The Day the Earth Stood Still was first seen in 1951 as a sci-fi social commentary on the Cold War. This time around, the reinvention of the film is geared to provide commentary regarding present global issues.
In this remake of the same title, Dr. Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) meets Klaatu (Keanu Reeves) an alien who comes to earth to warn of a dire global crisis. When others begin to treat Klaatu as an enemy, Benson and her estranged stepson Jacob (Jaden Smith) must convince him to spare the human race.
During a recent conference call, Reeves, Jon Hamm (who plays the character Michael Granier) and Connelly discussed reservations about doing a remake, transitioning from the small to big screen and whether they believe aliens exist.
Q: You've done a lot of action/sci-fi movies. What is it about these types of movies that keeps you coming back for more?
A: Reeves: Well, I love the genre. I grew up reading science fiction, watching science fiction films. I think it's a wonderful genre in the sense that it's a bit of a Trojan horse. Bit of drama, adventure -- it's also a great way to look at ourselves. It's a genre that beautifully talks about our hopes, our fears, our anxieties, utilizing allegory, metaphor, in such a fantastic way.
Q: I know that you've done a lot of work in TV, as well as movies. Now that you're a part of The Day The Earth Stood Still, do you think you're headed in the direction of more Hollywood blockbusters, or will you stay in TV?
A: Hamm: I don't know. It's not entirely up to me. Most of us have that situation, being actors that people tend to pick us for things. I would like to do things that I find interesting, and whether those opportunities come in television or film, it really depends upon the material. I've been very fortunate to do something on television that I really like, and find it incredibly interesting and thought-provoking and challenging as an actor. If those opportunities come in films, then I'd be happy to do those as well.
Q: I was wondering if any of you had seen it prior to reading the script, and if you hadn't, have you seen it after, and what your response was to it?
A: Reeves: I saw the film actually when I was probably like 9 or 10. And the original, when it was made in 1950, released probably 1951, was in black and white. When I was a kid, I saw it on a black and white television. How about that? And I kind of remembered the spaceship, Gort, the alien coming to earth, and the score, the score of the film was very striking. It really had this kind of anxiety, this impending doom. And then when I saw the film later in life, some of its kind of political context, some of its humor and irony, became much more apparent to me. I saw the film before I started production, and if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. What we tried to do with this film, Scott Derrickson, the director, was really kind of taking what was great about the first film, the original, and then really kind of updating it to our time.
Q: What was the most difficult aspect about filming this movie for you?
A: Connelly: I had a great time, frankly. I think the things that are always difficult for me, just having expectations and feeling the pressure of wanting to serve the story well and fulfill my obligations as well as I possibly can. I feel that on everything that I do. Specific challenges to this film. It was kind of nice, actually. There were no big personality clashes. I liked everyone, had respect for everyone I was working with, I thought the film was sort of going well, I thought Scott was doing a great job, I thought all the cast was doing a great job. So, it was kind of weirdly pleasant and without controversy. The worst thing I had to deal with was like a little bit of green screen, where you're trying to pretend you're having this really frightening experience, but you're just looking at a green curtain with some pink tape on it, which is a little weird. Some rain machines, uncomfortable rain machines and weirdly large fans, that was really the worst there was to deal with, frankly. It was a real pleasure.
A: Hamm: Being fairly new to this entire experience of making gigantic Hollywood movies, I was sort of equally surprised at how pain-free the whole experience was. It was pleasant. I obviously didn't have as much to do as these two, but I found everybody to be incredibly cool and friendly and respectful, which was a pretty awesome experience.
A: Reeves: I think in terms of the challenges of this film probably would go mostly to the director, Scott Derrickson. He had to kind of direct this ship. He had decided to make a remake of an American classic. And he took that on, and he had a real strong point of view. He, as a person and as a director, was very practical, very open, very collaborative. So, he kind of set the tone for everyone in terms of being able to do their best and to have a real kind of positive experience. I think probably, as we all kind of sweated our roles, Scott Derrickson probably was the one who was in a cold sweat at night. How do I do this film? He really showed up and created a great place for all of us to do the best that we can. It doesn't always go like that, so it was kind of cool that it did.
Q: I just wanted to know if any of you believe that there are aliens or any other sort of life form out there after doing a film like this?
A: Hamm: I believed it before doing a film like this, and I certainly haven't changed. I think that the numbers are such that there has gotta be. I just hope they're nice to us.
A: Connelly: I feel the same way. It didn't really affect my thoughts on it, which again, looking at the scale of universe, it makes good sense to me that there is probably something else out there. I think it's become sort of common thinking, and even my son was saying that astrobiology is now something that they're studying in school, and they're looking at Jupiter's moons and what may be under the ice, and it seems to me to make good sense.
Q: It says you refer to the film as a re-imagining, rather than a remake. Are you cautious about films that are remakes? And what drew you to this film?
A: Reeves: In general, with any film, you have to ask why. And with a remake, especially a remake of a classic, that question might be in bolder letters. Scott Derrickson, the director, had a real line, and I think the story is a very contemporary story. It's about our relationship to each other. It's our relationship to the planet. And it's a film that has a real positive message about the human character, that in crisis, at a crossroads, we have the ability to change, and that the best of us can come out. That was kind of answering the why, the why to make this remake. But yeah, you definitely have to ask that question, and I think the film itself, The Day The Earth Stood Still, does lend itself to that opportunity because of its timeliness, and because of how that could be translated to present day, which maybe might not work so well for say, The Wizard of Oz.
