Edward Norton - Interview

Edward Norton is a rising star in the acting profession. But after starring in seven films, including Milos Forman’s The people Versus Larry Flint and Woody Allen’s Everybody Says I Love You, he decided to take a shot at directing and producing as well. Norton directs, produce and stars in Keeping the Faith, which he is presenting at this year’s Deauville Film Festival.
He plays the role of a Catholic priest who goes through a personal crisis after he falls in love with Anna (Jenna Elfman). Things really get complicated when he finds out that his best friend (Ben Stiller), a rabbi, is in love with her too … Edward Norton spoke to Philippine Dautun about the issues which arise in the film, and how religious vocation is misinterpreted by society.

Philippine Dautun: What brought you to direct the film?

Edward Norton: I spent about three weeks helping my friend Stuart Blumberg rewrite the script. And then he just said, «you should do it!» I got a lot of support Milos Forman gave me some great advice; he said «I think you’re going to need to imagine that they’re not a rabbi and a priest.» I think that’s true. What I like about it is that it is wonderfully dynamic. It’s really just about how three people love and change, their relation ship and the chemistry between them.

P.D: This is the story of a priest who falls in love. Did this create problems with the Catholic church?

E.N: I never had any concern about a negative response; it was apparent to me that the story was an affirmation of faith. I wanted to shoot in Catholic churches and I wanted to work with Catholic priests. We submitted it to the Catholic church in New York, which is arguably more conservative than Rome. And we got an instant response. They said we could shoot in any church in the city, and offered all kinds of assistance. I think they were so happy that it wasn’t about a priest molesting someone and shooting people! It’s the story of a priest who’s going through a human crisis, without giving up his vocation. We got stacks of really appreciative letters from rabbis and priests. The fact is that it’s a tendency to catalogue the people who made that choice as people who aren’t human beings. And yet they are. The guy who was my inspiration is brilliant, wonderfully committed, but is a modern man he doesn’t wear a collar when he goes to dinner and plays basketball. He had all kinds of opportunities to rise through the Catholic church and chose to remain a parish priest because his commitment was to the people of his parish.

P.D: Was the story of two friends who fall in love with the same girl inspired by personal experiences?

E.N: Not really, although we did have a friend who was the inspiration for Anna. We had lots of well known actresses who were interested in the part, but I felt that I needed to find someone who we were going to meet as an audience, someone to discover. Jenna Elfman has such a great tomboy, lively intelligence. She was perfect for the part.

P.D: She’s perfect, but incredibly tall!

E.N: She is really tall, but I’m even taller! When he first met her, Ben (Stiller) sort of whispered to me: «she’s really great, but she’s really tall!» I said yeah, but Jessica Lang is a lot taller than Dustin Hoffman. That reassured him!

Philippine Dautun