More of this Feature ADDITIONAL INTERVIEW: • Dylan Kidd - "Roger Dodger" Writer/Director ADDITIONAL "Roger Dodger" INFORMATION: • "Roger Dodger" Production Photos • "Roger Dodger" Trailer, Credits and Movie News

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After months of shopping around his script, a fortuitous meeting with Campbell Scott provided first-time feature film writer/director Dylan Kidd with his big break. Kidd's script for "Roger Dodger" intrigued Scott, who not only signed on to star in the film but also came up with some great ideas for casting the female leads.

“In the course of one week we went from not being able to get an actor's manager's assistant to call us back, to me sitting with Campbell and him saying, 'OK, what about the part of Sophie?' and me saying, 'Well, Jennifer Beals is my absolute dream,' and him saying, 'Oh Jenny's great, I'll call her. Hey, how about Isabella Rossellini for Joyce?' It was amazing,” recalls Kidd.

"Roger Dodger" stars Jennifer Beals, Elizabeth Berkley and Jesse Eisenberg joined writer/director Dylan Kidd for the film's opening night performance at the first annual San Diego Film Festival. In this one-on-one interview, here's what the talented actress had to say about director Dylan Kidd, her good friend Elizabeth Berkley, and working in independent films.

JENNIFER BEALS ('Sophie')

Before we discuss “Roger Dodger,” can we talk a little bit about “Runaway Jury?” Are you going to be a juror?
I am. It's exciting and it's going to be fun. It's shooting in New Orleans.

Are you a John Grisham fan?
You know, I've never read any of his books - I'm probably the only person in the whole world. But I've worked with Gene Hackman before and I love him. I love Dustin Hoffman and I think John Cusack is great - we've got the whole Chicago connection. New Orleans is one of my favorite cities so it was kind of a no-brainer.

In "Roger Dodger," your off-screen friendship with Elizabeth Berkley changed your characters on-screen relationship from antagonistic to friendly. How did you feel about the change?
Even before we started rehearsing, I never really thought of them as adversarial. I always thought it would be interesting to have this oasis in the middle of the film where you have two women who really trust each other and are really there for each other, instead of having two women sort of competing for men. He had enough of that in the rest of this film, he didn't need to work that gender conflict. It would be nice to see when that doesn't happen and how that compares to when it does.

There was a woman who was already cast as Andrea and she fell out. Dylan was going over some names for the character and I thought they were not 'gals girls.' They were the type of women that were much more threatened by another woman. [Dylan] said, “Who would you like to see play the character?” I said, “I think Elizabeth Berkley would be great. She's got so much life and she's so much fun. You're going to love her. She's so talented.” She and I have a great relationship. I said, “We don't have much time for rehearsal on this movie and it would be so wonderful for me, in just a selfish way, not to have to do a lot of building of that relationship in such a short period of time.” Of course at the same time Elizabeth's manager is handing her the script - they same time as I'm talking about her on the phone. That night I saw her at the show and she told me that story. Also Dylan's casting agent was telling him about Elizabeth. He met with her and of course fell in love with her.

I think that often times women can be cast as adversaries and that can be interesting to play, but you don't want to have to do it all the time.

Do you think Dylan captured your relationship with Elizabeth Berkley onscreen?
I think a lot of it did translate onto the screen. There's a comfort between the two of us that is very clear on film, that we get a kick out of each other, and we make each other laugh.

You've been in the film industry for many years. What's it like for you to work with a first-time writer/director?
It depends on the first-time writer/director. Dylan doesn't feel like a first-time writer/director. He feels like he's done 10 movies. He's willing to listen to other people's opinions. It was clear while we were rehearsing that there was a great value in using the relationship that Elizabeth and I have, because we have so much shorthand. When people are around us they can't keep up because we don't have to complete sentences. It's not just that we don't have to complete sentences, we don't have to complete words.

Do you find there are less good scripts written for women?
There are scripts that are great for women it's just that nobody is getting the financing. There are great scripts there. There was one script that had Sissy Spacek attached to it - this was years before “In the Bedroom” - and they couldn't get financing. It was fantastic. How is that possible that one of the greatest American actors couldn't get financed?

Basically the only thing that will help is when those films make money. If they turn a profit then it will be helpful. But even then, with the kind of star power they had in “White Oleander,” I don't think they could have gotten the movie made without Michelle Pfeiffer. In fact, I think they needed two names. I remember when they were casting. Even Michelle Pfeiffer might not have been enough to push it over the top. The films have got to make money and that's just the bottom line.

How can it be that women are still looked upon as 2nd class citizens in the film industry?
What I'm doing is developing a lot of stuff because to sit around a table and go, “Waa-waa, I don't have a good script,” and “Waa-waa, I can't get financing,” where there is a will there is a way. A lot of these people - actors, actresses and great writers - will not do a film unless they get paid a lot of money. Now people are starting to get wise because so many of the independent films are at the Oscars, and different kinds of ego-stroking ceremonies that they are thinking, “Hmmm, maybe I should do an independent movie. Maybe that's not such a bad way to go. Maybe it won't destroy my career and maybe it will be interesting.”

Do you enjoy working in independent films more than big studio productions?
Well there is a certain camaraderie that you have on an independent film. Not all independent films are the same, either. ["Roger Dodger'] is an extraordinary situation. Some independent films are schlock, some studio films are schlock, and some studio films are good. I think that by nature of having to do so much in such a short period of time for such a small amount of money that if you cast it well, and you produced it well, you've got a group of people who are all very focused on the same goal. That's very, very exciting and it's clearly not about money. It's clearly about the story and going to serve the story and that's exciting. That's harder to find on a studio movie because a lot of people are there just for the paycheck.

What are you looking for in a role?
I hope that I have a great character within a great film. Sometimes you get a great character and it's not a great film. Sometimes you're in a great film but you just have this small part. You try and make it as whole of a character as you can. But, for me, what I really love is, like in this film, it's a great part within a great film. I felt the same with “The Anniversary Party.” I felt I had a great part in a great film.

What was it like to work with Campbell Scott?
It's heaven. If I could choose one leading man to work with for the rest of my life, it would be Campbell Scott.

What is it about him that makes you feel that way?
He's so smart and so giving. He's very hard to explain. He's so physically beautiful and so incredibly kind. He's so unaware of his own beauty. I just think he's really God's gift.

I was doing Alan Rudolph's movie “Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle” and I was so nervous on my first day of shooting. I'm working with Campbell Scott and I'm working with Jennifer Jason Lee, and it's all so over my head and so intense. I had done a lot of research for the film and I was very well prepared to the point of paralysis. I was on the set and we did our first scene - it was me and Campbell and Jennifer and Andrew McCarthy, who I think is fantastic. We did the scene a couple of times and I went up on a line and it felt like I was up on the line forever and then I kind of brought myself back into my body and finished the scene. Then Alan called “Cut” and we were moving on. I was so humiliated. I went into the corner and I practically had a nosebleed because I was so humiliated. I think I started crying or almost started crying because I was beating myself up that badly. Campbell just walked by and he didn't really say anything to me because we didn't really know each other. Then he went over to Alan and I heard him go, “Alan, I think I need another take.” Alan said, “Why? That take was great.” Campbell said, “No, I think I forgot a line.” Alan goes, “You didn't forget a line.” Then Campbell said, “We need to do another take. I need to do another take.” Alan said, “Okay.”

I looked at Campbell and said, “You did not forget a line.” He said, “Yes, I did.” He tried to convince me that it was him, not me, and I knew it wasn't. I was like from that moment on, I would do anything. He is my hero.

I think what is so interesting about having him play Roger is that when he's in his most distasteful moments, you can see that under all the venom is a tender heart that perhaps is broken. That's what you are imagining is going on, which allows you to follow that journey. If someone else had played it who didn't have that kind of tender heart, then you wouldn't be interested.

What advice do you have for upcoming actresses who the media has labeled the next “It” girl? Where do you go from there?
Oh my God, it's Hell. You got to Nepal for four months and you do not leave the cave until it has stopped. Then you come back and resume your career as an actress.

Did you do that?
Not intentionally. I just loved school; I wanted to finish school. I wasn't comfortable with all the attention anyway so it was really nice that I had school to go to. I think I would have probably had a nervous breakdown in Hollywood. I would have been the girl in the hospital. But I loved school and I just wanted to go back to school.