SWEET HOME ALABAMA
Movie Interview by Neils Hesse
Director ANDY TENNANT and actor JOSH LUCAS answered questions on SWEET HOME ALABAMA.
Andy tell us about Josh and why he was cast as one of the two male leads?
My fellow producers who are both female took one look at Josh and approved him immediately.
Andy why was Reese Witherspoon chosen for this role?
Well we handed in the script for this movie to the studio heads at the same time that LEGALLY BLONDE was released and so after that success she became the only choice for this movie.
Josh what feelings do you have about Reese?
She is a very intelligent and funny woman.
Josh you are from the south, so what would you say is so different about being from there?
The south holds onto its history in a tenacious manner - chivalry, debutant women and so on. We have very specific cultural traits. Because of this I felt that the picture should dignify the south.
Josh when did you lose your accent and did you have to lose it?
Yes I did to enable me to be considered for a broader range of roles.
Josh what are the real differences between the North and the South?
The South is very serious about it's roots, for instance in the movie there is a scene where a group of southerners are acting out a battle, that is real, it is actually regularly done over there.
Andy: The studios are very politically correct these days and so we had to make sure that we portrayed these people in an accurate manner.
Josh would you say that your nomadic life as a child fuelled your role?
Yes, the process of needing to change each new place to suit me because I could not settle in comfortably otherwise "you can't have roots and wings". (These are words that my character says in the movie). But in reality I think that you can, as long as you appreciate where you came from.
Josh when did you decide about your career?
When I was a young boy living with my dad and mum, we lived on an island for a while and a movie crew rented our house during the day for some shooting. It was when I watched them filming a scene of a father and son arguing on the beach, that was when I decided to become an actor.
Andy what influence did you have in the music for the picture?
Most of Reese's audience may not know the Lynyrd Skynyrd song so we wanted to allow them to rediscover it.y
Josh what was a culture shock for you when you first came to New York?
Everything, you are either chewed up and spat out or you get addicted to it, I am now addicted to it. It is more intriguing than Los Angeles because it has people working in varied industries, not only the movie business.
Andy have you had any difficulty in green lighting projects?
After being in 'director jail' I was ready for anything. Movies are like children you love them all including your problem child, ie ANNA AND THE KING.
Andy - anything in the pipeline?
Yes very busy, I wrote a big Blake Edwards style comedy adventure called ROGUES GALLERY
Josh would you welcome superstar pressure?
Movie stars and actors do not normally go together, I've been acting for 15 years but I do not really think of it as a very important job. Having said this I still enjoy what I do and I want to make more movies, thus I feel lucky to be able to do so but I do not take it all too seriously.
Andy did you have any idea that this movie would be such a success?
Days before the opening are the worst days in my life, with the editing period being the enduring one, so no you cannot anticipate but if you do then you are a tosser.
Josh did you share a scene with Reese in AMERICAN PSYCHO?
No but I did see her through an open doorway she had a very strong presence about her.
What is the most foolhardy romantic gesture you guys have made?
ANDY TENNANT: Well my wife was proposed to in Tiffanys, I'm glad she refused of course and in fact that is how I came up with the idea for that scene in the movie.
