There was always a part of me that wanted to be an old-time director. But I couldn't do that. I'm not a pro.

Our world is so glutted with useless information, images, useless images, sounds, all this sort of thing. It's a cacophony, it's like a madness I think that's been happening in the past twenty-five years. And I think anything that can help a person sit in a room alone and not worry about it is good.

Alcohol decimated the working class and so many people.

People have to start talking to know more about other cultures and to understand each other.

Every scene is a lesson. Every shot is a school. Let the learning continue.

And as I've gotten older, I've had more of a tendency to look for people who live by kindness, tolerance, compassion, a gentler way of looking at things.

An interviewer once asked me to discuss my collaboration with Elmer Bernstein, and precisely why I chose to work with him. My first thought was: How could I not work with Elmer, when I had the chance? Simply put, he's the best there is-the very best.