You have to question a cinematic culture that preaches artistic expression, and yet would support a decision that is clearly a product of a patriarchy-dominant society, which tries to control how women are depicted on screen. The MPAA is okay supporting scenes that portray women in scenarios of sexual torture and violence for entertainment purposes, but they are trying to force us to look away from a scene that shows a woman in a sexual scenario, which is both complicit and complex. It's misogynistic in nature to try and control a woman's sexual presentation of self.

It was more important to me to understand what its like to be this Jewish kid who felt he was so different at such a young age. I feel the story is about a kid who came to hate through love, so I felt I had to learn why he loved this thing so much that he also apparently hated it.

You can't make a movie for everybody. You can't go into it trying to alienate people, but you have to assume that you're going to.

I always wanted to entertain. When I was six, a scrawny, scrawny kid, Id get in my red speedo and do muscle moves. I actually thought I was muscular. I didnt know everyone was laughing at me.

I don't know what art is exactly, but I'm pretty sure it's not something you get paid to do. For myself this is a job. I think it's easier to get better at it if you don't lose your identity in it. You do whatever you can to try to understand the character. Because they're paying you feel like you should be doing something.

If you're making a movie about the effects of time, you kind of have to engage time as the main character.

I grew up Mormon. I wasn't really Mormon, my parents were.