Devo’s “Whip It’ was an interesting choice – not mine. It was in the original script. The writers loved it and they loved those crazy hats. It was very visual to me and so when it was in script, I didn’t ask to have any rewrites done in that part of it. And it gave us a kind of a driving sense in a picture that had some sadness in it.
Joan Cusack is so funny and her character in this movie is basically the serious one. Was that difficult for her or for you?
I worked with Joan Cusack on the movie “Runaway Bride,” which we had a lot of fun. I’ve known her for a lot of years, I know her sister and her brother, and I just think she’s one of the few actresses that can walk that line between comedy and drama as well as anybody. So this was a last minute casting in “Raising Helen.” I thought that the part of the sister easily could be kind of a negative part and somebody you didn’t like. At the last minute I called Joan, who had refused to come to do the part – had turned down the picture. I said, “Joan, I’m very worried about this character. I need you. I need you to be funny and be real and be poignant. I know why you turned the picture down because you live in Chicago and you want to be with your kids. I’ll make a schedule where you can go home every week to see the kids on Friday. We’ll have a couple of days off and we’ll work it out.” She said okay because she knows how much I care that she’s with her family. And then she came and did it. I’m so glad she did. I think very few people could have done that part in “Raising Helen” as well as Joan Cusack.
You’re a writer, producer, director, actor, voice actor - which of those careers are you happiest with?
There’s no better satisfaction than filling blank paper so I always feel that I’m basically a writer. Then I learned to write with a camera. Sometimes I try acting and I can contribute in some way as a writer. I feel writing is the thing I really do, and everything else comes with it. I enjoy it all, but I really think writing is the one thing that got me to the dance.
Are there any young up-and-coming actresses you’d like to cast in one of your movies?
Oh, I love to work with all the new kids – boys and girls. I love Natalie Portman. I think she finally grew up enough to… She’s at the stage where you can now kiss her. She can have a romance, she’s grown up now. I think she’s great.
As far as famous people, Katie Holmes, and then there’s a couple Rachel Boston and Mischa Barton – these are TV people who might cross over. Who I want to work with more than anything is Jodie Foster. I want to do that before I go to the home for old directors who direct women.
What are you working on now?
I’m actually working on a play called “Wrong Turn at Lungfish” with Hector Elizondo who’s been in all my movies and was the car salesman in “Raising Helen.”
Are you involved in the “Happy Days Reunion Show” on ABC?
Yes, I did that. We played a softball game and it was great. I got to see everybody. Ron Howard and I sat and talked about movies and how we all wanted to do them. Seven directors came off “Happy Days.” We’re all doing films now. But Henry Winkler produced it and it was a very good reunion show.
I think, you know, they used to say, “That’s a nice, fun show – ‘Happy Days.’ Is it loud enough? Is it strong enough?” I found myself through the years having done very well and been very happy doing family entertainment. I think “Raising Helen” is certainly a part of that. It’s a very good picture for teenagers and mothers to see – and fathers, too.
You’ve said in interviews that you used softball to help cement the cast of “Happy Days.” Is that something you still do?
Yes, I still play softball. All my movies, we have softball teams and they play. I actually play in two leagues, and sometimes the people I work with play. I think it helps cement. I can’t play basketball anymore because I have a new hip, but I can still play softball, tennis. It just is some kind of an exercise to me that I feel helps cement a cast and crew so they can get along better. And my big thing now is a parade. I make every movie have a parade. They are so busy building the floats for the parade, they don’t have time to fight among themselves. “Raising Helen” had a great parade. Kate Hudson participated and it was fun.
