You can perceive life as tragic, or you can laugh at the tragedy of it and that turns it into comedy. It doesn't change the circumstances.

I've always thought that comedy was just another dramatic expression.

The comic impulse is sometimes a reaction to sadness. You feel like you can make one choice or the other.

I have a great respect for the moviegoing experience. It's such a unique thing. You're not getting up and walking around the house or flipping channels during the dull parts. You're in a dark space, and the movie fills most of your field of vision. You're surrounded by sound, and the colors are deeply saturated, and faces are fifteen feet high. If it's done well, you're really going to feel some big emotions or have some big belly laughs.

It doesn't take any longer to improvise 10 takes than it takes to shoot 10 takes of the same thing. It turns out to be just as responsible from a business point of view as anything else.

I met someone who said they'd figured out my genre: "madcap redemption comedy." I'll buy that.

I've been directing for 25 years almost, and I've only directed nine films in that time because I like to be careful.