Little Children Interview

October 4, 2006 4:10 PM
by [email]

Kate Winslet…ordinary? Not exactly. But in Todd Fields’ new film “Little Children,” the actress who lent Jim Carrey some eternal sunshine is giving Patrick Wilson (“Angels in America”) a reason to cheat on his picture perfect wife (Jennifer Connelly). And it has nothing to do with physical appearance.

Winslet stars as Sarah, a book-smart suburban mom who falls for Brad (Wilson) the playground “prom king.”

If you’ve seen Fields’ critically acclaimed drama “In the Bedroom” you might have a hard time believing his follow-up would feature Winslet’s most romantic role since she called out for Leo in “Titanic.” Ironically, “Little Children” spends more time in the bedroom (and in the laundry room, and at the poolside), and when the stunning-in-person screen couple met with press in New York, they told us all about it.

JS: A lot of people are saying it’s ridiculous that your character is supposed to be average looking.

KATE: I loved it. I wanted her to look like someone you’d bump into on the street. And I just had never believed in contemporary movies, in making an actress or an actor look so perfect that you just can’t believe they would ever really look like that. So for me it was just a great opportunity to stick to my morals when it comes to all that stuff. And she’s just completely different; she’s certainly nothing like Rose in “Titanic.”

PATRICK: Booze, booze.

KATE: (laughing) Shut up.

JS: Is there a drinking game every time she says “Rose”?

PATRICK: We’re very serious.

KATE: I hate you, but I…

CP: Seriously, though…why do they have this affair?

KATE: She gets a chance to feel things that she’s probably never felt and didn’t think she would ever be allowed to feel in terms of having this affair with this man.

PATRICK: I don’t think Brad’s ever cheated before and never would again. He was prom king, high school quarterback. We get the picture that sometimes he sort of relishes it, and sometimes he’s like, “that’s sort of all I am.” But for a guy whose been emasculated for a while, a number of years, he’s trying to get that back in a weird way.

JS: Why did he get married?

PATRICK: People get married for different reasons…it’s a very romantic sort of Hollywood ideal, and you always hope for that, and I certainly feel like I’ve found the one person that I could ever be married to, ever.

KATE: His wife is a stunner.

PATRICK: But you can’t help but think of people that marry their high school sweetheart and are never have anyone else. And you go “wow, that’s great, that’s what’s right for you.” I think Brad and Kathy would be fine. Would it be the greatest love ever? Maybe not, but…

JS: Has shooting sex scenes gotten easier?

KATE: Every time I do them I say, “That is it! That is it now! I’ve had two kids, bod just can’t keep up…I can’t be doing this, it’s ridiculous, just stop!” And then I end up doing it again.

JS: What was it like on this film?

KATE: Hilarious. The thing that we did that was so great for both of us, we were only focused on getting the performances right in those scenes because we thought that those scenes were absolutely crucial.

PATRICK: When they’re needed, they’re right, it’s not an issue.

KATE: You go into it knowing that they’re there, being in the back of your mind prepared, and then suddenly the day comes along and you go “oh, God it’s that day, oh no oh no,” but quite honestly, we laughed a lot. We did a lot of laughing and just trying to get it right.

JS: What are you doing next?

PATRICK: I’m shooting a film called “Evening.”

KATE: I’m taking the year off.

“Little Children” opens in New York on October 6th.