Eastwood Talks About Changeling

Posted on May 20, 2008

Clint Eastwood talked to the L.A. Times about his film called Changeling which debuted recently at Cannes.

In this film a woman has her missing boy returned to her by the LAPD but she believes it is not her child but an evil changeling instead.

Made with Eastwood's trademark assurance and storytelling skill, "Changeling" is in part, the director well knows, "a horror story for adults, not for thrill-seeking kids." But in almost the same breath he acknowledges what is for him a new focus: "A mother's love is the whole driving force of the movie."
Playing the mother is Angelina Jolie, whose skill and seriousness greatly impressed Eastwood. "She's become a publicity magnet; everyone wants to know what she's doing," the director says. "Because you see her in all the tabloid papers, it's easy to overlook her, and she is really underrated.
"I think she's one of the few actresses that would have been just as big if she'd worked in Hollywood's so-called Golden Age." And, Eastwood adds, she's got a good sense of humor.
"I'd kid her all the time," he says. "If I wanted to see her on the set I'd say, 'Get the Tomb Raider' or 'Get Angie Dickinson.' If you have a face that pretty, a lot of people underrate you. It looks like it's carved out of stone."

If it seems like quite a change for Eastwood that may be because the script was originally meant for Ron Howard to direct. The script was written by Babylon 5 scribe J. Michael Straczynski. Greencine posts some good reviews for the film. Just Jared has some photos of Changeling star Angelina Jolie with director Clint Eastwood at Cannes.

Note: the film may not be called Changeling when it finally arrives in U.S. theatres.

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