I thought I wanted to be a playwright because I was interested in stories and telling stories.

It was the man's dream, and his inspiring attempt to make them come true that remain important.

My film is not a movie; it's not about Vietnam. It is Vietnam.

Music is a big factor in helping the illusion of the film come to life. The same way music brings back different periods of our lives.

When I do a novel, I don't really use the script, I use the book; when I did Apocalypse Now, I used Heart of Darkness. Novels usually have so much rich material.

I have always credited the writer of the original material above the title: Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Bram Stoker's Dracula, or John Grisham's The Rainmaker. I felt that I didn't have the right to Francis Coppola's anything unless I had written the story and the screenplay.

I've been offered lots of movies. There's always some actor who's doing a project and would like to have me do it.