Behind the Scenes of Jean-Marc Vallée’s “Demolition”
An exclusive first look at director Jean-Marc Vallée’s drama Demolition, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts, in theaters April 8th.
“In this scene, he’s walking forward while everyone else moves backwards, like he’s waking up from a dream. It’s part of the film’s metaphor.”
“In the original script, you don’t see Davis’s wife, who is played here by Heather Lind, ever. And I said, “Sorry, but I’m going to add scenes and flashbacks with her. He’s going to be haunted by her.”
“This is one of the movie’s funniest scenes, in which Davis’s stepfather, played by Chris Cooper, lectures him. Davis’s voiceover is the best.”
“Jake with Naomi, who plays his new love interest Karen. We shot everything in available light, which I’ve been doing since 2011’s Cafe de Flore.”
“Chris played his character very personally, and you can see it.”
“That’s me, with Jake. I always go back to the script. We shoot the rehearsals, and sometimes the rehearsal take is the one.”
“I’m not at all handy. I’m like Jake’s character Davis: the only tools I own were given to me.”
“We spent a whole day on the Metro North shooting the train scenes. But we also built a part of it on a stage, because we shot the film chronologically. At some point Jake’s character stops shaving, tweezing, and getting haircuts.”
“I probably said something stupid to Naomi here. Sometimes I try to show the actors how to do something—like answer the phone—and I make a fool of myself.”
