Jake Jake Jake!

[Sophia]

Thank you so much Meryl 

[Mandy21]

Meryl, thanks so much for the blow-by-blow (no pun intended  ).  Like Buffymon said, I felt like I was right there in the third row, left, next to you and John.  Living in the Big Apple certainly has its advantages when it comes to Brokieness.  I'm jealous of all the stuff you guys get to participate in just by walking down the street or hopping on the subway.  Can't wait to hear the rest of the tale.

P.S.  Probably a good thing you didn't try to run your fingers through his hair.  I'm sure Security would have ensured that we never got this summary. 

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

He was adorable.

Very sane, very humble, very open. Honest. Humorous but not jokey. Polite. Courteous.

David Denby of the New Yorker was ok, but not wonderful. Once in a while, he would make mistakes, and after (Denby) mispronouncing some actor's name the fourth, fifth or sixth  time--Jake would gently correct him, and say it again, correctly, in context, to make sure the audience understood.

Jake said that when he first read the Brokeback screenplay, at the end he cried--just as when he first read the Donnie Darko screenplay, he cried. He still sees DD as something very, very special, very serious to him. When it was shown at Sundance, his parents and sister Maggie saw it, and went up to him and they all cried--I think he was saying that they realized that he had a difficult time during adolescence, and they suddenly got it. They certainly seem to be a very loving family. Jake also mentioned that, growing up in a very theatrical-movie-ish family, they felt that each of them should be 'collaborative' towards their work. He says that as he is maturing, he says that this was wrong--he now sees himself as a working actor, and that it is his job is to show up on time, be prepared, and give 120% to the writer or director's vision.

Again, very humble guy. NOT deprecating, just NO pretense at all.

He also said Heath in Brokeback was 'transcendent.' That he, Jake, felt it a real challenge during Brokeback to attempt to work up to Heath's level, but that the set was filled with love.

Denby mentioned several times that Jake turns 30 December 19 (he was born in 1980), and at some point, Jake said, sorty of jokey but not jokey, Jeez, stop with the 'turning 30' already!

Interesting aside--he told how he left Columbia University, how whenever he had a 30-45 minute break between classes he would run out and do auditions--and that's how he got the part in October Sky (which I  adored, by the way.)

There was lots more--90 minutes worth! Beforehand--wine and hors d'oeuvres, good ones!

Great evening. Thank you, Paul!

Hope you can remember more, Meryl--if I can post more, I will.

[Sophia]

A few minutes from The New Yorker film festival, with Jake G

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

A few minutes from The New Yorker film festival, with Jake G

Thank you, Sophia!



Post Script:

As Jake and Denby were first walking on stage, the lights went down, this video started playing, and, rather than sit in their chairs (rats! Jake was supposed to sit in the other  chair, and we would have seen him full face!) they crouched down near the edge of the stage, and watched:


"Jason Schwartzman Introduces The New Yorker iPad App"
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2010/09/jason-schwartzman-ipad-video.html


Cute promo, Jake seemed to be interested and amused, and immediately afterwards, when sitting down (in the wrong chairs!) Jake told Denby and the audience that he knew Schwartzman since childhood, although they went to different highschools in Los Angeles, and that Schwartzman was originally to have been the lead in Donnie Darko--production had started, and, after two months, financing fell through, Schwartzman had to bow out, and Richard Kelly, the director, had a hard time getting his cast and crew back together--this time, with Jake. (As with Darko, the Universe wants what it wants--   )

[Sophia]

(Jake quote)

Jake discussed how he chooses movies that make him feel something when he reads the script ("At the end of reading Love and Other Drugs, I was crying. At the end of reading Brokeback Mountain, I was crying. At the end of Donnie Darko, I was throwing up.")

Is this something you remember, John?

[Brown Eyes]

Wow!!!  Thanks Meryl and John!  I'm sooooooo happy to know that you two were there (Brokies being represented in the theater!).  Great report on how things went.  The interview sounds really interesting and genuine.  I'm glad to hear that Love and Other Drugs is getting positive buzz.

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

(Jake quote)

Jake discussed how he chooses movies that make him feel something when he reads the script ("At the end of reading Love and Other Drugs, I was crying. At the end of reading Brokeback Mountain, I was crying. At the end of Donnie Darko, I was throwing up.")

Is this something you remember, John?

As I recall it, Sophia, the first time he said it, he said it straight. Later, when Denby brought it back (not very artfully or subtly--I thought Denby was off that night) Jake said it the other, maybe jokey way--maybe Meryl will remember it differently. Rashomon Gyllenhaal!  

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

Wow!!!  Thanks Meryl and John!  I'm sooooooo happy to know that you two were there (Brokie's being represented in the theater!).  Great report on how things went.  The interview sounds really interesting and genuine.  I'm glad to hear that Love and Other Drugs is getting positive buzz.

Thanks, Amanda! In re LAOD, Denby was rapturous.  We shall see!

[Meryl]

Thanks, John, for filling in some details and Sophia for the youtubes.  I'm sure a bunch of things have drained out of my brain by now, but here's some more.

In addition to Brokeback and Donnie Darko, Denby showed a clip from Zodiac where Jake and Mark Ruffalo were discussing how they knew the killer but couldn't prove he did the murders.  This flowed into another where Jake went into a hardware store and looked at the killer, who worked there, and the way the man looked back at him showed that he knew that Jake knew.   Denby asked how it worked acting-wise to play characters at different ages, as the Zodiac character was older, as well as the older Jack Twist.  He said it was amazing how much just a change of costume helped.  He also mentioned that the killer in Zodiac was played by the same actor who played his father in "Bubble Boy" and how he tried not to let it color that moment.

They discussed "Jarhead," and Jake described having to go to a fake boot camp to learn how the soldiers lived and trained.  He mentioned he still does work with juveniles after playing a character who had just got out of jail (not sure which film that was).  He said he definitely wants to do other things besides acting.   He regrets not finishing college and says sister Maggie has that one over on him.  He made a great effort to be at the Oscars when she was nominated, as he couldn't imagine not being there if she won.  He loves his niece and makes an effort to see their family as often as he can.  He and Maggie would make a film together if it was a project they couldn't say no to, but they don't seek out screenplays that would cast them together.  Actors he'd like to work with include Ryan Gosling (happy gasps came from the audience) and Michelle Williams.  Denby asked if he would be scared to sing in a movie and he said no, that both he and Maggie liked to sing and had even taped themselves singing some folk song recently (only to realize they weren't as good as they thought they sounded).  He drew the line at dancing, though.

When Ed Zwick joined in, it was clear that Jake really had a good experience working on "Love and Other Drugs" with him.  He really admires him as a director and was eager to work with him.  They obviously had a friendly, mutually respectful rapport.  Jake said when he read the script he knew right away that he could play that character and actively pursued the role.  They both loved working with Anne and praised her openness and willingness to take risks and her great personality.  The film was done in only 49 days, which put a lot of pressure on everyone, but it seems they all rose to the challenge.  Denby again said what a pleasure it was to see two actors with such great chemistry and how unusual it is nowadays.  They showed a couple of clips, one showing Jake sweet-talking a receptionist to get into a doctor's office and another of him returning home from a trip, telling Anne he loved her and having a panic attack realizing what he was doing.  They mentioned that there was lots of nudity, and one day they were kind of complaining about how much they were expected to reveal and Ed Zwick just stripped down so they'd have company.  Jake laughed and said it was very weird!  Ed had a lot of interesting things to say about directing and casting actors and what works and what doesn't.  He clearly knows his business.

There was a good Q & A session (mostly young women asking the questions), and Jake was open and friendly.  One person said he seems to always have a sweet, soulful aspect to his characters and wondered if he sought out roles like that.  He laughed and said no and did a little improv of his agent demanding he be offered only sweet, soulful movie roles.  At the end, he walked out slowly, talking to a few people who came up, but I didn't see any autographs requested or given.  All in all, a great evening!