The ones that work out really and ones that become something to the audience, those are the most important people.

If you look at a character as a mountain over there that you have to climb, then I think you've lost 50 percent of the air.

The independent film business is pretty much gone. Now you can do it in a format where you actually get to develop a character over a period of time.

Getting the nomination is like gravy. Winning would be like whatever is better than gravy.

Independent films now, they want to give you $2 million to make it, 21 days to shoot it and they want 10 movie stars in it.

The great movies that I want to do now are being made for $2.5-million budgets.

They were on the set of Bad Santa, but I tried to keep the headphones away from them. My kids have seen Sling Blade, Armageddon, Bandits and Friday Night Lights. They have not seen Monster's Ball and nor will they ever. Even when they are 60. I will leave it in my will.