"I didn’t begrudge the fact that I had gone on this emotional ride in the film. It was thought provoking and an interesting thing to think about how people respond to loss and this need for people to find revenge. Does it solve anything? Why do we think it solves things?"
Jennifer Connelly co-stars in the ensemble drama "Reservation Road" along with Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo and Mira Sorvino. Connelly plays Grace Learner, a mother of two who mourns the loss of her son after an unfortunate car accident. Her husband Ethan (Phoenix) is determined to find the unnamed driver of the vehicle which struck their son. The driver (Ruffalo), wrenched with guilt, finds himself in an unbearable situation when he is coincidentally assigned to the family as their lawyer.
We talked to Jennifer recently at a press day about her role in the drama.
Q: What do you think your character would have done with the information that Joaquin's character, Ethan, had in regards to who really killed their child?
JENNIFER: I think there are different components to it. First of all, I think the betrayal is infuriating. That’s one element to it, this notion that they’ve been spending so much time together and he didn’t know. That’s a huge betrayal. But I think that they differ in that they have this confrontation, Ethan and Grace, [whether they should] care or not care about finding the guy? She just sees it differently. To her, I think the thing she’s wrestling with is that nothing will make it better. The problem is the hole in her life and I think Ethan is chasing this demon that he’s created as if inflicting horror on him [Mark Ruffalo’s character, Dwight] or capturing him will set something right. I don’t think she feels it’s going to take away any of the pain or suffering by inflicting it on someone else. I think she just views it as ‘how am I going to move around this huge hole in my life?’
Q: You and Joaquin worked together 10 years ago in "Inventing the Abbotts." Has he changed since then?
JENNIFER: I didn’t have much to do with Joaquin in “Inventing the Abbotts.” I remember having one scene with him and having to wear weird hats. I was an airline stewardess so I didn’t have an experience with him like this. I’ve seen him and run into him a few times so I thought fondly of him, which is nice going into this.
Q: Mira told us that there were several moments where Joaquin would try to make the mood light off camera because shooting was emotionally heavy. Was that your experience with him?
JENNIFER: Well I think we had very different scenes to do together. I think Joaquin and Mira, and Joaquin and I, had different kinds of stuff. I don’t remember trying to be merry pranksters on set but that being said, we really got along. Terry’s fantastic and is a great guy to have dinner and a drink with, and Joaquin’s fantastic. We really got along well and seemed to like each other. Also, none of us were striving to make it anymore miserable than it has to be. I’ve given up on trying to hold onto a mood on what to accomplish in a scene because I don’t find it serves me very well personally. I didn’t feel Joaquin did that either. Terry is very relax all the time so no one is trying to create an atmosphere of tension. It was a pretty nice set.
Q: What was interesting about the story for you?
JENNIFER: It was pretty clear as soon as I read it. It’s only happened a few times in all the scripts that I’ve read where you immediately just know you want to do it without any hesitation. I responded to it emotionally, immediately. I thought it was stunning; beautiful writing, beautiful storytelling. I thought it was interesting also. I didn’t feel that I was being manipulated. I didn’t feel resentful. I didn’t begrudge the fact that I had gone on this emotional ride in the film. It was thought provoking and an interesting thing to think about how people respond to loss and this need for people to find revenge. Does it solve anything? Why do we think it solves things?
Q: You mentioned that this was one of the more difficult roles for you to play in your career. Why do you think that is?
JENNIFER: It ways it was huge traits because like I said, I love the material so much and Terry and Joaquin were a joy to work with both of them. It’s as good as it gets in my job, to have great material and great actor and director to work with. I also loved Grace. I loved her as a character. It was difficult to do for a few reasons. One, being I’m sort of obsessive with work. When I start working on something, it’s really hard for me to stop thinking about it so I’m always processing what happened that day and what’s coming up tomorrow or next week. I’m always going over things in the back of my mind. With something like this, it always stays with me. Also, despite the fact that I refuse to think of my own children on any conscious level working on films or preparing for any scenes, I think it was impossible for the film to not to, in some way, made out of my love for my children.
Q: So was this one of those films where it affects you off camera and at home?
JENNIFER: I don’t take it home on any conscious level whatsoever. I take my home with me in that yeah, I’m completely obsessive. I’m always thinking about work when I’m not working. It’s probably really boring for the people I live with and probably why I could never do a job back to back because I’d have no family. They’d clearly abandon me. (laughs) I’m not like, “Please don’t talk to me, I have this scene.” I’m pretty chipper on set!
But I had really bad dreams. My jaw locked up and I couldn’t eat. Even twice, I couldn’t sleep and that’s huge for me because I’m really good at sleeping. I felt it in my bones and I think even though I tricked myself into thinking that it had nothing to do with my own family, I think something at this level emotion and pain so deep inside, how could it not be forged from that stuff that we’re made of? I’m made out of my love for my kids and that’s what I’m about. Just to that extent did it affect me, and surprise me as well. I had never experienced it before.
"Reservation Road" is now playing in limited theaters.