Stolen
Recently coming onto DVD after a successful theatrical and VOD run, IFC Films’ Stolen is a tale of two fathers separated by time but bound by tragedy. Anchored by leading men Jon Hamm and Josh Lucas and featuring a solid supporting cast fleshed out by Morena Baccarin, James Van Der Beek, and Rhona Mitra, the film shifts back and forth through time as a decades-old unsolved murder brings unexpected resolution to two men’s lives and promises hope where none existed before. I had a chance to talk with director/producer Anders Anderson and director of photography/producer Andy Steinman about their process in bringing this project to fruition.
IFQ: How did you guys first come across the script for this story & what about it made you want to take it on and produce it?
Andy Steinman: Anders and I first met on a short in Santa Fe, New Mexico; he was producing and directing it and I was the cinematographer at the time. We hit it off and just knew that we wanted to do some other independent films together and had a passion for the kinds of stories we wanted to tell. So when the show was over, we decided to form (production company) A2 and look for our flagship film to put our names out there. Then we contacted everyone we knew, everyone we worked with, any writers we knew, and just read all the scripts we could. We also researched a lot of information looking for any inspiration at all. Luckily enough, a colleague of ours had passed onto us a script called The Boy in the Box, which is now Stolen, written by Glen Taranto and it spoke to us. We saw in the first few pages so many events happening, i.e. a father losing his son, and knew that a story about two fathers losing their sons and the mystery that unfolds from that could be a perfect independent film for us to put together and make our first steps into the industry.
Anders Anderson: Yeah, and I think that too the big thing was, looking at it as filmmakers, trying to bring something new and different. And what really caught us with this movie, besides being a mystery thriller, was that even though it has some procedural elements to it, it is also so much about the characters and what is happening to them. As Andy said, it’s a story about two fathers who lose their sons so, I think as filmmakers making a first-time feature, it presented us a challenge we wanted to take on of trying to create this continuous thread of emotion between the two main characters, both the cop Tom Adkins (Jon Hamm) in 2008 and Matthew Wakefield (Josh Lucas) in 1958. We liked that challenge and we used elements, like the various visual transitions between time periods, to keep the emotional thread between both characters going.
IFQ: Given the current troubles in putting together independent film productions these days, how was it putting this particular package together, i.e. securing financing, talent, crew, etc? Did you have to resort to any unorthodox methods to get the job done?
AS: Overall, it was a rollercoaster ride; with some things the chips fell perfectly for us and we were very fortunate and with others it was very difficult as it is with most films. How it started off was once we got a hold of a script we liked we took it to investors and pooled our resources of people we knew to talk to; people who would be interested in investing in an independent film. And of course, the answer you always get is “well, who’s your actor?” So it’s always the dance of having the talent versus the script and something that was a little unorthodox for us was we were lucky enough that someone we had worked with in the past had done a film with Josh Lucas, whom we thought would be perfect for the role (of Matthew Wakefield).
Quickly we sent the script to Josh, but we knew that as first-time filmmakers we had to prove ourselves. So we put together a montage piece, comprised of clips of films, music, stills, etc. that inspired us and edited them together into a two and a half to three minute piece so that when we sent the script over to Josh for our first attempt, he had this other material to see to let him know that that we weren’t just aspiring filmmakers but filmmakers with a vision and ones that he could trust to do this movie. I think that was really important to Josh and it worked out because a few days later we were on the phone with him talking about the script.
So with that, we were extraordinarily lucky. After that as the chips started to fall and we were getting more and more talent, we received a crash course in getting a film made and how to put it up. We only had about six to seven weeks from when we first started talking with Josh to day one of shooting because of the then-WGA strike and actor availability. We didn’t have time to worry too much about what we didn’t know; we just had to learn it ASAP and get the project off the ground. So the whole time we were on a rollercoaster ride throughout the entire production, trying to get the movie we wanted ,make sure it didn’t go under, and that we have a fantastic time.
AA: Yeah and I think the biggest thing again was getting Josh on board because with being first-time filmmakers you have to figure out how to get the money. Even if you get a script that’s worthy of being shot, how do you get the money and actors? And that always goes hand in hand, so with Josh coming on board it really helped push things forward in the sense that not only did it help us get the funds we needed towards the end to finish up the film, but actors also wanted to come on board to be a part of the film and work with us because Josh had basically legitimized us.
We tried to take full advantage then once we had that opportunity and it was fantastic because we had to cast forty-two speaking roles and it was a daunting task, to the point that we were still casting while shooting. We would shoot and then at lunch time we’re looking at tape, trying to figure out whom to cast for a role that’s going to play a week later and whatnot. So with getting Josh on board first and then Jon, it made things easier because people came to us instead of us having to go after them, plus people don’t realize that when you have to make those choices it’s easier to look at people and go “oh I know their work, I’ve seen them on 24” or other TV shows. You don’t really need to see anything else about them; you just want to get them on set and things will be perfect. That was pretty interesting and seemed unique to us.
IFQ: The film is very much anchored by the performances in it, from Jon Hamm and Josh Lucas as essentially dual leads to the solid female cast that really push forward the central idea of moving on; what was your specific process in terms of working with the actors to make sure they were eliciting performances that both served their characters as well as advanced the story? Especially as so much of their performances tend to hinge more on glances and non-verbals rather than dialogue.
AS: For us, it was one of those things where we actually noticed it ourselves in the editing room. We knew it on the day but you’re so caught up in trying to get the production done and trying to make your day that you do see those things as the performances go on like “I think we got that, that look right there”. And what was great for Andy and I was we’d look at each other and say “Did you see that? That look that he gave?” And it would just totally change it for me. All those actors were so good at bringing out those kinds of nuances that are things that you don’t necessarily direct but just come from them. And then when we finally got to the editing room it became even more noticeable. It was so exciting for us to be working with such pros that could bring out those kinds of performances and it just made the film that much more fun to watch over and over again as we were editing it.
IFQ: Ultimately, what would you hope an audience member takes away from this film experience-wise after viewing it?
AA: You know the big thing for us was not really wanting to give people any sort of message of how to handle a horrible, tragic loss like the ones in the film but rather to take away the idea that there is always a sense of hope even if you’re not going to get exactly what you want back, but there are also other aspects of your life that are just as important to take care of like with Jon’s character and the relationship with his wife. I think the biggest thing we wanted people to take away is a feeling of hope, a feeling of redemption, and a feeling of absolution. That’s what we took away from it as filmmakers as well as recognizing that while loss is a part of life at the same time you have to look to the ones you love in order to help you move through it.