Paul Haggis:"I couldn’t watch Crash for two and a half years after it was made."

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

Well, Then Give It Back Dep't

http://www.vulture.com/2014/04/paul-haggis-hates-his-films-too-sometimes.html


Paul Haggis
Hates His Films, Too,
Sometimes
By Katie Van Syckle
Yesterday at 3:00 PM

He may have a Best Picture winner under his belt, but director Paul Haggis knows that his films can be divisive — especially Third Person, his latest ensemble drama, which debuted to wildly mixed reviews back at the Toronto Film Festival in September. "I think the Guardian called it the worst piece of trash they’d ever seen in their life and Variety called it great, but that’s what happens with my films," Haggis told us last week. "You either love them or hate them."

Haggis did listen to the criticism, though — as well as his own personal misgivings — because the cut of Third Person he brought to the Tribeca Film Festival last week had a revised, lengthier ending. He blamed bad decisions in the editing room for the initial cuts. "During the editorial process you just hate your film so much," he said. "I just try to cut, cut, cut to make it shorter." But he doesn't still hate it … does he? "Well, I haven’t seen it for a few months so I’ll probably like it, and tomorrow I’ll hate it again," Haggis admitted. "I couldn’t watch Crash for two and a half years after it was made. I think if people really like it then I’ll hate it, and if people don’t like it then I’ll love it. I’m just a contrarian."

[TOoP/Bruce]

I don't want to say bad things about "Crash", because Heath Ledger (before he backed out) was originally scheduled to play the part that went to Ryan Phillippe. 

I am glad, however, that Heath chose not to do it.

[CellarDweller]

I can't say anything, as I've never seen "Crash".

[southendmd]

I'll just say that once was more than enough for me.

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

Ugh.

How Crash Crashed the Oscars
An oral history of a Best Picture shocker.
By Stacey Wilson Hunt


http://www.vulture.com/2016/12/crash-oscar-best-picture-oral-history-c-v-r.html

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

How Crash Crashed the Oscars
An oral history of a Best Picture shocker.

http://www.vulture.com/2016/12/crash-oscar-best-picture-oral-history-c-v-r.html

EXCERPT:

HAGGIS: Thandie Newton was the second actor I sent it to, and she said yes. Others said, “Yeah, I’m not gonna do this,” and ran away. I also lost a lot of actors because it kept getting pushed. John Cusack wanted to play the Matt Dillon role, Heath Ledger was going play the Ryan Phillippe role; Forest Whitaker was actually locked in to play Terrence Howard's role but dropped out. And Brendan Fraser was the last one cast, as the district attorney. He essentially green-lit the movie.


YARI: When Heath left the movie, we dropped in foreign value a little bit, which brought the budget down to around $6.5 million. Many actors wouldn’t come on the film at all because they said, “It’s a first-time director.” But I stuck with Paul.

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

How Crash Crashed the Oscars
An oral history of a Best Picture shocker.

http://www.vulture.com/2016/12/crash-oscar-best-picture-oral-history-c-v-r.html

EXCERPT:

HAGGIS: It’s the end of the show and I’m sitting across from the Brokeback producers. I turn to face them so I could applaud and not be caught looking like an asshole on camera. I’m all ready to clap for Ang Lee, and I hear Jack Nicholson say, “And the Oscar goes to … Crash.” I felt someone stand up behind me, and it’s my wife. I was so confused. “She loved Brokeback Mountain that much?” And then I realized, “Oh my God, we won.” I had no speech, so thank God Cathy had prepared. The room was thunderous..