A glimpse of Kaufman in temporary sunshine
With the growing success of his quirky, heartfelt films, Charlie Kaufman has become a Hollywood rarity -- a brand name screenwriter. The creator of such films as "Being John Malkovich" and "Adaptation" also has been branded as a recluse -- unfairly if you ask him. In fact, Kaufman was only too happy to talk about his current film, Focus Features' "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," which has taken in more than $26 million in its first 26 days of release.
The Hollywood Reporter: It's pretty rare that audiences are so aware of screenwriters, unless they also direct films. Are you interested in directing?
Kaufman: I guess I don't think of ("Eternal Sunshine") as a Charlie Kaufman film. I see it as a collaboration of a lot of people. There is a movie that I am planning on directing, and I haven't written it yet. I'm going to do that after (the project) I'm writing now that Spike Jonze will direct. I don't know if it's so much that I have an idea of how to direct (this idea) the way another director might not. I don't know how to phrase it exactly, because I enjoy collaboration. I just want to see what taking something from its inception -- and having more of one vision -- would look like.
THR: You've gained this reputation as being mysterious. Do you think that Nicolas Cage playing you in "Adaptation" added to the intrigue?
Kaufman: I've been referred a recluse more than once, and I'm not. With each movie, I've done press. I don't like to be photographed or to talk about my personal life. But I guess the cat's out of the bag now. (During 'Malkovich') people thought, 'Who is this guy?' There was very little known about me, and there were no pictures of me. Now there are many pictures just because if you go to any event -- or opening, or luncheon thing -- your picture's there and it's online. It's weird.
THR: Do you see 'Eternal Sunshine' as a kind of response to the standard sunny romantic comedy?
Kaufman: What I was trying to do when I wrote ('Sunshine'), and ('Adaptation'), was that the idea of Hollywood romance was something that I did not want to contribute to. I wanted to do a real relationship. So if I were going to the movies and I were to see this thing, I would think, 'Oh, OK, I can understand this. It has something to do with my life, it's not this unattainable fairy tale thing.'
THR: Do you tell these stories in sort of fractured ways to remind people they are watching a film by pulling them in and out of the movie?
Kaufman: Some people will say -- and I've seen it in print -- that I'm a smart-ass, or obsessed with mind games and puzzles and that sort of thing. I like interesting structures and I like being able to figure out a way to tell a story that feels specific to that story, as opposed to the structures for writing screenplays. And that's an issue that's addressed in 'Adaptation.' But I don't feel like I'm a smart-ass. I feel that everything I do is very heartfelt.
THR: You are now one of the few screenwriters who can attract talent to projects, the way Woody Allen or Spike Lee do as directors. Do you think about casting while you write?
Kaufman: When I'm writing, I'm not thinking about actors. I'm not thinking about stars. I wouldn't want to bring in a star to do the movie just because they can bring in boxoffice. One thing about these movies is that they are moderately budgeted and big stars come because they want to be there. They're getting paid, but not their fee. So they are there because they want to be there and they want to do the work. That was the case with Jim (Carrey) and Kate (Winslet) and Meryl Streep and everybody.
