If insanity crashes through the Finch household in Running with Scissors, then co-star Joseph Fiennes can count himself lucky that creative talent flows through his. With a clan that can count a director, composer and an older brother actor among its six members. Joseph Fiennes has indeed done his family proud in the performing arts - no more so than with his latest role as an alternately endearing, pathetic, downright terrifying schizophrenic photographer in the mad family opera, the kind of unbelievable that can only be true. Based on the memoirs of acclaimed writer Augusten Burroughs and directed by Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy, Running with Scissors stands as the biggest black-humoured descent into madness since American Beauty - a comparison that will no doubt be brought by a similarly bravura performance by Annette Bening - here playing an even more narcissistic, well-heeled mother. Pursuing her dreams of grandeur at the cost of her family, Deirdre first drives away a disinterested husband (Alec Baldwin), who doesn't love her, and then the son (Joseph Cross). Augusten's destination is the house of her therapist-cum-drug store Dr. Finch (Brian Cox), who happily adopts the young man so Dierdre can immerse herself in self-actualization. Suddenly put into a household whose mental and physical disarray nearly matches the family home in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the disbelieving Augusten finds that he's the only sane person in a clan that includes Finch's haggard wife Agnes (Jill Clayburgh), who nibbles on dog kibble while watching Dark Shadows, her daughter Hope (Gwyneth Paltrow), who has a severe fixation on her cat, and Natalie (Evan Rachel Wood), her young sister with a thing for electroshock therapy.
Though Diedre might view Finch as the answer to Dr. Spock, this therapist has turned everyone in his life into a basket case, particularly Neil Bookman, a photographer who was also "adopted" by Finch - and the person most damaged by his ministrations. But though Neil has voices inside his head, and a barely suppressed desire to harm Finch, it's precisely his vulnerability that draws Augusten to him. But this is no one's exemplar on what constitutes a good relationship. And where a lesser actor could have made him a pathetic child molester, Joseph Fiennes' heartrending performance can only bring sympathy, a humanity which prevents the inmates of Scissors cuckoo's nest from descending into Hollywood madness.
Where Neil goes in Running is light years beyond where Joseph Fiennes has traveled in his most popular role to date as the great playwright in Shakespeare in Love, a transformation from romantic heartthrob to boy-loving desperation that marks the Fiennes ability to find the soul of a character - a talent that indeed runs in the family. As the youngest son of his novelist mother, Jini (a far more successful writer than the one Bening plays here), Joseph first attended art school before attending the Young Vic Theater and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Like brother Ralph, Joseph would excel on stage in numerous productions before making the cinematic leap for Bernardo Bertolucci's Stealing Beauty in 1996. But it would be the twin period hits of 1998's Elizabeth and the Best Picture winning Shakespeare in Love that elevated Fiennes to international heartthrob status. Playing a queen's traitorous lover in one film, and an uncertain genius in another, Fiennes was bestowed the kind of romantic pedigree that often befalls young English actors.
Yet Joseph Fiennes remained firmly committed to the stage, as well as taking more interest character parts than the commercial route he could have traveled as a dashing leading man. In Enemy at the Gates, Fiennes played a politically intense spotter for Jude Law's Russian sniper. Then, in Killing me Softly, Fiennes tangled erotically with Heather Graham as a mountaineer. More eclectic roles would come like Luther's religious reformist, Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice; a major in The Great Raid; and a part in the stupid death cavalcade of The Darwin Awards.
When it comes to Joseph Fiennes' cinematic appearances, it's always been about the work instead of the easy Hollywood reward. And though it may be star-filled, Running with Scissors is no different in the challenge that Fiennes has presented himself with in every film appearance. And the humorous, sad emotion that Fiennes accomplishes here with Neil Bookman shows that great things can happen when you go Running with Scissors.
Since you grew up in an artistic family, was it almost pre-destined that you would become an actor?
Joseph Fiennes: Not really. Even though my mother was certainly a whirlwind of creative discipline, I don't think it made me want to become an actor, even if it did rub off on me. I think that decision boiled down to my personal love of communication. And because I moved around a lot as a child, it felt very natural for me to have a craft that would let me meet new people from different places and cultures. Doing that with fellow actors suits me well.
Could you compare your upbringing at all with Scissors' household?
In a word, no. (laughs) The family of Dr. Finch is pretty off the wall. And I feel sorry for any family that has to live under that sort of craziness and stress. When I read the book, I thought it was a riveting story about a boy's survival in the most ugly circumstances. He's almost totally isolated from the two really important dynamics of our lives, which are our mother and father, where Augusten's life is pretty opposite. So there's nothing about this story that I could personally identify with.
For a movie that's adapted from a memoir, how much of Running with Scissors is actually true, especially when it comes to your character?
I think there will always be an area of "adaptation" when it comes to turning real life into a book or a film. Augusten Burroughs came to our set a number of times, and gave Ryan Murphy enough information to remain true to the voice of his past. Yet he also allowed Ryan his freedom as a director to interpret the book. So while I think a lot of what happens in Scissors is true, sometimes one often gets to the truth by the use of fantasy, and not through a more academic approach.
How much did you want to find out about the real Neil Bookman?
I wanted to find out as much as I could about Neil. He's a tormented and shady character, which certainly gave me major reservations about tackling the character and embarking on the project. So I talked at length with Ryan and Augusten to root out the facts about Neil's background. He was abused in his past, and however unpalatable his relationship with the young Augusten might be for the audience, it was a true love for both people. And for Augusten, it was the first love of his life. Their relationship was twisted and brutal in many senses. Yet it was also real and human. So while I do believe there is a lot of abuse in terms of Augusten's age at the time, there is still a very poignant aspect to their relationship. And that was the area I wanted to look at, to target the true love between these guys, which was the biggest challenge of playing Neil.
Is it dangerous for an actor to play a schizophrenic, especially because the chance to go over the top with the performance is always there?
Yeah. One has to work carefully with understanding the illness. When you embark with any character who's suffering, you have to find a way to pay respect to them, as well as bringing a reality to that person. On the one hand, you want to do justice to Neil Bookman, a real person who went through real trauma and suffering from all sorts of conditions. And on the other side, you want to be engaged and creative in your approach as an actor, to have a certain amount of liberation in your creative exploration. So it's a continual balance. But you always need to be ruthlessly alert to the people who suffer from this kind of condition.
Do you think Dr. Finch played a part in Neil's madness?
Yeah. They all go off the rails a bit. Dr. Finch is a bit of a genius. But also he's completely loopy. So there's a sort of double-edged sword with him, especially with the way he leads Neil down the wrong path. Neil's suffering from hearing voices, and the guilt of this relationship with a boy. And since he never really had a mother and a father, Neil is sort of adopted too. That's why he and Augusten find a solace, and common ground with each other. And the fact that Finch can also be a meanie rubs off on Neil.
What do you think makes this movie different than other films in its depiction of the mentally ill?
I think that Running with Scissors is not so much about mental illness as it is about maintaining one's sanity, where we see a boy survive through this weird and turbulent time of adoption. And in doing so, Scissors does take a bit of the creative juices that run off with the insanity around Augusten.
Was it always the idea to re-team you with Gwyneth Paltrow for this movie?
No. It happened here by pure chance. And it was such a joy to be working again with each other, albeit in a very different guise. This film couldn't be more diametrically opposed to our last job together.
It's hilarious to see you going from your romantic scenes in Shakespeare in Love to hurling insults at each other.
Yes. There was a great spontaneity to our characters, especially in the way Neil insults Hope's cooking. We were all infecting each other in the way we ad libbed. And when that kind of energy gets caught on film, it bears witness to a really good colaboration.
Do you think it's easier for English leading men to swing between a dashing romantic lead in Shakespeare to playing a serious gay character like Neil? It seems that few American stars take this kind of chance.
I don't know. I can't claim to generalize on what kind of roles make them comfortable. But I know that for myself, Running with Scissors has been one of the best experiences in terms of my being able to fulfill a bit of range. Before I did any film, I did a lot of theater, which is what I really wanted to do in the first place. The theater allows a great amount of imagination and range for the actor, where film doesn't. If you're successful in one area, then people just want to see you doing that same character over again. So, for me, the joy of playing Neil Bookman, and the joy of working with Ryan Murphy was being allowed to go into an area where an actor has to be cautious - not only because people might not want to see them in that kind of role, but also because of how it tests the performer. But I wanted to test myself with Neil. I want to move the goalposts, because acting is a lifelong passion for me. It's all about stretching muscles, and going into areas where you're challenged and you challenge other people. I don't know if that has to do with the culture of actors in England. But I certainly think that might be linked to the tradition of theater. To age up, age down, change my age, and change my sex. To not be pigeonholed.
Your brother acted in a far less successful indie film called The Chumscrubber. But it was still a nice try on his part. Do you think you and Ralph are looking for these odd little films to change your image?
I think it has to do with being creatively challenged. I've always been switched on by the more subversive, dark and quirky material. And, unfortunately, those kinds of things don't live in the mainstream. People seem to want to be fed the formulaic, the rehash of a rehash of a rehash. There's a market for those kinds of films, but for me, and a lot of other actors, you can only do those movies for so long. And if you love your work, you want to be challenged.
Running with Scissors doesn't paint a pretty picture of therapy and psychotropic medications. Do you take a dim view of them?
I think you have to take this movie with a pinch of salt. Yet I also don't think that Running with Scissors will open up that kind of debate, because it's a far-fetched scenario, and obviously takes place in a haightened "reality". But it does knock on the door enough to throw up questions about a difficult subject to talk about. We are in an age where there are so many things that are readily available to dull the senses. And what I love about Dr. Finch is that he does show that there's a cure that comes about just from talking and communicating. So putting pills aside, I think there's a great advantage to the talking cure.
So therapy is good, and pills are bad?
No. No. I would never say that, because there are areas where medicine can provide solace for those who are in deep depressions, the kinds that I can't even begin to grasp. So I'm not an expert in the area, and I'd be foolish to even open up this subject to determine what's good for disturbed people. There are good stories and bad stories about how to deal with mental illness. And I think what happens in the Finch household is certainly an eye-opening story. I leave it for the audience to judge.
You've got a great handlebar mustache and muscle car in Scissors. What was it like to get into that 1970s vibe?
I loved it. I had the mustache already. And as soon as I put on my mullet, Neil Bookman was there. All of that, the walk, the clothes, the shoes, the hat, and the car is a part of a character who's immensely intriguing, sad, and subversive. Neil was a whirlwind of contradictions, and it was great to play him. He was an intriguing ride.
What do you think it brings to the table when an English actor plays a distinctive American role like Neil?
An an English actor, it's being able to step into a pair of shoes across a huge amount of water. You immerse yourself in a background and a culture that's so different from one's own. But whether the character is an American or Armenian, anything that's far removed from home gives you a great creative drive. And I think it broadens the mind of an actor. If you have the privilege to step outside of your own comfort zone and into another culture, it can only lift the blinkers off your eyes and wake you up to life elsewhere. And that's what I love about acting.
What was it like to be part of the acclaim of Shakespeare in Love?
It was extraordinary. I'd come from a very humble theater background, and had only done one or two movies before it. Elizabeth was coming out at the same time as Shakespeare, and it was a phenomenal, awesome, terrifying and wondrous experience to be part of the payoff of an amazing collaboration. I look back on Shakespeare with the fondest of memories, and it's an amazing experience of my life that still continues. People remind me of that movie all the time. So it's great to be part of something that just kind of "pops" the way that Shakespeare in Love did. When you have that kind of global exposure, you realize just how powerful the medium of film is.
You did an erotic thriller called Killing me Softly, where you literally tied Heather Graham in knots. Did you have the sense when you were making the film of how outrageous it would end up being?
It's difficult to get an erotic thriller to work. But what really intrigued me about doing the film was working with the director Chen Kaige, who to me is one of the most extraordinary filmmakers to emerge out of China. I would say he's the Spielberg of China, a prolific director who knows the craft with his extraordinary, Oscar-winning films. It was a very brave move for Chen to step out of his language of his work to do his first English-speaking movie. And I cherish our relationship on that movie.
You've just played Roy Brown in The Red Baron.
It's a big German production that I believe Warner Bros is involved with. And I'm the Canadian captain who shoots down Baron Von Richthofen, who was this extraordinary WWI ace who defied the statistics of that time, when the death rate for fighter pilots was very high. I did a couple of days work on this big movie, where I was surrounded by a green screen during the flying scenes. It was something to be swallowed up by this color, and to use your imagination without interacting with the real deal of enemy planes. I think the special effects will be incredible. And I'm all for supporting European cinema, which is really why I participated in The Red Baron.
What do you think your Shakespeare in Love audience will think of Running with Scissors?
Ummmm, I don't think they will recognize me. It's almost been ten years since I made that film, so hopefully that audience will be ready to tackle this kind of subject matter.
This is one of the first Hollywood films you've done in a while. Do you hope it re-invents you in terms of what this town thinks you can do as an actor?
I don't really know. I just kind of turn up, I put everything into my work, and then I go home. For me, acting is a lifelong need. You win some, and you lose some. Some movies "pop", and others don't. So it's never been about "re-inventing" myself. It's the process which is paramount for me, and what comes after the work can turn out to be a Godsend or not. Ultimately, I think that making films has a parental link for those of us involved in it, whether we're actors or directors. We're all doing this for that final approval of our "parent", which happens to be our audience. And if something is approved of and enjoyed by them, then that gives me the greatest solace of all.