A lIFE lESS ORDINARV
‘Perhaps because she travelled a lot as a model, Cameron had a much more sophisti- cated sense of humour than a lot of the actors we spoke to,’ he explains. ‘We met lots of beautiful, talented women in America. but none of them seemed like they belonged. We try to make the films as a kind of family, so that everybody’s contributing and everybody’s equal. Cameron was the only one who felt like she could be part of the family.
‘Equally importantly, we felt that she would be a good partner for Ewan. Of all the actors we met. we just couldn’t see any of them clicking with him. Maybe it’s because Cameron’s from a very similar family background to Ewan. Like him, she comes from a very tight, strong. loving family. which she’s very proud of and loyal to — it’s much more important to her than filming. Ewan’s background is very similar in that respect, so they felt like they’d make a great pair.’
A Life Less Ordinary often defies everyday logic, opening with a scene in Heaven, spinning off into cryptic dream sequences, and at one point sliding into a full-blown musical number.
‘That was always the idea,’ Boyle explains. ‘When you fall in love, you don’t look back to examine the causes, you just plough on. So there are a lot of narrative leaps in the film. and the Americans are going mad. saying things like, “You’ll have to explain that, can
Educating Ewan: Danny Boyle and Ewan McGregor filming in Utah
we have a caption there?” And we’re saying, “No. because that’s exactly the point, it just careers forward”. The Americans think, “It can’t start in Heaven, you’ve got to get to
‘We try to make the films as a kind of family, so that everybody’s contributing and everybody's equal. Cameron was the only one who felt like she could be part of the family.’
know the characters”. And as soon as you hear that. you think, “Well, we’ll definitely start in Heaven then.”
Boyle believes that this imaginative aspect
has become a marker of the team’s style. ‘lt works in the same way as the surreal “Worst Toilet In Scotland" scene in Trainspotting,’ he says. ‘Once you’ve hooked your audience and got them to believe in the characters. you can, if you’re brave. take them anywhere. In that sense, A Life Less Ordinary is just like the other films, because if you’re on board you’ll have a great trip with it, but if you’re not on board, or if you start pulling it apart, you won’t go with it at all.’
A Life Less Ordinary goes on general release on Fri 24 Oct. See competition on page 13.
A. Commonwealth Edinburgh ’97
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Friday 24 to Sunday 26 October 1997 Grand Opening
Friday 24 Oct 1 lam
Sun 26 2pm:
£3 from Assembly Rooms
Also enjoy
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PRINCES STREET GARDENS
Ross Theatre w Family Concerts
Sat 25 from 12noon: Musicians and dancers from all over the world. (Free Entry)
THE SINGING KETTLE THE HAPPY GANG
or TicketLine 0131 220 4349
The Commonwealth Village,George Wyllie’s Safety Pin,
with Mrs Cherie Blair, Mrs Anyaoku and Lord Provost Eric Milligan
12 THEUST 24 Oct—6 Nov 1997