The Lovely Bones, adapted for the screen and directed by Peter Jackson, is a tale of love and loss, and as McIver explained in our one-on-one interview, the book (and the film) deal with varied expressions of grief. "For me, the movie's really about the acceptance of a variety of forms of grief. I think that that's something that Peter and Alice and everybody who was involved in this understood. There's not one way that people deal with things. There's jealousy and there's laughter and there's revenge, and there's all sorts of things that people bring to the table. And I think the film really accepts all of those different things as part of the grieving process."
Exclusive Rose McIver Interview - The Lovely Bones
What did the book mean to you?Rose McIver: "Well, because it was kind of the first book that I’d read with actual subject matter and I was going into high school myself, that was a really deeply affecting book for me. I thought that the characterization and the novel and the originality of the way it’s told just really, really made it special."
Where you attracted to the character of Lindsey when you were reading the book?
Rose McIver: "I found her a fascinating character. I thought she was incredibly challenging and really admirable, actually. But no, I had no ideas that I would ever play her or anything."
When you got the part, did you go back and look at it again or did you just kind of put that aside?
Rose McIver: "Yes. I've reread it several times, actually, since auditioning for it and then being cast. And it’s kind of this wonderful resource that fleshes out your character, you know? You've got the story and so much to kind of look back at and use to inform your character."
Do you think the way that she's written and the way that she actually comes to life on the screen are very similar?
Rose McIver: "I hope so and that's what I've tried to do, certainly. I mean, although the film adaptation is always going to be different to the book, the heart of the story is very much the same. And I really do hope that I bring Lindsey, as the book character, justice."
The film captures the tone of Alice Sebold's book. Did you see that in the script?
Rose McIver: "I couldn't really imagine it not doing it, but I think it was really hard to tell until I’d seen the finished product. I didn’t really know what to expect, and especially since all the heaven stuff, I wasn't involved in that and I hadn't seen the shooting for that, so there was a lot of the film that was new to me, actually. But reading the script, I definitely thought it was true to the story."
You're 21 and you had to play someone who’s 11 at the beginning of the story.
Rose McIver: "I did, but we did shoot two years ago or something now, so I was 19. It was a bit of a lean, but I mean I have been all of those ages before. It's not like I was trying to play something above 21 or whatever. So they're all ages that you have been and been through, and with the help of makeup and costume it’s not too much of a stretch."
It wasn’t a stretch on film because you look exactly the age you're supposed to be.
Rose McIver: "Thank you."
You're welcome. How easy was it for you to go connect back with those years, because it has been a few years now?
Rose McIver: "Yes, it has. It actually wasn’t too bad at all. I did really specific kinds of things that I associated with each year. Like I had sort of memories from my years of 13 and 14 and things, and thought about objects that I associated with them. And then a lot of it is really with the help of the makeup and the costume team. I had wefts, hair wefts and braces and all sorts of things to really stick me outside my age as I was now."
Were you involved in the choice of costumes and hair styles for the younger Lindsey?
Rose McIver: "Well, I trusted them a lot, so basically no. I mean if there was anything that I didn’t feel would work, I’d say something. But no, I felt like I was in very safe hands."
When you're taking on a character like this where there are millions of people who adore the book, did you feel an extra weight on that set realizing what people were expecting of you?
Rose McIver: "I don't think I thought about it actually once I was cast, and once I was in Peter [Jackson’s] hands. I really, really trust him as a director and I don't think it would have helped my performance to be concerned with those sorts of things, so I just [did] the best that I can."
You said you trusted Peter as a director. I admire Peter the man...
Rose McIver: "Isn't he wonderful? He’s so down to earth and so personable. He's wonderful."
Is he like that on the set?
Rose McIver: "Yes, he is. People say, 'Were you intimidated to be working with Peter Jackson on that?' He couldn't be intimidating if he tried. He's so friendly and so welcoming. No, he's wonderful."
Does he storyboard everything out for you?
Rose McIver: "Well, I mean we had the script to work from, and with each day we’d rehearse a little before. We had a couple of weeks of rehearsal as well before we started the production. But, really, he knows exactly what he wants for each scene. There are a lot of directors who I've worked with who have great ideas and they bring a lot of things to the table, but Peter knows exactly what he wants. And once he's delivered that, you can rest assured because he will get it."
