Before getting on with my interview with "Must Love Dogs" star Diane Lane, I have to take a moment and say upfront that my respect for Lane, Elizabeth Perkins, and a couple of the other supporting actors from "Must Love Dogs" increased tenfold at this particular premiere. Lane, Perkins, "Must Love Dogs" author Claire Cook, and just a handful of others braved the sweltering heat to discuss their romantic comedy. While one of the male stars of the film ducked out after doing just one or two interviews, Lane and Perkins showed they're made of heartier stuff.
If you're reading this and thinking to yourself, "Well, that's what they get paid to do, isn't it?," then you should keep in mind there are really only a few dozen well known stars who actually work the entire red carpet at movie premieres. I realize it's not like Lane, Perkins and the rest performed a miracle, but when you're standing on the carpet in the hot sun for a couple of hours waiting to do interviews, it really is a big deal to have the actors actually stop and do decent interviews.
Now that's off my chest, here's what Diane Lane had to say about working on "Must Love Dogs:"
It’s tough to believe you couldn’t get a date…
"You know my dad has a theory about that. He always says, 'You always get the pretty girls because they were home alone and everyone was afraid to call them.'"
"Must Love Dogs" is all about Internet dating. Did you go online to check things out?
"No. The less I knew, the better off I would be able to play this character because she’s discovering it, and doesn’t know what she’s getting into. It’s good fodder for comedy (laughing)."
Were you ever tempted to create a fake profile?
"Very tempted. I think it would be very interesting to see if Josh [Brolin] and I… I would be very curious what would happen had we utilized that method."
Obviously you don't need it, but do you think it would have worked?
"I don’t see why it wouldn’t. I mean, in some ways you’re having your first date without having to actually – there’s no rejection process. You get a lot of your 'nos' out of the way.
It’s like Caller ID. A fabulous idea but it takes a lot of the surprise out of it. When was the last time you saw someone [acting surprised] go, 'Hello?!' You know who it is. It’s just like, 'Oh, it’s you.' And then to sit auditioning each other for a date. You know that that person is there to audition you and they know that you’re auditioning them for the part of boyfriend or girlfriend or whatever. It’s horrible."
There's the old saying that you should never work with kids and dogs, yet you do both in this movie.
"I know, but it’s secretly more fun. I don’t believe that. I’m bucking the myth."
