INTERVJU / INTERVIEW
second time. But that becomes a wake- up call for Claire, who wonders: “What is life if we’re not living it fully, every second?” That’s because anything can happen at any moment. She lives her life very joyfully and with purpose, and she still carries Mike with her every- where she goes. The film touches on the serious topics of disability and alcoholism, yet these themes remain understated, allowing audiences to reflect more deeply afterward… HUGH: That’s because many films fore- ground those issues in a way that feels predictable, but real life is more com- plex. Music is a central element in this story, but we also had to portray Mike’s self-destruction — how it affects his voice and his will to survive... What in- spired me most about Mike is that he remained sober until the very end. He committed to sobriety, to his passion, to his family. That’s a profound spiritual lesson that we learnt from Song Sung Blue. We all move through life carry- ing mistakes, guilt and regrets, but you have to say at some point, “I’m choos- ing grace. I’m choosing optimism. I’m choosing to devote myself to something meaningful.” Kate, congratulations on your Golden Globe nomination, but I also have a question about your broader career: you became famous for romantic comedies. Do you feel that typecasting may have delayed your return to independent film? KATE: That’s a very good question. Af- ter playing Penny Lane in Almost Fa- mous, everything happened so quickly. I was in my early twenties. Then came How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Raising Helen, Bride Wars, Mother’s Day. I’m proud of all those films, but yes — ro- mantically comedic roles became my main lane. There came a point where I felt a real desire to show something dif- ferent, to explore deeper, riskier mate- rial. And then Craig Brewer appeared. I’m incredibly grateful he trusted me and saw Claire in me. I truly see Song Sung Blue as the beginning of a new chapter — or rather, the next evolution of my career. I hope I get to work with Craig and Hugh again.
KATE: One of the great joys of what we do is the constant discovery. I actual- ly knew Neil Young better than Neil Di- amond before this film. I knew his big hits that we all grew up with… Diving into Diamond’s broader catalogue was like opening a treasure chest. I’d never heard songs like I’ve Been This Way Be- fore, which I sing at the end of the film. I didn’t know Cherry Cherry, Crunchy Granola Suite or Soolaimon. HUGH: Same here — unfortunately! Had I truly known how rich his discog- raphy was, I would’ve been a devoted fan decades ago. Just like in every musical or musician biopic, the power of the music itself is in the background of everything... HUGH: We’ve all felt it at some point in our lives, some more than others. But what Craig did in this film was extraor- dinary. You don’t just hear the music — you feel it through the characters and through the storytelling. That’s not just skill; there’s something almost mysti- cal about it. Craig captured what we felt as actors and transformed it into cine- matic emotion. Another thing I want to mention as a singer is that, when I lis- tened to Neil Diamond, I thought, “This
man is an unbelievable singer.” He can go anywhere vocally — any register, any intensity. And he still sings and sounds remarkable. I read somewhere that you sang karaoke with Neil Diamond. Is that true? HUGH: Yes. We have a very good mu- tual friend. He and Katie, his wife, in- vited me over because they really like the film. It meant so much to them. Ka- tie had actually mentioned in previ- ous conversations that they live in Col- orado and asked if I wanted to stay the night. I responded with “Excellent, that would be great”. So we dined and Katie whispered, “there’s a good chance Neil will ask you to sing karaoke.” And I said, “Absolutely.” And sure enough — he did. We sang Can’t Help Falling in Love With You and Sweet Caroline and it was fantastic. Kate, your character Claire narrowly escapes death twice in the film. In the cinema we were all stunned because few of us knew her story. How did you experience that? KATE: It’s insane that two cars hit the same spot twice and nearly killed her a
30 | Holivud » Hollywood
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