I'm on this diet where you're supposed to eat only fish and meat.

My key interest in choosing scripts is character-driven stories, because there are so many stories that sacrifice character for plot.

[Depp] has real ambitions, but he is deeply afraid of being considered pretentious.

Kevin, as the whole cast is, just wonderful people and great people, and people who are attracted to this kind of material and accepting the idea of going to Newfoundland and knowing the kind of lack of amenities.

But I notice that there is a lack of darkness in my movies and I don't know where that comes from.

I discovered the 7th art at home when I was kid, through Charlie Chaplin's movies and those of my father who shot documentaries. He was my biggest influence. So I took his camera and started shooting.

It was important on The Shipping News to have my house far enough away from each location so I had this time in the morning to think about my shots and still remain open to surprises once I got to the set.