A good director is very well prepared, and knows exactly how he's going to cut the film, so the shooting is as efficient as possible.

I have a tendency to say 'yes' to a script or no to a script. Not 'yes' based on a rewrite.

I'm not religious. It's an issue, 'cause I've got two little kids, and I feel you can't grow up without knowledge of religion.

We all want to be 20 again and have that first sense of love.

I'm a firm believer that character is highly overrated. Character is a trick that we do with the audience's collusion.

One of the things I did early on in film was over-enunciate and talk too loud.

A favorite cast? Lisa Kudrow, Anthony Hopkins, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, and my wife.