Puerto Rico-born director Miguel Arteta first made his name on the American indie hit "Chuck & Buck". Now he's shooting Jennifer Aniston in the equally offbeat "The Good Girl"...
What attracted you to this film?
"The Good Girl" is a comic ode to characters trapped in a certain environment. It's a cautionary tale. Justine [Jennifer Aniston's character] is in a corner - torn between conforming, which is hell, or rebelling, which gives no guarantees. It's a tough choice.
It's both realistic and funny, I liked that. The studios were frightened of it because this isn't what you normally see in movies. Hollywood prefers to show a wishful element, a desire to portray the best part of ourselves. I was looking for more than that.
Do you delight in the unconventional?
I like unlikely heroes, yes. People who are damaged goods that find a way to start dealing with life. For me, making movies is therapy. If the characters are dealing with something I don't have a handle on, it becomes an exploration that's both scary and exciting.
What was the thinking behind the casting of Jennifer Aniston?
Screenwriter Mike White suggested we cast an actress you would never think of. Jennifer Aniston is America's sweetheart, a happy girl. We thought it would be mischievous and fun for her to play an immoral character. Thankfully, after eight years of doing Friends she was up for something different.
Upfront I said the budget doesn't allow for comfort, make-up, and hair assistants. She said, "Stop right there! I'm completely happy with that!" I'm proud of her, she worked hard. She wore wrist and ankle weights every day for three weeks to teach her body to slump as the character would.
Securing Jake Gyllenhaal's services can't have been easy...
Jake's been working flat out recently. He fitted this in between "Bubble Boy" and "Moonlight Mile". He stepped off one set, stepped onto ours, then went onto the next. Five movies back-to-back. He makes you believe in a sad character who bounces crazily off the walls. Remarkable.
Was Jennifer OK about doing a sex scene with Jake?
She was nervous, because she'd never done a sex scene on screen before. But she understood that doing the scene was just part of where the story goes. She was concerned that the chemistry had to be right, but Jake sweeps you away with his energy and they comfortably did it in two takes.
