What were your thoughts on Ethan and his progression until up to the end?
JP: Here is somebody, that, in his mind, has vilified this person and turned them into a monster and in his mind he is driving around drunk and has gotten off scot-free and suddenly he is confronted with the real person as opposed to the fantasy and the devil that he has created. My imagination is that he just initially doesn’t know how to compute all that.
It is going with one set mind, he’s been trying to talk himself into doing and committing this act and when he is actually faced with this person I don’t think that he went, ‘Ah, I get it, you’ve been troubled too. Sorry bro, we’re cool now,’ but I don’t think he went, ‘You deserve to die.’ I think there is still a great level of conflict, but I think it is about recognizing the resolution to the conflict that Ethan feels is going to be through his own work with himself and his family as opposed to thinking that he is going to achieve some sense of justice by killing this person.
What was the most appealing aspect of the story for you when you got the script?
JP: I like to see the way different people were affected by the same event. I think typically in movies we have a hero and an anti-hero and it is very easy for the audience to root for one person and root against another person and I imagine that the audience’s sympathies lie with the Learners early on because their son was killed and then, throughout the course of the story, we see how detached Ethan is coming from his role as a father and as a husband and how he is becoming obsessive. Then we start to learn more about Dwight’s character and the conflict he has been going through. I thought that was interesting because it is kind of rare.
You directed a couple of music videos, have you got the directing bug at all?
JP: No, I don’t. I think it is a treacherously difficult job. I want nothing to do with it. I lack the patience, diplomacy and talent and intellect to be a director. I wouldn’t want to do it.
Outside of your work, what are the movies you like to watch for fun? What’s your guilty pleasure?
JP: I’m not saying. [laughing]
I will admit, it’s terrible, I’m so ashamed… I watched “Kid Nation” and I liked it.
Reservation Road hits theaters on October 19th and stars Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Elle Fanning, Mira Sorvino and Jennifer Connelly. It is directed by Hotel Rwanda helmer Terry George and you can get more info, pics, clips and trailers from the film here.
