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Julia Roberts in her Subaru could solve all of my problems!
I jotted down in my notebook halfway throughBen is Back.
What seems like a normal evening dinner, church, in bed early for Santa quickly falls apart.
Roberts is gregarious but calm; Hedges leans forward, thinking deeply about every question and experience.
I love the emotionally difficult stuff, cause everything is emotionally difficult for me, he says.
To be able to actually express that gives me clarity.
Thats just how it works for me at this point.
The onscreen mother and son talked aboutBen Is Back, and being directed by Lucass dad.
Lucas Hedges: Wetalkedon theBoy Erasedred carpet.
I remember, you said you liked my earrings.
That they were like Daniel Day-Lewiss.
I like the oner.JR: I like two.LH: I like the one.JR: I like the two.
[And then, very quickly.]
Were gonna have to agree to disagree … All right!
Then Julia I think you came out and you said my name, maybe in some weird way.
I just remember feeling like,Whoa.
Julia, what was your recollection of that?
For me, when I read it, I just assumed hed do it.
I dont know if youve ever met Peter … ]JR: [Impersonating Peter.]
Pleasestay with us andbelievethat we can make this work.
We didnt share that [sentiment].
She sent a photo of her and her son, who resembles me in some ways, to us.
What were you shooting that week?JR: It was all of the house stuff.
It was just a hard week because we were in the house, and it was that family week.
I could feed off of that, and I could throw ideas back at him.
I developed a working relationship with him, which was really one of the challenges to the project.
It was one thing I feel like we ended up maneuvering well.
You have a very easy, believable chemistry together, as mother and son.
The fighting, the humor, the love it all felt very real.
How did you arrive at that?JR: you might only build so much.
Something just has to exist that just intrinsically connects you.
When the two of us came together in the beginning, there was something that just kind of connected.
I always felt very easy with Lucas.
I just very easily, in my heart space, fell into that mother-love place with Lucas.
As peers I think his acting point of view is so interesting.
His struggles internally, I empathize with, and Im fascinated by, and I love.
Instead, I can be like, Yeah, worry away … thats kind of our whole experience.
Tell me more about that.
Lucas, what are you worrying about?JR: Just anything.
What did you think of her?JR: Wow, thats a statement.
I dont fully agree, but since Im playing that person, I shouldnt agree with that.
Im not suspicious of anything that she does.
Shes just in an unenviable place as a person, and as a parent.
I think that really she doesnt know what to do.
Its like when you keep throwing something at the wall and waiting for what sticks.
Its a pretty simple plan.
But that so quickly unravels and goes off the rails, and continues to do so.
Im gonna go to church.
Were gonna come home.
Were gonna go to bed its all just water in her hands.
You know, a person cant sit down and calmly [deal with this].
She probably, for the last act of the movie, couldnt even answer that question.
The Subaru was the place to be.
What was the hardest day of work on this?
Maybe the most emotionally difficult.LH: I love the emotionally difficult stuff cause everything is emotionally difficult for me.
To be able to actually express that gives me clarity.
I was getting ready for this very highly emotional scene.
We went through the numbers and rehearsed it, and then I just sat and got ready.
He said, Okay, well …
I think we got it.
Do you wanna do it again?
Julia, as an actor do you feel like youre learning new things about yourself as a performer?
Even now?JR: Yeah, I think so.
The Kate Bush one?JR: That was one of them.
Which Kate Bush song?LH: Kate Bushs This Womans Work.
Ah.JR: Such a great song.LH: Its a perfect song for the movie.JR: Its a great song.
But is it in the movie?LH: No, I mean, for the character.
Lucas, one last question: The headline of yourNew Yorkprofilewas Will Lucas Hedges Survive the Fall?
I think its been restless and challenging, but I really feel like Im carrying the torch right now.
Its been a very fruitful time in my life.
