Mom to the Screaming Masses: Crazy, Stupid Love - The Movie

Being on the computer is my job. I sit here, in fact where I'm sitting right.this.second - and I read emails and type. I write stories. I tell tales. I interview people and I fact check.I send emails, receive emails and I write. Sometimes I receive emails that are not kind. Maybe I've been misinterpreted or maybe, someone just doesn't like what I have to say.

Sometimes my email is good. Lots of times I get great comments or wonderful offers - and the vast majority of the time, I love my job.

Every time I check my email, I have between 1-10 new PR pitches. It's just part of my job - some of it is very bad, like the pitches addressed to "Priscilla" or "Ms" or "Hey, Mrs. Mom Blogger!" How about the pitch for vaginal reconstruction - or the one for special lotion for my special time with my spouse.

Some of it is very good. Clothing, food, some very great books. Trips, especially. When it's good, it's sort of stunning to me, because lots of the time, when I'm sitting here at this computer, wearing my "I'm FUN!" t shirt and paint splattered sleep shorts (decorated when I painted the bathroom, and was CERTAIN I'd never get paint on me - nope, not one bit), with my glasses and bed head - well, I really feel less than glamorous and kinda like a poser.

I was invited to join in a conference call with Steve Carell to promote his new movie Crazy, Stupid Love. I was also invited to the premiere - just in my home town, but I got to take two of my very good friends and go to a movie - so score for me! I won't tell you much about the movie, other than that it was SPECTACULAR. Truly - one of the funniest movies I've ever seen in my life. It's not a raunchy, sex filled film at all, but one of the best heart wrenching and yet pretty true to life movies that I have seen.

It's also cool to go into a movie theater and see seats taped off for you, with your name and and the words Reserved Seats for Screening Host - and have the usher know who you are.

Here are some of the questions from the call - my apologies if they don't make sense, I tried to type as fast as he talks, and that's pretty fast. The questions weren't mine and they ran the gamut. I had the opportunity to ask a question but I didn't have anything to ask, and my kids were going beserk, so I muted the call and just listened. And typed furiously, lol.

What appealed to you about this script? I thought it was very human and had real characters going through interesting life experiences. Ultimately, I thought it was very funny. Lots of twists and turns that I did not see coming. Reading the part where my character jumps out of the car peaked my interest - that action said a lot about my character.

What did you enjoy the most? Ryan Gosling's abs. They were not photoshopped - they were real and I can't tell you how many questions I have received about his body, which just makes me feel terrible. Everyone asks when will they see my body, which just makes me feel terrible.

I wondered if you learned anything from the movie to apply in real life? I will never jump out of a car if my wife wants to discuss something serious with me. I think I apply my life to scripts as opposed to the other way - it makes the script more real. It was important to me that everyone know that people in a divorce are both culpable. There's usually fault on both sides and there is rarely a villain. I tried to apply that to the script. My learning really goes back to Ryan's abs - in order to look like that, you really have to work at it, and also be Ryan Gosling.

This looks like a great parents night out movie. Can you speak to that? I think this is an excellent date night movie. In order to be the best parent and the best spouse, you have to have your own life. Not a secret life, but you have to have your own interests and you have to feel good about themselves in order to be a good parent and a good spouse. If you concentrate all of your efforts into your children but forget your spouse or relationship you won't be as happy. What's great about this movie is that it's really funny. It will make you laugh for minutes. It's a very real movie, there's a lot of humanity to it, and a lot of accessibility. There's a lot parents can relate to and identify with.

General parenting question - if your kids are involved in sports, have you run into a situation with an overprotective sports parent? You meet parents who are overly protective and you also meet parents who are so rabid about pressing their kids into playing hard. There's a frightening aspect to both. I want my kids to be safe but I don't want to coddle them. Fortunately my kids aren't interested in playing anything dangerous. I played goalie in hockey growing up - either my parents trusted that I'd be ok, or they didn't care about me. They figured if I had the right equipment and good coaching it was ok.

How do you keep your kids grounded and do they think you are funny? I think my kids are much funnier than I am. Sometimes I don't want them to know how funny they are. They think of me just as a dad. Not a performer. I just want to be a fun dad. I don't want to be their buddy, I want to be their dad and really define their relationship with them. They have their school buddies and I want to have a different relationship with them than that. The toughest part of being grounded is driving past a billboard with my face on it and they don't understand why that is there - I don't want that to interfere with my relationship with them. What I do is a job and I don't want it to define me or define them. It doesn't make me special and it doesn't make them special.

What is your own personal fashion? Are you more like Cal (the character in the movie) at the beginning of the movie or after he's been transformed? I'm sort of in between. Right now I'm wearing Asiscs running shoes, Banana Republic jeans and a plaid J Crew shirt. As soon as I can I get into T shirt and sweats. My wife and I change as soon as we get home.

What traits do you see in your kids that you worry about or think is great? They both have a great sense of irony. Not only do they understand it, they know how to employ it. Not cynicism but irony. They understand irony as a concept and that is very funny to both my wife and me. They are both funny but they don't strike me as little show kids.

My girls are 6 and 9 and loved you in Despicable Me.Do you have plans for more animated films? There will be a second Despicable Me. They've already set a date for the release - July 4th, 2013.

I'd love to hear your first acting job. My first paying job was in Chicago, Second City touring company, 1988. It was how I viewed my success as an actor. I was able to quit my job as a waiter. All I wanted to do was be able to make a living. All of this other stuff was a complete surprise. I never thought I'd become an actor. I had a goal through high school and college to become a lawyer. I was stumped by the essay question, Why do you want to be a lawyer? I couldn't answer that. My parents encouraged me to move to Chicago and become an actor.

If your kids wanted to act, is that something you would encourage? When the time is right. I want them to be kids. I don't want them to have a career. I want them to be kids and to go to college and experience life. My parents encouraged me to experience life and to have interests. I'm hoping to offer my kids opportunities. I learned a great lesson from my parents - it is my kids life, all I can do is give them the best foundation I can.

What was your favorite scene to shoot? There's a scene at the end that turns into all out chaos and a knock down drag out fight. There's a shot of Julieanne (Moore) watching the fight and you see little bits and pieces of arms and legs in the fight and we were laughing so hard. It was a bunch of adults acting like 12 year olds. it was the most ridiculous looking thing. We look like were were about 7 - we felt like a bunch of puppies. (I agree - this was one of the best parts!)

When is your wife going to be in a movie with you? She's got a small part in a movie that I'm filming right now with Kiera Knightley. I'm encouraging her to write and she doesn't give herself enough credit. She's one of the funniest people I've ever met and I just really want her to get out there.

(Parts of this were paraphrased - but it's what HE said. :)

Comments

There was an ad for this on tv last night & Chip mentioned to me that he thought it looked like a good movie. I just need to know if we really do get to see Ryan Gosling's abs in it.

Posted by: Kalisa | July 28, 2011 at 04:58 PM

Wow. look at my old hair in that profile picture...

My husband and I have been saying how much we want to see this film. I can't wait. the interview sounds so funny & I'm glad you liked the movie. thanks for the insight.

Posted by: elz | July 28, 2011 at 05:27 PM