Sunday, April 6th, 2008
With the recent release of Son of Rambow, the much hyped new
British comedy-drama-esque movie set in the 80's, we thought
it might be nice for our lovely readers to have a peek behind
the scenes. Then we thought it'd be much better if we went
further than that and gave them a peek inside the heads of
some of the cast and crew! So, first up it's Jessica Hynes -
who has a bit of a love-fest over the film, as well as
indulging in some nostalgia and divulging a little about
her future prospects...
What did you think when you saw the script for the first time?
I thought it was fantastic, I really wanted to do it. It was
original and I could see what they wanted to do and, you know,
from that to this is incredible - they surpassed what I imagined.
I feel lucky to be part of it, it's one of the best films I've
seen in a long time and certainly one of the best British films.
When I saw the cast and crew attached I just thought 'It's a classic!'
What research did you have to do to play a character in
the Plymouth Brethren?
Well they did a lot of research and Garth talked to me, he
used to live next door to this Plymouth Brethren family,
and I managed to ummm find something about the Plymouth
Brethren on the internet. You know it's so easy easy to
just find stuff on the internet now and I emailed some of
these groups and they provided useful information. It's
all very spiritual, very religious, they're all so Godly.
They don't want any distractions, they focus on what's
important which is family and community. The simple things.
I couldn't fault it, it all makes sense! I mean the
no television thing I understand but I couldn't cope
without music...
So did you do the whole 'no TV' thing to prepare?
I didn't! Although I don't watch television in the week
anyway, just because I don't think it's great to watch
too much television. It's better to maybe do other things
as well.
You didn't have a very exciting wardrobe on this one
did you? One skirt, one blouse and a headscarf!
It's very freeing having a uniform. In a way it reflects
the uniform of the way you live your life, everything's
regimented, you don't have to engage with millions of
choices that are confounding and exhausting you can just
exist.
You didn't find it restrictive?
I loved it! It was like Little House on the Prairie!
This is a more dramatic role for you, is that something
you're leaning towards?
[Emphatically] No! Absolutely not! No no, I mean, this
is a one off. I love doing comedy and that's what I've
always wanted to do. I'm trying to write something for
myself because it's hard to find good comic roles, male
comedy writers tend to write male comedy roles - it's
just the way it is really. So unless you write comic
roles for yourself they're hard to find, you tend to
end up sort of being less comic. But to play a straight
role in a film like this is a gift. I was just happy
to be a part of it.
Did you feel left out watching the kids doing
their crazy stunts?
Nooooo no, no. Also, your gender and age dictates what
you can really do. I don't think I could really hack
it as a 15 year-old, I don't think I could get away
with it. Maybe if you'd put me in the background for
the 6th Form scene then maybe, in a puffball skirt...
I would've quite liked to be in that scene, it's one
of my favourites in the film... But I mean this sort of
project doesn't happen very often because it's so
close to what Garth and Nick originally wanted to
make and they just stuck to their guns and protected
it through all it's journey to this point and fought
off any potential interference and said 'No, this is
the film we want to make and this is how it's going
to work for us'. To be part of that in any capacity
is great because these sort of things don't happen,
well, ever!... or very rarely.
You said you let the boys get on with it, but did
you identify with their story more?
Oh yeah, much more. When I read the script I identified
much more with the boys than I did with Mary because
I didn't grow up in a very austere, religious household.
I identified with the boys, I think everyone would do.
Was there any room in the script for improvisation?
No, we had to stick to the script really.
But there wasn't much script for you was there,
just a lot of quiet moments...,
Yeah, I suppose, the way the film is crafted means the
story was told through the script, but a lot was told
visually. I think it's a strength that Garth and Nick
have, their films do have a strong visual language
which is why they're intrinsically cinematic and why
they're pleasurable to watch. Mary's story is told in
a similar way, it's not lots of people talking about
things it's visual, even to the point where some of
the stage directions were written out by Garth, he'd
thought the scenes out so clearly. It's all very
scripted, Garth had imagined the whole scene, what
he wanted to capture and how he wanted to capture it.
Have you ever been on a French exchange?
No, but my friend Leila did have a French exchange
and everything in the films ring true.
Were you influenced by Rambo as a child?
I was aware of it and knew it was out there. But it's
different as a female, you're less likely to identify
with male characters and more likely to identify with
female characters and there wasn't really a female
equivalent. The thing I identified most with was Monkey,
the lead in that was very strong and silent princess
type... but I never really saw myself as strong... I
always saw myself more as Pigsy... Although Pigsy was
always male so I'm lost a bit. Identity crisis! I also
loved Jodie Foster in Bugsy Malone, I love the film
anyway but Jodie Foster in it was just (Sigh). I mean
if you look at the difference between her and Blousy
Brown, bless her, Blousy Brown looked like a child
actor in a film but Jodie Foster was like a movie star
and I really remember thinking that. I'm not saying
anything bad about Blousy though! She did the job
and did it well!
So no action heroes for you then?
Well I did have a hero complex and I did do the whole
cape thing. Defending the weak, that was what I did,
which is an intrinsic feeling of being part of a
superhero club - fighting for justice, not because
you're a bully you're protecting someone else, so you
identify with heroes then. But I was clearly confused.
Have you seen the newest Rambo?
No I haven't actually, I doesn't appeal. I think the
original Rambo, as Sylvester Stallone has said, is
the finest.
Are you writing anything yourself at the minute?
I am writing something, yeah. I'm developing a comedy
for a production company, but i'm facing all the same
problems really in that you see it in a certain way
but you talk to the people who hold the purse-strings
and they say something like "well, we were thinking,
maybe, it's just a thought, maybe replace that thing
there with a budgie" and you're supposed to go [she
does a big grin] but you feel like going [now a
look of disgust]. On the one hand you respect them
and want their money but on the other hand you're
thinking "I've thought about this for quite a long
time!" And I've spoken to Garth about it quite a
bit because they faced the same kind of struggle.
It's an exciting road.
What's the stupidest thing you've been asked to
change in a script?
There's one thing I always felt I was right on when
I was writing SPACED with Simon [Pegg] and that was
that I wanted to do a GOONIES reference. But he was
like "Nobody knows THE GOONIES!" but I was like
"You're showing you're age Simon" I felt like he was
so much older than me at this point "Everyone loves
THE GOONIES Simon" and he's like "Nobody knows THE
GOONIES and they won't get the reference". It was
the bit where Chunk gets his hand stuck in the
food mixer.
We all know THE GOONIES!
I know but he just wouldn't let me put it in. I even
drew Edgar in and was saying "How can this not happen??"
I don't know, I think they were just being deliberately
mean. "Anyway, you're a girl you don't know what you're
talking about". That was the one thing. Big mistake,
BIG mistake. I think I might have to get him to admit
he was wrong about it.
On the topic of SPACED, is there any scope for a revisit?
Well we were thinking about doing a spoof of Cloverfield
because in America now they've bought it and they have
the rights because they have their own version so we
can't have anything to do with it. But we were thinking
about a Cloverfield spoof trailer where the statue of
liberty head comes crashing into the garden but... I
don't know, I'm not sure. It's all a bit up in the air.
It'd be great, I'd love it, but I don't know.
If that's wet your appetite for SON OF RAMBOW, it's
in cinemas in the UK from this past Friday 4th April
and hits the U.S. next month. If you're hungry for me
interviews keep checking back. There's more from SON OF
RAMBOW cast and crew coming, and perhaps even a few more
little treats I can rustle up!