Street: So, much to my excitement, The Answer Man is noticeably set in Philadelphia. How did you make the decision to shoot in our city and what do you feel it brought to the film? John Hindman: Well, when I wrote the script it took place in San Francisco, because that's where I'm from, so it was real easy for me: ‘Arlen Faber lives in Pacific Heights, down on Union St.’ That was impossible for a lot of reasons, so I was looking for a place that had that same feel. San Francisco and Philly are both integrated, interesting multicultural cities with a lot of production value. There's always something cool; in whatever direction you look… there's always a good shot.
Street: How did you come up with the story of Arlen Faber? JH: I wanted to talk about relationships between fathers and sons, missing fathers, fathers who have died, surrogate fathers, and I wanted to make fun of New Age psychobabble. So as long as I have something I care about, and something I can make fun of, I can write forever. And I really wanted to address those themes and the idea that maybe the answers to life's questions aren't found in the clouds or in books, but in each other.
Street: Jeff, what attracted you to the script in the first place? Did you see some of yourself in Arlen? Jeff Daniels: Well, John did — I didn't. The writing was very smart, and the story was unpredictable. I didn't really know where it was going and it was always a surprise as to the journey it took to get there. I didn't have a clue as to how to play Arlen, didn't know how to do it. [But] the fact that John had written it and was going to direct it was a good thing in my book because that way the resource of the writer would be on the set everyday. So, those were all creative challenges that are reasons to say yes to something, versus, “Oh I know how to do this, I've seen this before, I know exactly how it is, it's predictable” — that's less interesting to me. [At this point, Jeff’s wife briefly appeared to hand him a brand new Detroit Tigers baseball cap. Giddy, he tore off the tags and donned it immediately, turning the brim to the side.]
JD [to Street]: ‘Sup, bitch! JH: ‘Sup, bitches! Yo! All mufuckas comin’ out heeeeere! JD: Yo!
Street: It’s a real shame that this story doesn’t come with pictures. JD: Excellent… outstanding. I'm sorry, go ahead.
Street: The film’s cast is phenomenal: Lauren Graham, Lou Taylor Pucci, Olivia Thirlby, Kat Dennings… how did you get so many amazing actors on board? JH: It all started with Jeff. Once Jeff was interested and had agreed to do it, certainly that attracts other people who want to work with an actor of his caliber. Kat Dennings, she read the script, and I met with her and the first thing out of her mouth was “I will be a dog in this movie.” She just wanted to do it. It was just very humbling. JD: You can't get ahead of it, you know? In each scene, you can't stop and go “I know what the guy's going to say next.” And actors respond to scripts and material like that.
Street: So much of the film pokes fun at self help books and the people who read them. Have you guys ever turned to such books for advice? JH: Yeah, I've read a lot of those books. I think that whatever it is that helps you, I would assert, does not provide you with any answers, but points you in a direction that you may be able to act upon right now, but perhaps was eluding you previously… I want to make fun of almost all of those things. JD: I agree. I think everybody's looking for answers for whether it's God, or how to get the best golf swing… whatever. We're all looking for answers, specific to spirituality, and nobody knows anything. I think one of the wonderful things about The Answer Man is they go, “Let's focus on what we do know” instead of wondering what's out there; just look at what we got and maybe it's right here. JH: And it wasn't even books so much that I want to make fun of. I used to have a bit when I did stand up about people I call SAPs: spiritually actualized people. People who never got the help they needed, they just learned new words. And what I find, particularly living in California, you find people who are like suspended in this language, you know, when the answer that you seek is probably in the person who's in front of you. Not in using words like “apprecialove.” Apprecialove. [He shakes his head incredulously] How do you live with yourself? Drink bleach. Just do it.
Street: Jeff, you received the Artistic Achievement Award in Acting at the Philly Film Fest. As you look back at your career so far, do any roles stand out as your favorites? JD: I wouldn't call them favorites. No, no, they're all different people. I remember I said once [that] I hope to get be 75-80 years old and I'm going to throw a dinner party and I'm going to invite over everybody I've ever played at this big huge table and it'll be 100 seats or something, and I just want to eavesdrop on the conversations.
Street: So is that something that you look for in potential roles now — playing somebody different from the sort of person you've played before? JD: Yeah, I guess so, yeah. Somebody that I haven't done before... haven't become before. I really try to become the people. I try to get it where I'm thinking like they are. It's not just a walk or a cadence or an accent or something — you really try to think like they do. And once you can think like they do then you are them, in ways that you don't even realize. Only the camera sees.
Street: Is it difficult to let go of that when the performance ends? Can you just snap back into being yourself? JD: Well, no, initially you can carry it with you, but then you learn how to drop it. You hang it up. You hang it up with the suit that you were wearing. You leave it there. It's just a little trick. Border-line schizophrenia... but it's a good thing.
Street: So what projects are next for both of you? JH: I hope to shoot a movie called Christmas in New York, this Christmas. Big ensemble, multi-narrative story and... Jeff is currently the toast of Broadway, with his actors. JD: Yep, we're on Broadway… toasting. I think we're going to be there through the summer. God of Carnage is thankfully such a huge hit that they're talking to us about extending. We'll figure that out next month and then I'll kind of know what my fall is.
