Film Section: "THE ENSEMBLE" DOWN TO THE BONE / DIRECTOR: Debra Granik
By Rita Michel
In DOWN TO THE BONE first time feature director Debra Granik gives us a window into Irene’s (Vera Farmiga) struggle with cocaine addiction, fought while dealing with all the familiar cues: children, stale marriage, druggy friends, the same house, and loneliness. DOWN TO THE BONE is the story of how a life of addiction is turned around. . DEBRA knew the story well from working with the subject of the real drama – Corinne Stralka, who was working as a housekeeper at an inn in upstate New York where Granik was shooting a documentary. . This meeting led to the creation of thea short film, (Snake FeedSNAKE FEED). "My head knew that landscape from the short story plus there were a lot of unanswerable questions like why some people pull things together in their life…why do people decide to get clean?." Granik’s curiosity led her to create a film that is deeply grounded in reality using the method of includi. It is a true story utilizingng some of the real people, nonprofessional actors, to playing themselves combined combined with casting professional actors who were willing to godive into the real-life real environments and "experience the lives" of the protagonists.trained in the jobs that the characters did.
Debra’s writing process was a complicated one beginningbegan with the development of the short film, and endeding with allowing her actors to personalize the resulting feature screenplay. "For the short film: lots of interviews, transcripts, video tape, and make a short film, go back ask about a whole other part of the story, video tape, transcribe, video tape, meet people and then you know the part about the actual filming, about how each person in the cast altered the language and made it their own." Debra’s choice of filmmaking style was effective in telling a story with no neat endings and no epiphanies,. iInstead, the realism visually represented by everyday actions and sweeping vistas of urban wasteland incorporates a feeling of hope into what could have been a "heavy" story. . This Dramatic Competition feature garnered Granik a Dramatic Directing Award at Sundance 2004 and Vera Farmigia an award for her outstanding performance as IRENErene.
"THE ENSEMBLE"
NYA: I find that the hardest thing to do is to stay dedicated to a story. . You start off with principle photography maybe two months, and then there’s the post production, and the festivals, but you did even more development prior to principal photography than a regular narrative. What was it about this story that kept you hooked for so long?
DebraEBRA: I think when I began to know the story well from working with the family and doing the short film , Snake Feed,film (SNAKE FEED). And bybBy traveling upstate throughout over a longn extended period of time, those images became a part of my life. . I’d taken hundreds of photographs. I’d made many, many different compilations of those photographs. I’d worked with Michael _________ (cinematographer) from film school, so [I had] the tenacity to stick with that project …it became at times a noose, and other times it was just an old friend. . My head knew that landscape from the story, plus I would say there were a lot of unanswerable questions and it’s like having an itch that can never be fully scratched, so you just have to make a film. . Certain things like why some people pull things together in their life, why other people have tremendous trouble, whyat it takes to move very small distances in life sometimes, why people relapse, why do people decide to get clean for the first time. . A There were a lot of things that can’t be answered precisely, but I liked thinking about it for all those years.
NYA: My next question is for you, BOB (plays the extra-marital love interest in the film). . An important aspect of the film for me is when your character says to IreneRENE, that she’s starting something; her. Her putting herself on hisyour lap and starting the whole emotional ride. ide…Wwhat did that scene do to how your character’s developementd for the rest of the film? That’s a real pivotal point in people’s lives, when they’re forced to deal with emotions and their obsessions;. tThat seems to be a springboard that leads to having to face your inner questions.
"BOB"/Hugh Dillon: From the script it was clear that my character meant well. . I met the real guy, . Tthis guy was clean and sober. . He’s trying to get his life together. . He’s going to meetings, he is doing it. . Then what happens is he’s such an emotional cripple that when he runs into somebody else, and those feelings of that somebody else is interested in him…, he’s still got such low self-esteem that he can’t handle it. That’s what breaks his back and he doesn’t want to break his sobriety but its not computing, and it (his return to addiction) progressed from there..
NYA: For each of you , I know that you were involved in the screenwriting process and making it your own. . The reason that I wanted to include you in the interview is I know that you were involved in the screenwriting process to a certain extent,. Debra, how did you feel about letting the screenplay go when you handed it to your cast, ? were Were you comfortable was it easier than last time? If you could just talk to me about that.
DEBRADebra: You’re just very grateful if people can make words speak able (sic) from their own mouth,(sic) and figure out a way that they’re going to really ask something from someone and really answer. . Each person has very specific intonations and idiosyncratic ways of … whether it’s commenting on tubs or describing the malodor of a rubber elk suit. . These were lovely moments that to make it real for each actor. tThey would make the words more specific to fit the situation. .
(CHARACTER"BEST FRIEND OF IRENE"/ La BrujaLA BRUJA): Debra is such a generous, not just person, but as a director,. she is very generous in that respect to because she She really did allow us to open ourselves and our minds. . It was important to her what we thought. We was open to experiment and ofT sure that made the process maybe triple long, b. But she still would say, ‘Okay try it the way you think you want to do it’., and we’d do it and then she’d say, ‘why don’t you try it this way,’, but she’d still gave give us the opportunity to try and make it our own. . It makes it so much more special because it is your movie; not just because you’re acting in it but because you had some chemistry there, you had something to say.and she was open the whole time.
"IRENE"/Vera: She’s not an egoist at all. . That’s been my experience with a lot of directors., iIt’s a pissing contest. . She’s someone who really finds God in the details and encourages us. A lot of improvisation took place, and I think this is something that titillates Debra as a filmmaker. . She hired us for a reason, what can we bring, ? what What can we discover,;? what What little nuggets and she’s someone who finds in the details such secrets and mysteries and revelationsnuggets. She creates such a playground for us to make that possible.?
NYA: Vera, I felt as if you had a mental emotional script playing inside your head aside from what you were saying. .
"IRENE"/Vera: That’s my job as an actress. . Without that…that is my process, I’m much more interested as an actress in what’s in between the lines. . I had a sound person on this film that I’m working on say ""‘Are you going to be muttering in between these lines, because I’ll have to put you on your own track ." And I said, ""‘I’m not on my own track?""’ I’m always more interested in what people don’t say rather than what they do [say].
NYA: There are so many different powerful moments in the films., Vera, "IRENE" the moment when you’re about to give your child’s birthday check to "Gene" the dealer. . There was such emptiness and a sadness., Ddid it take a long time to get there?
"IRENE"/Vera: Deb and I discussed this quite a bit. . It was interesting what was going on physiologically with me that day, . I had a nasty cold and I was fighting all of this. . And that also brings things up, you know you use what you can when you can and that made things very immediate for me. . But Deb, because I’m Eastern European the tragedy in me…I’m always compelled to do that first and Deb I remember she said to me ‘I’m always tempted to let you be a blank screen and have the audience mirror their own experience through an empty canvas.’ I don’t know what was happening in that moment, it’s hard, what was wonderful is you weren’t thinking; you were feeling. . All the conditions were right;. Iit was as cold as it looked, it was freezing. . No dealer would want to keep the door open very long, and they’d be very pissed at you coming that late and she had run through the snow. . Sometimes you can just go with the real concreteness of that objective. . You’ve got chump change and you’ve got that check, get what you can get.
NYA: (to the cinematographer) Your shot of IRENErenew at the end of the film… did you always know that would be the perfect frame?
"CINEMATOGRAPHER"/PHOTOGRAPHERMichael Mc Donough: We had good multiple takes, because in a small format video it lets you can do that. . There was definitely better photographic work at the door, but in none of those takes, none of those really pretty singles, was the energy and emotion to the film the same as when your nose was running, where everything was best suited for the film. . Sometimes it’s hard for me to give up the beautiful shots for something that’s better for the film.
NYA: The reason that shot stood out is she seemed like she was in a storm, really swaying between decisions, with some subliminal elements.
"CINEMATOGRAPHER"/MichaelPHOTOGRAPHER: We didn’t plan to have Bob’’sOB’S reflection in IreneRENE’s face. Iit was a happy accident. . So suddenly with some little moment you can change the whole scene.
DEBRA: But then people loved it, they thought it was very mysterious.
NYA: What has it been like as a screenwriter at Sundance? Do you think that director/screenwriter are perceived differently? I’d think that you’d be given more respect.
DEBRA: I have no idea how that would be perceivedby anyone who meets me but no one has commented. I don’t know but we’re waiting for re-employment purposes to be directing something that we did not write.
NYA: Debra, Wwhat was your screenwriting process?
DebraEBRA: The whole thing? Okay for the short film: lots of interviews, transcripts, video tape, video tape, ,video tape and make a short film, go back ask about a whole other part of the story, video tape, transcribe, video tape, meet people and then you know the part about the actual filming, about how each person here altered the language and made it their own. . It did involve going to the laboratories, the Sundance Institute. . I would like to think that’s where I got the most out of that, was from the directing side of it, trying to work on the moxie movie and the understanding of how you have to communicate, that’s a life long agenda.
NYA: Anybody, up for grabs. . What scene that was in the film did you miss the most?
DEBRADebra: That’s a great question.
BOB/Hugh: There was a kitten scene with me and the kids and Vera (IRENE). . There was this kitten scene, it looked good and it felt great.…and it was
IRENE/Vera: It was stunning photographically
BOB/Hugh: … and it was cut out,. and Vera had spoken to me about how that scene had reflected her life and she could see her future with a family…things like that. . I loved that. .
IRENE/
Vera: We have a whole arsenal of scenes, I want this to be a mini series. I always saw this story as a love story. . That’s how I approached it, but someone said to me ""‘No, No. They’re not in love.""’ And I said, ""‘it’s a daily obstacle course of temptations you’re overcoming.""’. Irene comes from rehab, what do you do next. ? All these familiar cues, stale marriage, druggy friends, the same house, loneliness, they create this kind of Pavlov Ian effect on her. . It’s so easy for her to fall into his arms. . You know it’s a natural high so it seems real. TSo there’s a scene where we’re going down to the city and, Hugh’s (BOB) a musician in a band called the HEADSTONESeadstones and there’s a song that we took as being on the radio, and the two of us sing, and its just a free spirited moment of them in this natural high and there was just so many.
CHARACTERBEST FRIEND/La Bruja: There was a house party scene. My real grandmother came up to Kingston, New York, and I was happy to have her there.
NYA: She’ll never forget the experience.
DEBRA: You’ve got to show her the dailies, anyhow. It was a cut scene. The scene was assembled.
CHARACTER/La Bruja: We were singing and I was singing to her, and HECTOR was playing the congas, and my daughter in the movie was dancing. and Tthat was the one scene that was like celebratory. . That’s where you (IRENE)… there was some hope there. That was the one that hurt me to lose.
DEBRADebra: They may all come back in. . We’ve got the running time down now.
BEST FRIENDCHARACTER/La Bruja: Its such a great topic, its such a great story, because it is a love story that’sand so much about life and its not glamourized or overdone. . There’s not a false tone or overly dramatic moment, it’s just so real …and that’s what I love about this movie. It’s just a slice of real life that so many people from whatever background can identify with. . Someone came up to me and said I’ve struggled with my father’s being an alcoholic and I’ve learned from this movie that you do have to forgive because they don’t mean to hurt you. . It is a sickness… it helped him come to some type of, I don’t know closuere, no not closureer but understanding.
IRENE/Vera: There is no closure;. fFailure, even chronic failure, is a form of victory. . You always know if it’s touched people and they [say] something other than, ""‘Can I have a picture with you?""’ Instead they remember moments.
, and they say this moment and that moment.
NYA: STEVESteveAnd now the husband. , I got the sense from when you said ""‘I’m going out onI got a date,""’, that you really, really loved herIRENEIrene.
"HUSBAND-STEVE"/Clint Jordan: … That he would say that to hurt her… just like proved he’d been hurt himself. . We were talking earlier about how wonderful it is to work in an ensemble. . Which I think goes back to Debra’s casting process., Sshe ’s pickinghas chosen these people to interact inside this imagined circumstance. . But from the qualities that she sees in each person and how they work, there’s an instinct, if not more than just an instinct, that fireworks may start to happen. . From the casting process the moment we started to work together we started to form these bonds, we were talking earlier about how I would get competitive with Hugh if I saw him talking to her. And you find yourself going, ‘Thank God’ because if you’re not feeling that, then you’re not where you should be. . That came through us all in separate rehearsals, forming these strong bonds and dynamics and so… even though it may be just a look in a scene or an intonation. . What really builds that one look that we all know so well and like, – is hours of spending time together in that process.
. I think in that moment when we were shooting that it’s what Michael (cinematographer) said, "Get the crate out, get the kids out, get the snake. It just comes out every time we would look at each other. With Vera everytime I would look at you it was effecting anyway. When you’re standing there…
IRENE/Vera: We walked about this early in our process. We didn’t want it to be a lost cause. There would be no conflict then. We were always concerned with maintaining the potential that we would get back together.
HUSBAND/______: …like in the bedroom scene. One of the scenes that was cut was a little bit more of the attempt to connect.
IRENE/Vera: She got more physical with you…
HUSBAND-STEVE/_____: I think for the film it works nicely the way it is but I think our instincts as human beings…
DEBRA: I think a scene that was important to them that was truncated very much was a scene at rehab. Two scenes with STEVE go one way, you think maybe you see why the alienation is forming but then he did something very nice and she acknowledges it which adds a lovely ambivalence. Yes she was disappointed that he didn’t bring the kids, but he is invested in trying to see if they could improve their house, so he brought this home improvement catalogue that had the options for the bathroom and she received it and she did thank him, she acknowledge the gesture, and it was like a bittersweet thing, that does not represent that whole trajectory.
Despite the Maybe some of the scenes that dealt with the nuances between Irene and Steve got abbreviated or deleted scenes Debra Granik managed to give a full picture of the hard questions that IRENEIrene was forced to answer to turn her life around. . Audiences from all walks of life will be able to identify with this thought provoking and quietly emotional film. . .
IRENE/Vera: but like you said in the one phrase, ‘I got a date.’ All of that pain, the history is said in that one sentence.
NYA: Hector have you been in a lot of films prior to this?
____________/Hector: No.
NYA: So what was it like working with all these experienced guys?
____________/Hector: It was a great experience, a good learning process. I learned a lot from the rehab, from the people that were there and about how they lived there lives. It was a great experience behind the scenes and on the scenes.
___________/La Bruja: I loved the acupuncture scene. I loved that, IRENE had never had acupuncture.
