The Road

I just got back from the North American premiere of The Road. Even though Cormac McCarthy wasn't there (though it was reported he really did want to be), it was very exciting. I was maybe three rows back from the stage, where John Hillcoat (director), Viggo Mortenson ("The Man"), Kodi Smit-McPhee ("The Boy"), and Robert Duvall ("Old Man") introduced the film.

I read the book pre-Zoë. Watching the movie after becoming a parent had me crying from image one, when The Man settles The Boy in a sleeping bag. It was a long emotional journey to follow and a great film--austerely beautiful, amazingly acted, and intelligently adapted.

In the QA at the end, John Hillcoat talked about McCarthy's involvement. McCarthy didn't have anything to do with the script, so when Hillcoat et al held a private screening for him in New Mexico, it was the first time he'd seen anything. Hillcoat said he disappeared immediately after the screening for 15 minutes while the filmmakers practically died wondering what he thought. After he came back (from the restroom), he told them he loved it and a "seven hour lunch" ensued.

The really interesting thing to me, considering how little we hear about McCarthy's personal life is that he came to set one day with his son, who Hillcoat said called McCarthy "Papa" and interacted with his father in a similar way as the pair in the book--he was very inquisitive, etc. Also, there were only 4 lines that after seeing the movie McCarthy said were missing. (I'm paraphrasing here because I don't have the book with me):

Papa, what would you do if I died?
I would want to die too.
So that you could be with me?
Yes, so I could be with you.

I love knowing that McCarthy thought those were so important.

Oh, not as interested in McCarthy as me?

Okay, here are some other things going on at TIFF:

• Cleanflix has had two very well-attended public screenings with great audience response and questions. I will obviously do a whole post on this--I just wanted to get the above down before I forgot it.
• My wallet with $1,000 cash for the movie was stolen at the Cleanflix premiere. Who would have thunk that I shouldn't have put my purse under my seat? Apparently, it's a common problem.
• Tonight Zoë watched her first football game with "Ti Ti" (Kristin, her au pair on the trip). She liked watching the ball being throw and kicked but as soon as anyone was tackled, she couldn't stop saying "ow, ow, ow . . ."
• We're staying in China Town and the food is delicious (Zoë's new favorite food is Chinese dumplings).