Backstage with 'Fantastic Mr. Fox's' Wes Anderson and Jason Schwartzman

Last night, as part of an awards season film series sponsored by my newspaper, I hosted a screening of "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" with its filmmaker, Wes Anderson, and Jason Schwartzman, who voices Ash, Mr. Fox's ungainly, often not entirely beloved son. After the film's credits rolled, we took the stage and I basically played the straight man, lobbing up some (hopefully) not entirely dumb questions that gave the two guys an opportunity to tell funny stories about their childhood and the making of the film.

Yes, it is true, for example, that Bill Murray, who voices Badger in the movie, tried to cajole Anderson into letting him do the character in a Wisconsin accent, since the University of Wisconsin's football team's nickname is--ahem--the Badgers. Anderson said no dice, although he did allow Murray to assume additionally the tiny, but pivotal role of the film's lone wolf, a mystical creature who is held in awe by all the foxes in the film. 

Before we took the stage, we hung out in the Landmark Theater's bar, where Anderson and Schwarztman dissected the Coen brothers' "A Serious Man," which they both had recently seen. We agreed that it was easily their most--perhaps only--personal film, with Anderson, who is clearly a fan of the Brothers Coen, admiring how sneaky smart their work is. He acknowledged that it was easy to underestimate a Coen film immediately after having seen it. "I remember being pretty unswayed by 'The Big Lebowski' when I first saw it," he recalled. "But after a few days, it started to sink in and then I went back to see it again and realized that it was pretty amazing, having found myself quoting dialogue from it ever since."

For me, the nicest moment of the evening was provided by Schwartzman, who is also a talented songwriter and musician, having played drums for years in the band Phantom Planet. He now has his own solo project, called Coconut Records. At some point in our discussion, I asked him about his youthful enthusiasms. As it turned out, even though he was surrounded by movie royalty--his mom is Talia Shire, Francis Coppola's sister, which makes him cousins with Nic Cage, Sofia Coppola and (regular Anderson collaborator) Roman Coppola--his true love was always music. As a typically awkward, alienated teenager, rock music spoke much more directly to his psyche than films.

"When I was kid, I only went to see comedies, so while I enjoyed them, I always thought it was music that spoke most deeply to me," he explained. But at some point in his teenage years, he found himself preparing for an acting audition without really understanding what movies could have to say. When he confided his concerns to his mother, she told him to stay put while she hurried off to a video store. She returned with three movies: "The Graduate," "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Harold and Maude," which Schwarztman watched all in one sitting that night.

"It totally changed my life," he said, realizing for the first time that film could be just as powerful and soulful as the best rock and roll music. From that day on, he was committed to pursuing acting and filmmaking, leading him to his first great role, as Max Fischer in Anderson's "Rushmore." For some reason, I found Schwartzman's story especially inspiring, in the sense that even someone who grew up in a hall-of-fame movie family still needed a jolt of great movie-watching to understand the special glory of the medium. 

I've had a similar experience--for me, it was the first time I saw Sam Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch." But I'd love to hear if any of you had similar "gotcha" moments when a movie rocked your world. If you can still remember the visceral thrill of the moment, please share!

Photo of Jason Schwartzman by Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Yvette]

I was at this screening last night (thanks L.A. Times for providing me with such an awesome opportunity) and I loved every minute of both the film and the Q&A. What I found most interesting is how you could almost hear the wheels turning in Wes Anderson's head as he sat there. It's almost as if he was thinking up another film during the Q&A. Oh and to answer the question, I'm going to go with The Passion of Joan of Arc.

[Racicot]

When I was 4 years-old we visited my aunt and uncle in the town over from ours (birthplace of James Cameron), and as my parents and relatives partied and smoked hash in the rec room, I was alone upstairs watching THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE.

I was four. And even at that age I was set on proving I had the 'strength' to endure the scariest effing movie ever.

Friday the 13th on the cottage VCR was pretty hard to make it through, tho. lol.

[jared]

There was one night in college where I was staying up working on an essay. I needed a distraction, so I put on my roommate's DVD of TAXI DRIVER. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen or turn it off. Before I knew it, it was 3am and the essay was never going to be completed. But it didn't matter to me, because I seriously felt like my world had changed.

[LATimes Reader]

Oh yes, I weep tears of joy at Jason Schwartzman's revelation that occurred after his FILM ACTING AGENT must have booked his audition. Something clearly gained through nepotism. Are we seriously supposed to feel sympathy for this when there are many talented actors that don't have such an easy foot in the door? Patrick, all you do is pander to these people in hopes of getting an "exclusive" for your blog. Pathetic.

[Joe Momma]

Pink Flamingos...goes to show anything is possible :)

[charlie salem]

Living in London 1 was just 13 years old and on holdiday in Switzerland with my parents...Might sound glam but it wasn't believe me.I asked if i could go out and find someone to play with as everyione around seemed to have an average age of 50! Fortunately they said yes and i ended up alone wandering into the local cinema to see a film i was clearly not supposed to. The movie screening had been banned in the UK and the re released having been cut to pieces but THIS was the real deal.The usherette nor the ticket collector cared how young i was.They just wanted someone to sit in the darkened theatre as no one was there. The power, force of the imageary and the sheer display of film making skill given all the 'limitations' of the time was so clear i came out numb.Waking up the next morning i was asked as a matter of chit chat by my folks did i have any plans or ideas as to what to do when i left school.The reply was simple...make a film like the one 1 saw last night 'A Clock Work Orange!'

[josh]

Yes. Royal Tenenbaums. It caught me off guard that someone made a movie that could make me feel like someone understood family. It cut through me.

[Max]

My big moment wasn't while watching a big movie. I saw my oldest brother and his friends shooting an action sequence in my backyard. They did a really good job with the video, and when I saw the finished product— I just realized that it was possible. I realized that even I, a 10 year old at the time, could make a coherent movie that tells a story.

[jg]

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I realize it's more recent, but no movie had ever actually made me feel as if I was taking part in a dream. It was just a different experience than any other that I've had within the cinema.

[BE]

Oh, man. You should check this out, too.
http://www.deathandtaxesmagazine.com/?p=2729