People ascribe a certain kind of silliness to the movie business. Everybody feels like, "In the movies, they do crazy stuff."

My movies are unadorned, they're not particularly fancy, I think they're kind of workmanlike in some ways, focusing on the writing and the acting.

My father has positional vertigo, and if he flies he gets really dizzy, so he has to drive out to California, which he does a couple times a year. We talk, but we e-mail mostly.

I like roundtables because you can talk more directly to people. And you also can get kind of a vibe on what a journalist's take is on something, and have a conversation with them more.

I try to cast really good actors and give them a chance to do their very best work, give them as much time and space as they need.

Not that it entirely matters: There is a perception that all actors make their movies. A lot of people assume you're responsible. George Clooney told me actors get all of the blame and all the credit.

The first thing that I really understood politically and was old enough to get was the failed assassination attempt on Reagan.