Patricia Arquette signed on for "Human Nature" even before the financing was in place. Director Michel Gondry felt the challenge of portraying Lila was not just a matter of performing without clothing while covered with hair. "Obviously, that's not easy, but on top of that Lila is a character who starts out strong and confident and is slowly broken into pieces, until she is totally reduced emotionally. When Lila asks Nathan if they can have a baby, it's funny but at the same time excruciatingly sad. Frankly, I couldn't think of anybody besides Patricia that would be believable in this role. She's so truthful - the same way in real life as in her acting," explained Gondry.
PATRICIA ARQUETTE (Lila)
Why did you want to do this film?
I wanted to work with Michel (Gondry). I saw his videos and I was like, "Who is that guy? Find out who that is." My agent and manager didn't know who I was talking about. Then I got a phone call and was offered a Rolling Stones video. I love the Rolling Stones so I asked them to send over the director's reel. I was like, "It's that same guy! I told you I wanted to work with that guy."
And that was 5 years ago?
I think even longer; it was like 7 years ago. I did that [video] and said to him, "It's not easy for me to say what I want or wish for, but I really want to make a movie with you." Then he got this script and I already knew Charlie's writing and loved it. They sent the script over and I was just like, "What? I love this character!" so it worked out. I'm lucky.
How did you feel about the hair?
I felt good about it. Hair is back. "Ladies and Gentlemen, put some hair on. Support your hair."
Do you think that, as a society, we are too obsessed with hair and looks?
It's interesting because when we were doing this I said, "We better do this movie fast. They're doing laser hair removal now, you guys. We'd better get this movie done!" I think we are obsessed with a lot of stupid things. Gabrielle is obsessed with being French, that's sexier somehow - to be a French girl. Rhys is obsessed with "Who do I need to be to get laid? I'll eat or be whatever you tell me to be." Tim's like, "Will I be a good son if I know which forks to use? Yes? Then I'm a man." It's a movie about all that craziness that we've created for ourselves.
Is the hair a metaphor for something else?
I think we all have our own hair - I'll say it that way. We all have our own little thing, I think. We wonder if I was taller, would I be more worthy of love? Or how about if I was smaller? What would it be like if I was perpetually young - would that be it? I think we are all cursed with that.
Was nudity an issue when you read the script?
Of course it's an issue. As an actress you know the way this business is set up. I know so many actresses who were like, “Oh, you're going to do that movie? You're perfect for that movie.” You wouldn't believe the feedback I got. I know this business is set up with like the “New Cow” theory. I knew this would be a little risky. I think I got to work with great filmmakers because I take risky projects. That's the kind of artist I want to be. It's hard for me to do nudity at all but I feel about as much body shame without hair, as Lila feels with hair. That was interesting.
Was it easier to portray Lila with or without the hair?
That's a real toss-up. It was hard on my ego to do it with hair. I thought, “No one should apologize for their hair!” but that's the concept. It was a lot of hair, it was itchy hair, and I didn't know whose hair it was. I was like, “I'm melting down here. I don't know whose hair is on me.” Things were sticking to me but I felt safe. I was like, “Pile the hair on, less clothes.” I wanted her to kind of try to feel comfortable with hair in the woods. Once she gets all of her hair removed - when Nathan comes back - I wanted her to be more uncomfortable being naked. It's like with him comes the judgment of society. She doesn't have the hair anymore and she's traumatized by knowing that she shouldn't look like that.
What was your experience like making this film?
It was so fun. We all had a hippie part of us, the whole cast and crew. Ted (Hope), the guy who got the money together, was the guy that at 16, started the 'Recycle Bottles' campaign in Oregon. I said, “Of course you're the guy raising millions of dollars to make this movie.” We had a cool thing going on. We all got poison ivy at one point and I thought, “What would Lila do in this circumstance?” I got all these hippie remedies of mug wart and vinegar and I said, "Come to my room at lunchtime and I'll pack your poison ivy with mug wart.” That was fun.
Do you have a hippie side?
I grew up in a hippie commune so I have a real hippie part of me.
What would you have done about your hair if you had been Lila?
I think I would have gone through the whole gamut of all different things. I think I would have tried to get rid of it, tried to grow it, and tried to be brave about it. I think I would have a lot of conflicting feelings about it. I guess I would let it go a little bit natural. I know that in society you're supposed to wear fake boobs and straighten your teeth - I never did any of that. I would think I would probably be like, “What's your problem? Accept this, it's beautiful.”
Is that actually you singing in the movie?
Yeah, and that was really fun. I sang the last song, too. That was exciting.
Some people have asked, "Why did you start singing all of a sudden?" It's not just a cute gimmick thrown in there. When Lila started getting her hair at 12, in her bedroom with her stuffed animals - that's the feeling that song has. It's about a fairytale, child-like feeling of a little girl with her stuffed animals. She's feeling safe in the world. That's where that song comes from. It's an indication into the intimate aspect of the character.
You did "Beyond Rangoon," which was a very political movie.
Yes, it's great to be a woman and to be able to do things like that. This is a political movie in its own little way. I also just did a movie with Billy Bob Thornton called "Behind the Badge," which is about this woman whose partner gets killed who was a partial operative transsexual. She's trying to get them to treat that death with some dignity and to investigate. That was political, too, to me - especially that community. I feel very strongly about giving them a voice with some dignity.
Do you have a goal as far as the types of films you'd like to work on in the future?
I don't have a goal but I just want to work on movies that I really like. I have four movies coming out that I'm working on, and I'm really excited about. I just love the parts. There's this one movie called “Tiny Tiptoes” with Gary Oldman, Matthew McConaughey and Kate Beckinsale. It's about dwarves and Gary Oldman is going to play a dwarf. I'm going to play this alcoholic lady. I've never done that before.
