seems to work.


Includes pictures from IHJ and JJ.

Maggie flies high while Jake gets wet for a good cause

On Thursday night (28 June), Qatar Airways hosted a glitsy, star-studded bash to celebrate its launch last week of non-stop flights to New York and, there among the stars, ready to dine on caviar and Dom Perignon, chill out to Diana Ross and play with their freebie iPod nanos, were Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Saarsgaard as well as Chloe Sevigny.



This sounds to me like one of those glamorous, red carpet events that I will always think weird and I will never understand. Thursday night's gala, held at NYC's Lincoln Center, organised by 'party planner to the stars' Colin Cowie and hosted by Andie MacDowell, wasn't a charity event, it was solely about the promotion of an airline. Speaker after speaker extolled the opportunities that this venture will allow, enabling more people the choice to travel thousands of airmiles in Qatar Airlines luxury. Presumably, these people meaning those people who were at the bash. And I daresay the words 'carbon' and 'footprint' weren't on the gourmet menu.



Ironically, this event coincides with the discovery of an interview recorded between Jake Gyllenhaal and Matt Lauer for The Today Show, in which Jake discusses the dual purpose of his film The Day After Tomorrow - to entertain and be fun while highlighting the cause of global warming and environmental catastrophe.


This interview highlights above else what fun Jake had making a movie that he had no idea of how it would look when it hit the screen. Apparently, at his first viewing of the scene in which Hollywood was trashed by twisters - one of Jake's favourite scenes "for so many reasons" - he leapt to his feet shouting "This movie rocks!" Not only that, Atticus did the same thing. Jake tells us how the water tank became a lavatory but that it added authenticity: "A wave like that could make you go to the bathroom in your pants." When asked if it troubled him that the tsunami approached NYC from an impossible direction, Jake quips "But when a wave's that big I don't really care."


True enough, these things don't matter, and The Day After Tomorrow's primary purpose is surely to entertain and amuse. But, as Jake says: "every movie should have a reason". This movie is built upon events that actually took place 10,000 years or so ago and, accidentally or otherwise, the film did prompt some discussion and, as Matt Lauer points out, some used it "to bash the Bush administration". Thursday's gala event to me seems to be from another world.


Pictures from Women's Wear Daily, JustJared and IHJ.

Rendition trailer - Jake's blue eyes glow

No, I'm sorry I don't have the trailer itself, that is still closely underwraps at the distributors, but what we do have is our first description of it, written by one lucky film critic. This is good timing, as I think it's safe now to mention Jake's co-stars. This is what the fortunate and appreciative viewer has to say:

"Yes, I got to see what looked like a finished trailer for Jake Gyllenhaal's next movie - talk about making a boy's night. The trailer starts, though, with setting up Reese Witherspoon and her Middle Eastern husband's happy life, before he's taken aside in an airport and a black hood's thrown over his head and he disappears into some secret prison where they take off all his clothes and tie him to a chair. Reese, big bellied pregnant, and her other child are waiting for her husband at the airport, he doesn't show, she goes to Peter Sarsgaard for assistance. Meryl Streep is The Man, i.e. Goverment, here and she looks terrific and has what appears to be a Southern accent going; her role, at least from the trailer, was reminding me of what she did in The Manchurian Candidate...



Jake doesn't show up until like halfway through the trailer, with his hair all slicked back and one specific shot that made his blue eyes glow and my knees go wobbly - the trailer builds to this crescendo of Reese wailing about where's my husband and Meryl staring iciliy and Jake grabbing the husband by the throat and yelling that they need to know why he made some phone calls - it was all very dramatic. I kept waiting for Angelina Jolie in brown-face to slide into frame, though. But everybody looked on their game and Gavin Hood impressed me with Tsotsi and... Jake... so I'm sold."


This sounds like a completely different Jake, one free of the physical containment he felt playing Graysmith. I am very ready to see Jake in a dramatic and controversial role of this kind, which I am sure he will dominate, and I'm excited to think how Jake will convey his character's life-changing conflicts on the big screen, complete with those glowing blue eyes and slicked back hair.

I don't want to leave Peter out of this. After enjoying the on-screen relationship between Jake and Peter in Jarhead, I am more than ready to see them share a film again (whether they have screen time together or not).


Includes pictures from IHJ.

Jake Gyllenhaal - Maggie had the special gift

The thought that perhaps Jake is currently in New York City visiting his sister Maggie and her family has made me think more about the happy and enviable connection between Jake and Maggie. So today I've been inspired by new photos of Ramona's father, a very merry looking Peter Saarsgaard, on set in Vancouver and by an article written to promote Proof which contains a brief interview with Jake, recorded while filming Zodiac, and his co-star Gwyneth Paltrow. So, perhaps with Peter away, Jake is doing his bit - but without the organic diaper thing.



The film Proof has themes as old as life itself - sibling rivalry and the driving need to prove oneself to parents and oneself. Gwyneth Paltrow and Jake are the children of performers, writers and directors and both took on the family business as children and had grand ambitons. It is this that Jake (and Gwyneth, although not together) discussed in an interview made while filming Zodiac in Los Angeles and published in September 2005 .



Jake admits to growing up wanting what Maggie had in abundance. She perfomed in school plays and "I remember watching her onstage and saying, 'That looks really fun'... Even at the dinner table, she would be rehearsing for something, and she'd be in the middle of spaghetti and get up and do a little dance. And naturally, I wanted to do that."

Not for the first time, Jake reveals that he began to perform while at home and that the reason for this was: "Attention, you know? What you want from your parents." Jake took to acting very quickly, not surprisingly, "especially as a kid". "I remember feeling more comfortable than a lot of the other kids that were doing it, ... Growing up around sets and watching people do it, well, why wouldn't you? A lot of it is just feeling comfortable. And once you feel comfortable, people want to nurture it more." But, when Jake won a major role in The Mighty Ducks his parents wouldn't allow him to do it and you sense that this ruling devastated Jake as only a young child can be. "It killed me at the time," he said. "I was really, really upset and hurt. But I remember quickly forgetting about it. So I think it was a good choice in the end." You can just imagine what that house was like at the time!



Although I think it's clear that Maggie and her little brother were fiercely competitive as children in their performance for attention from their parents, Jake is at pains to point out that they get on well, but nevertheless "There was a long time where I felt like my sister had the special gift, and I was always trying to match it, ... I feel equal now."

But, interestingly, Jake suggests that things wouldn't have run so smoothly if Maggie had instead been an elder brother. "We're lucky that we're different sexes," he said. "And I'm sure Gwyneth and her brother, they're lucky in that way, too." You can compete but you're not competing to be the same.

Whatever the potential hazards of two very talented and gifted siblings growing up together in a house with high-achieving parents, who had to combine being supportive in their children's choice of career with the broader concern of setting them on the right path, it's clear all's good now. As Jake said recently, Maggie and her family, his parents, and his friendships are the most important part of his life.


Peter Saarsgaard is a big part of that family although he often seems to be away working on another movie - recently, of course, filming Rendition with Jake. At the moment, Peter is in Vancouver filming Elegy, in which he plays the son of a teacher (Ben Kingsley) who finds himself falling for student Penelope Cruz. Whether called for by the plot or not, Peter was snapped throwing himself heart and soul into a rendition of Singing in the Rain, umbrella and all. More photos here.




Talking of films... the city of Chicago is bracing itself to be plunged into turmoil as the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight arrives in town this weekend for intensive filming. All leading characters are expected in Chicago so, sooner or later, Maggie and Ramona will be leaving NYC, so what next and where next for Uncle Jake? I hear Chicago has some excellent restaurants and let's not forget Heath...

A big thank you and hello to Jantoinette!

Pictures from IHJ and here.

Jake Gyllenhaal - I assume the audience to be very intelligent

It seems to be no wonder that Jake Gyllenhaal's visit to London was of the flying variety kind. Maggie and her family, the reason for Jake's London visit, were all back in New York for Memorial Day and were seen walking around the West Village.



I love Maggie's style in these photographs and she certainly knows how to get her point across.


Meanwhile, the Cannes press conference - or at least some of it - has at last come to light in a format that doesn't drive even the most dedicated of Gyllenhaalics insane with frustration. No more endlessly freezing frames and no having to sit with your ears pressed up to the monitor speakers, trying to get around the French voiceover - there is no French voiceover.


With his typical, self-depreciating and modest manner, Jake answers the question of why David Fincher selected him for the role of Robert Graysmith in Zodiac. "David championed me and my acting from way before I was even cast for Brokeback Mountain... He was insisting on all of us, the whole cast." This is after Jake joked that "it was Brokeback" that did it for Fincher.


When asked about the audience who will go and see Zodiac in theatres across the world, Jake says earnestly, "I assume the audience to be very intelligent - maybe that's not the smartest thing on my part - but I really think they are."

More Maggie, Peter and Ramona pictures here.