David Mackenzieâs âHallam Foeâ was released last year in the
Collider: So what about this book made you want to translate it to the screen?
DM: Well it was written by a friend of mine, so I knew about it before it was even written, actually. I knew it was about a troubled adolescent and Edinburgh rooftops, and those were the two things I kind of latched onto and I thought, ok, thereâs a strange, sort of, otherworldly movie vibe, you know.
Collider: At moment during the development was there that kind of âAha!â moment that Jamie would be perfect for the part of Hallam?
DM: Quite early on, because Jamie was sort of on our radar, starring in a film we were producing. You know, you need someone who can bring humanity to this awkward character, and someone who could embrace the physicality of the role, so Jamie was a natural fit. We arranged a meeting and he was into it.
Collider: So he wasnât put off at all by the voyeurism element of it?
DM: Well, obviously not, but as he read the first two pages of the script, he was saying âOh, well this is oddâ, but when you get deeper you realize heâs an interesting character, and most films wouldnât have this kind of character as the main character.
Collider: You had some gorgeous set pieces in the film, like the city of Edinburgh. Were there any obstacles to getting to shoot on the rooftops and in other areas.
DM: The filming permits work a little differently over there, and you donât have to go about it in the same way. Health and safety issues are obviously something you have to worry about, but we were very lucky because we found this rooftop, and there was a lot of flat area to it, and it is much less treacherous than it appears to be in the film, so we used that and it worked out really well.
Collider: Once Jamie was attached to the film, did everything else fall into place as far as casting was concerned? After that, was it easy to get Cieran, Claire, and Sophia?
DM: Jamie was on it for longer. You know, from the beginning of the development, but things kind of came together after that, so yeah other people wanted to work with him.
Collider: Are you getting a wide release over here?
DM: I think itâs a relatively limited release. Something they call a âplatform releaseâ, and if thereâs a good response to it, then theyâll take it wider.
Collider: Do you think a lot of that depends on the rating you get?
DM: Actually, I donât even know what the rating is, do you know?
Collider: You know, I would think it would get an R, but who knows with the MPAA.
DM: I think itâs probably an R. I donât think itâs anything less, but I also donât think itâs anything more. You know, since Magnolia is not a studio, they might choose to put it out as unrated. I donât really know how that works.
Collider: Well Iâm pretty sure unrated can only apply to DVD releases. All films released into theaters have to have some sort of classification, from G to NC-17, I think.
DM: Itâs all very confusing.
Collider: Assuming you get an R-rating, and youâve mentioned your target demographic is â15 year old boysâ, is that an obstacle?
DM: It is an obstacle, yeah, and, well I donât knowâ¦R means they can go with their parents or another adult, right? Yeahâ¦well, it just depends.
Collider: Some theaters are pretty lax about age distinctions, but in the last few years theyâve really tightened up.
DM: Well in that case weâll just have to see. You know, Iâve tried to make the film as honestly as I can and I actually donât think I can take it down to PG-13 very easily, so I guess theyâll have to wait until theyâre 18 if they canât get someone to take them, or wait until it comes out on DVD.
Collider: How different is it in the UK? Can anyone go see an â18â film?
DM: No, actually, itâs much more strict! So no one under 18 can go see the film. If we were under that, it actually would have been much more successful, and Iâm kind of learning these lessons as we go along.
Collider: Well, I think in order to have the realism of the film, since sex is such an important part of Hallamâs development, the film would kind of seem empty without it. Kids arenât stupid, and they know that PG-13 isnât real life. Sex weighs heavier than violence with the MPAA.
DM: Well, whatâs equally weird, is that in the UK, youâre legally allowed to have sex with someone who is 16, but you canât watch sex until you are 18.
Collider: So your next film is called âSpreadâ, with Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche, is this a much more upbeat comedy, or does it have some of the same dark undertones.
DM: Oh, itâs got plenty of dark undertones. Itâs not actually a comedy, really.
Collider: Oh, well itâs being described as a comedy.
DM: I mean, there are some comedic elements, but itâs, but I think itâs one of those things that you have to call a âdramedyâ now. Well, you know itâs an interesting departure for Ashton and I really enjoyed working with him and making you know, an American movie about LA.
Collider: Would you like to make more American movies, or do you like working in the UK?
DM: I like both, really. I like working on a variety of projects, but Iâve enjoyed working here, and Iâve enjoyed the work Iâve done in the UK, but I just wait for the right project to come along.
Collider: Is it strange revisiting âHallam Foeâ a year later?
DM: Itâs quite nice, actually. You know, itâs some degree of closure, and it would be really nice if âHallam Foeââ¦I mean, âMister Foeââ¦is able to find an audience in the US.
Collider: Well I think it will. Itâs nice when distributors revisit a film because it means people liked it and they think it has a chance over here. It gives the film a second life.
DM: Itâs great, yeah, and if that second life comesâ¦I mean Iâm not expecting it to break box office records, but if the film could find an audienceâ¦it will find an audience, whether itâs three or more, but I donât think thereâs anything particularly inaccessible about it in its Britishness or Scottishness.
Collider: No, I donât either.
DM: Well good. I hope it goes over well.
âMister Foeâ is currently playing in limited release.