Director Richard Linklater just turned 46 last July, but he doesn't look a day over 26 when he steps into a suite at the Four Seasons hotel for an interview. The self-taught director's credits range from heartfelt romances like Before Sunset to more lowbrow comedies such as School of Rock to the cult valentine to the '70s Dazed and Confused.
This year, Linklater has already released one politically charged film (A Scanner Darkly) which envisions the future of drugs and addiction in America. Tomorrow, he releases his next hot-button feature, Fast Food Nation. Based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Eric Schlosser, the film explores the human, political and economic reasons why fast food holds a death grip on American culture.
Regarding his recent foray into what appears to be artistic activism, he emphasizes his commitment as a storyteller rather than a protester. "Films don't lead the way, but I think books and writers do that," he says matter-of-factly. "Movies kind of reflect the times. In the making of [Fast Food Nation], I wanted to show life."
Depicting the tangled ethical web of the fast food industry in all of its gruesomeness was challenging enough just to analyze objectively, let alone on film. When asked whether he could suggest a strategy for improving the horror that lies behind the average Happy Meal, he says, "The consumer dollar is your vote. Every day, we vote for what kind of food supply we want." If we could decide as a culture to change the situation, he contends, we could.
Linklater argues that he does not take issue with fast food in and of itself, but, as with cigarette companies, "the real problem comes up when you start marketing to kids." Fast food commercials zero in on the most easily-swayed population demographic: children. Here, Linklater draws the line between what society should accept and what it must change.
For an independent film, the film boasts a large, diverse cast; Wilmer Valderrama, Patricia Arquette, Greg Kinnear and Ethan Hawke are among the big names that line the top of the promotional posters for the film. "It's almost magical how all the actors come in for almost no money and love their characters," Linklater says with a broad grin. "It's fun for them to come in and do character work. That's sometimes rewarding to them."
The director contends that Fast Food Nation centers around the people who are victimized by the system, as a way of showing the system itself. Though several characters only spend a few minutes on screen, every role makes a contribution to the movie's impact. "[Performances] absolutely form the heart and soul of this movie," Linklater says.
The brevity of most of the appearances allowed for a lot of flexibility with shooting schedules. The production of Fast Food Nation was notably tight, unlike some of his previous films, such as A Scanner Darkly, which sacrificed some of its box office performance with a lengthy post-production schedule.
While Linklater does not have any future projects in mind, it's only a matter of time before he sinks his teeth into something new. "I have really simple, minimal ideas," the director says. "Everything I'm passionate about, I try to make a movie about. I don't think I even have a career. I'm just lucky to get the next movie made"
