Joan Allen's character is at the center of "The Upside of Anger" and in fact Binder wrote the role with Allen in mind. The two met while filming "The Contender" and at that time, Joan Allen asked Binder to keep her in mind if he ever wrote a comedy. Binder remembered the conversation and crafted the role of Terry Wolfmeyer with an eye toward casting Allen.
In "The Upside of Anger," Binder has given Joan Allen one of her meatiest roles to date and Allen has capitalized on the opportunity by turning in yet another stunning performance.
INTERVIEW WITH JOAN ALLEN ('Terry'):
Were you attracted to this part because of its mix of comedy and drama?
Yeah, yeah. I mean, Mike [Binder] wrote it for me and so I was glad I opened my mouth a few years before that during “The Contender” and said, “Would you keep me in mind any time you do a comedy?” And he did, and he wrote it for me. So, knock on wood about that, but I was really thrilled.
Did you buy into that rhetoric about older women being bitter?
Well, that’s what I think is cool, because in some ways, he’s got a point. I mean, who wants to go out with Terry Anne Wolfmeyer? She’s not very fun. On the other hand, she’s got a point. It’s disgusting that you’re dating someone who is underage. Hello! That’s what I think is cool, is it sort of puts it out there and then you can kind of go, “Hmm, yeah, I mean, I don't think she’d be very fun to go out to dinner with.” But on the other hand, “Don’t sleep with a 16-year-old!” So I just like that he’s kind of throwing it out there very much.
Did you want people falling over laughing?
Oh, people when I saw it in Sundance were falling out laughing. Falling out laughing.
But people also cringe when they watch the movie.
Well, she’s tough. And I like that too about the character. …I thought about [how] society has a very hard time dealing with women’s anger, period. And I think it gets pushed to the side. I think they don’t want to look at it. I think if a woman is angry she’s labeled immediately. And there’s a different standard for men and anger and women and anger. So not that this is such a huge thematic message film, because I think a lot of it is really cool entertainment, I think there is something out there like [that]. She’s been incredibly hurt and that’s where a lot of anger, I think, comes from in general is somebody gets their feelings really, really hurt and enzymes or whatever start charging in and then you protect yourself. And one way of protecting yourself is to get really pissed off.
How did you feel about shooting in England?
I know, you kind of just sort of go, “Well, whatever. We’re driving on the opposite side of the road to go to work. Okay.” I had shot the Sally Potter film, which is coming out I think in June in the spring in London, but it takes place in London and then I come home for like a month or two. Then my agent said, “You know, ‘Upside’ is going to happen.” I said, “Well, where are they going to shoot?” And he said, “Well, they’re talking about London.” And I said, “Oh, no.” But Mike Binder loves London. He’s shot there a lot and I also think at the time, it’s all sort of changed, they got a great tax deal.
Can you talk about the mother and daughter dynamic?
It was fun. All the actresses playing my daughters are just phenomenal. I mean, great people, wonderfully professional. They had so much experience. They’ve taken acting classes and singing and this and that. Talented, talented girls and we had a really great time. And they had a lot to put up with with a mother who’s not really looking after them very much, you know, at that particular time. They kind of have to fend for themselves in this particular moment in their family’s history.
How did you turn that off between takes?
You just kind of turn it off. It’s kind of like that’s that. [It’s] pretend. Like, “Okay, now I’m pretending that she’s really dark and angry.”
And you’re able to do that?
Pretty much. Oh yeah. I mean, there are certain days when certain scenes, I have to sort of - I can’t go in and out. It’s very emotional, really big sobbing or something. That day, I have to sort of…remember what I have to do and I can’t in between takes just go, “Hey, how you doing?” But it really depends on the scene. But at night I kind of go, “Okay, let’s see what’s going on…”
Page 2: Joan Allen on Working with Kevin Costner and Interpreting Her Character
