You can't guarantee that you'll make a great movie, but you can make a greater effort than I made at trying to see that the basics are there.

If you're committed enough, you can make any story work. I once told a woman I was Kevin Costner, and it worked because I believed it.

You can't guarantee that you'll make a great movie, but you can make a greater effort than I made at trying to see that the basics are there.

I'm about to go to Sundance for my 3rd year, and Sundance has never felt like a real independent festival at all. On the other hand, it might to start feel that way.

I think that acting is no fun unless it's hard. I'm not titillated by acting or being an actor unless I have to work hard.

Not to knock the people who've given me the opportunity; I appreciate all the opportunities I've gotten, but one of the things I think I really learned from the features I got to direct is that your job as a director is everything about the movie. It's to pick a story that's really worth making, and make sure that the basic components are there. You're not just a part of the team. You're really in charge, and the responsibility falls on you if all the components aren't there for a worthwhile film.

In acting, you're only responsible for your part. When you're directing, the load is on your shoulders, so you have to feel a strong connection to the material. It's a higher bar to get over.