A hit when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1999, "A Slipping Down Life" follows a shy young woman who becomes so obsessed with a struggling musician she carves his name into her forehead, an act which binds the two together in unexpected ways.
INTERVIEW WITH LILI TAYLOR ('Evie'):
What was the long delay in releasing this film?
A crazy producer. Finally, the bank just took it over. And then, Lion's Gate, thankfully, bought it from the bank.
How long did it take you every day to apply the word "Casey" to your forehead?
The make-up artist was fantastic. He had actually made me this mask with the stencils of Casey and put it on. We really worked hard on finding the trajectory of the scars and how they'd change. It was down to a science.
Why do you think she thought it was normal to cut herself?
I don't think she thought it was normal. I just think she was at the point of desperate measures. I don't think she was thinking clearly when she did it. I think she was just so relieved to be woken up out of a slumber that, if that was the act that did it, that was fine for her, at that point.
Did you talk to any cutters to prepare for this role?
I read stuff about it. I had read stuff about it before, and then I just found some more material to find out about the psychology.
What surprised you about that?
If I was a psychologist, I wouldn't diagnose her as a self-mutilator, even though that was an act that she did. But, she's not a chronic. I think that, in the moment, she had split from reality and her impulses were taking over. She saw glass, and needed so much to not be herself and be somebody else. So, I think if some other object had been there, [it might not have happened]. It was more random, in a way.
Was it the book or the script that attracted you to this project?
The script, and then I read the book after I'd read the script. And then, [director Toni Kalem and I had a great meeting. I really loved the story.
What was it about Toni Kalem you liked?
Toni was with that novel for about 10 years, or something. She's been with it a long time. It was just a meeting. It wasn't an offer or anything like that. I could just tell how passionate she was about the project. And, I felt quite passionate about the transformation theme. I loved that theme.
[What about her transformation appealed to you?
Well, it moves me when anybody is just wandering through life, sleepwalking, and then wakes up. It's like the caterpillar to butterfly thing -- the chrysalis. It's just so moving because they're not going to go to their grave with a slipping down life.
Have you ever felt like that yourself?
Oh, yeah. That's why I related to her. I didn't relate so much to the obsession part, but more the just wanting to get out of myself.
What draws you to these quirky independent films?
I don't see them as quirky, so much. I see them as independent and I see them as left of center, but that's just because they're exploring things that are a little bit more unique and unusual, and not common denominator, so hence, you're not going to make all your money back.
There's also a huge risk the films might never get released. Do you just consider that to be part of the deal?
Yeah. I just try to have a good experience, and then I can't lose.
Are indie films more fulfilling than big studio projects?
I don't know. For me, maybe. I'm sure there's some that might say no, but for me, when there's freedom of expression and the director has autonomy, that's [great]. When the commerce gets involved, it's an oil and water situation, and that's what's going to happen on the bigger movies, for the most part.
Do you resist them or do you tend not to get called for bigger films?
I don't know. I'm going to bring something more complicated, and I think that maybe they don't want something so complicated, and maybe I don't want to be in something so simple. It's a formula and I don't think the woman serves the formula by being very complicated, and that doesn't interest me.
Had you worked with Guy Pearce before?
No, I hadn't.
What was he like?
He's fantastic. He's a great actor and he's a great person.
What are you working on now?
”The Ballad of Bettie Page.” Mary Harron is directing it and HBO is producing it in black and white. I play the photographer.
What sort of research have you done?
Well, Mary Harron is big into research, so she did a lot of the research and interviews.
Did you look at a lot of the original photos?
Yeah, I did.
Are you recreating any of those?
Definitely. We're recreating all of it.
There's been a lot of trouble getting Bettie Page projects done in the past. How did this one come about?
Mary's been working on it for about 10 years, and I think she probably had the blessings of the people you need the blessings of.
