the awards editions 2010-2011

the low CoUNtRY
Low’s FeLix Bush is one oF those once—in—a—LiFetime roLes
Get
to hear Robert Duvall tell it, he almost missed
out on the part for “other stuff ” — an unspecified
bit of work that could just as easily turned
out to be another one of his genius exercises extending
out from his big–screen breakthrough
in To Kill a Mockingbird through The Godfather
I & II, Network, Apocalypse Now, his Oscar–winning Tender
Mercies, Lonesome Dove, The Apostle… and now Get Low.
MOVIELINE: Get Low was in development for what feels like forever;
When did it come to you?
rOBErT DUVaLL: Oh, it was in the early stages — four, five,
six years ago, I think. It’s the same old thing we’re doing for
other projects right now, which is just to find the money. It’s
extremely difficult. I figure if the Zanuck dynasty can’t get
money, who can, right? They came to my farm in Virginia,
and then there was a time when nothing was happening.
There was a rewrite that wasn’t very good. And then they
brought this guy in from Alabama — Charlie Mitchell —
who rewrote it beautifully, and they came to my farm again
with him, and that really sold me on it. But they still couldn’t
get the money. Then I saw [co–producer] Dean Zanuck and
his father — I wasn’t even thinking about it, and all of a sudden,
a year ago last December, they said, “We got the money!
We’ve got to go!” I said, “Well, I’m not ready. I can’t.” I
thought I had other stuff. But then I thought, “Maybe I’d
better go do this. It’s such a good project.” The other things
didn’t materialize anyway.
MOVIELINE: What do you think your character, Felix, was doing
out in the woods — in seclusion — for 40 years?
rOBErT DUVaLL: For 40 years! I know. I’ve often thought
of that. He must have had a lot of filler time. I guess they
couldn’t put in the movie how he learned to love the land,
where he lived, and learned with solitude. The hermits I’ve
come in contact with sometimes, all they want to do is talk.
All they want to do is socialize. It’s not that they’re like this
when they come out.
MOVIELINE: I get the impression that despite his regrets and guilt,
he really does appreciate that there’s a mythology around him.
rOBErT DUVaLL: He gets a kick out of it. “You boys come and
throw rocks at my window for 25 years?” It kind of reminds
me of some of my uncles in Virginia — my dad’s people from
way back. They’d tell little stories about the past and what’s
going on. But once again, I wouldn’t be sitting with you today
if it hadn’t have been for Mitchell — the guy who came
in to rewrite. Just had beautiful touches. Beautiful touches.
MOVIELINE: Like what?
rOBErT DUVaLL: Well, like the girl at the end — with the
white. Finding the thing to give to Sissy [Spacek] in the
graveyard, with the dogs. The names. The little touches
20 movieline.com
that aLL actors crave. even roBert DuvaLL
By S.T. vanairSdale
about how [she] played piano in the past. He put these
things in there that just made it live. Because he’s a wonderful
writer from Alabama — and it’s a Southern tale, so to
speak. I mean, it could happen in… Vermont. I remember
when I was in the Army, I bunked over a guy from Virginia.
Then two weeks later I switched to another place, and I
bunked with a potato farmer from Maine. And he was more
country than the other guy! So there’s a kinship from South
to North, probably an Anglican thing that runs through
from England on down.
MOVIELINE: I recognized certain traits of Felix’s from The Apostle.
How did those characters interrelate to you, if at all?
DUVaLL: I never really thought about it that much, really.
They just had something to atone for. Actually... Get Low
reminds me of a Horton Foote project, and I always wish
he’d lived to see it. The day I came to deliver the speech to
the people — I only did it once — the mule’s coming with
the casket I built for myself for when I really die, and they
said “Action.” And my wife’s off–camera, and she gets a phone
call from the son–in–law saying Horton Foote had just died.
It was like full–circle from To Kill a Mockingbird — it was like
one of his pieces. I always told Horton, “If I ever do this movie,
I want you to see it.” And then he passed away.
MOVIELINE: People always talk about the ‘valedictory role’ — that
one big role that an actor takes on before retiring. And some actors
don’t even recognize the concept. Have you thought about that?
DUVaLL: Lonesome Dove. I said, “Now I can retire. Let the English
have Hamlet and King Lear; I’ll play Augustus McCray.” A
great, great character. And we had time to develop it.
MOVIELINE: Did you contemplate retiring?
DUVaLL: No. No, I just made that statement to myself; I felt
I’d done something that made me
feel complete — that you don’t
feel very often.
MOVIELINE: Some of your most
memorable film roles have come out
of working with younger directors
— going all the way back to Robert
Mulligan, who was 35 when he directed
To Kill a Mockingbird.
DUVaLL: Was Mulligan younger?
Wow. Well, he had done television.
Yeah, well… It’s so hard to
raise money. The same guy who
wrote the adaptation of Lonesome
Dove had written a part 25
years ago of a character who is
very much like the guy in Lonesome
Dove. It’s a great, great part.
And now this top young French director [Xavier Giannoli]
is obsessed with it.
MOVIELINE: What is it about these guys — from Lucas and Coppola
to Get Low director Aaron Schneider and Crazy Heart
director Scott Cooper — that drives you?
DUVaLL: Well, I mean, if they’re young and talented, why not
get a break, you know? Or — better a talented guy from
Paris, France, than a hack from Dallas. You know? Because
you get a different perspective. But young people — and I
hate to use the word ‘passion’ — but if they have passion or
feeling for something they’re connected with or that they’ve
written, why not? Why not? Maybe a young director isn’t
jaded as much. They’re fresher.
MOVIELINE: Do you want to direct again?
DUVaLL: Yeah... I would like to. They say to direct is
tough, to [act and direct] is tougher. When I did both,
it was easier then if I was acting. You just do it; it’s fun. I
know it’s good; I see it on the day, you don’t have to keep
poring over it until the time comes to edit. I did it twice,
and I loved it.
MOVIELINE: The Apostle wouldn’t even work had you not
directed it.
DUVaLL: I agree. I made a joke that I wanted to put up
a full–length mirror so I could yell at the director anytime
I wanted to.
MOVIELINE: The scenes just go on. You never cut!
DUVaLL: You know, you work with a director and say, “OK,
that was good. What do you think?” And he says, “That’s
good, OK.” I don’t need the guy there to check with to
know that it’s time to move on.