If you make action movies, the critics will savage you, and then your movies are outdated the following week with the new wave of special effects.

I grew up with a single mom who was a waitress. We were on food stamps. My mom then got Pell Grants, put herself through college to get a degree to get a better job. Because we were broke, I then had to go to a state school. I went to Temple University, and had to get loans. So I grew up in a world where I saw the government helping individuals pull themselves up, and saw it work very successfully.

As for movies, what's great about comedy is that if your movie gets laughs and makes money, you have freedom.

I would never call myself cultural elite, but you might be cultural elite.

We get so much information during the day that doesn't really tell us anything.

Hollywood has to appeal to the broadest audience, and when it comes to most social and economic issues, America is progressive. Because of that, the messages that are in Hollywood movies tend to be, for instance, pro-environment.

David O. Russell is probably my favorite filmmaker. He's not only a great director, but he's also a great writer.