for30years, but Iwouldalwaysbalkbecause Ididn’t really
feel Icoulddo it justice.Thefactthat Ibelieved Icoulddeliver
on themost ambitious version of amovie set in the open
water that I ever contemplated—that’s a signal tome that
themedium isgoing somewhere interestingandpowerful.
HEMISPHERES:
Your films are sodistinct from each other.
NightShift, Cocoon, Ransom, FarandAway, How theGrinch
StoleChristmas … there’s no unifying thread, genre, or style.
Is that a good or a bad thing for a director?
HOWARD: I’m a little bit of amoving target. I know that’s
been a little bit confusing for people sometimes. They
go, “I liked The Grinch, I wonderwhat his nextmovie is …
Frost/Nixon?Hmm.”Therearesomestories I’ve tackled that
woundupbeingcommercial that Ididn’tnecessarilybelieve
therewasanaudience for.Other times, I thought therewas
anaudience, and Iwasunderwhelmedby theboxoffice.
HEMISPHERES:
Doyou think criticsandaudiences respond
better todirectorswithdistinct styles, likeQuentinTarantino
or Paul Thomas Anderson?
HOWARD:Well, it’s easier. But Iwas always an admirer of
BillyWilder,andsomewherehesaidsomething to theeffect
of, “I realize Iwouldhavemadea lotmoremoney if I stayed
with one genre likeHitchcock or John Ford, but I love all
kinds of stories. They’re irresistible.” And I relate to that.
Ultimately Idon’t really thinkofwhatanaudienceexpects
ofme. I’ma littlebitelusive, but Iaskpeople to trust that if
theyseemynameonamovie, I’vegiven itall that I’vegot.
HEMISPHERES:
Duringyour career, you’ve seenTVgo from
black and white to color, and movies from film to digital.
What do you consider the most significant development of
the last 50 years?
HOWARD: I’dsayDVDs,whichmade itmucheasier towatch
movieswhen,where, andhowyouwanted to. It createda
boom in the industry. And also the growth of the global
market,whichhasmeantbiggeraudiencesfor theAmerican
marketbutalso theexpansionofmanycountries’ local film
industries. It’s influencedpeople’s taste,which isbecoming
increasingly sophisticated, and this is reflected in every-
thing: television, cable,movies.
HEMISPHERES:
But, of course, your films aren’t made for
the small screen.
HOWARD: If Ihadany frustration itwouldbe that somany
peoplewho complimentedme onRush—and toldme how
exciting itwasand that theydidn’t think they’dcareabout
Formula1 racing—didn’t see it onabig screen. I’mgrateful
that theycaughtupwith it,but I reallywish theyhadgotten
the full chargeof seeing itat itsbest. Iknow In theHeartof
the Sea ismemorable, but it’sall themore so if people see
it in the right venue.
HEMISPHERES:
Has having a daughter in the business
influenced any of your decisions as a director, whether in
terms of seeking out better parts for women or responding
to recent reports of wage disparities inHollywood?
HOWARD: It’sbeena tremendousawakeningforme. Ididn’t
realizeall theadditionalpressuresonawoman in thebusi-
ness, and that sort of vague, fuzzy double standard that
regrettably I have to admit exists. It’s not clean, because
it’ssucha free-marketbusiness. It’sdrivenby thedemands
of theaudienceandwhat theywant tosee, and thatdrives
everybody’s salaries, so it’s not something you can be all
thatclear-cutabout.But Icertainlyammoreempatheticand
understandwhat theextrachallengesare forwomen,what
theoutsidepressuresare thatmendon’treallyhave to face.
HEMISPHERES:
What’s been the key to evolving within
the industry?
HOWARD: You have to remain fascinated by the process.
Yes, there’sdeadlinepressure.Yes, there’s judgment.There’s
winningand losing.Butallof that isasmallprice topay for
a lifeof creativeproblem solving.
PHOEBEREILLY
has written for New Yorkmagazine, Spin,
Nylon, andRollingStone.com. She resisted theurge toaskonly
questions pertaining toBackdraft.
RONHOWARD
THEHEMI Q&A
97
“BILLYWILDER SAID
SOMETHINGTOTHE
EFFECTOF, ‘I REALIZE
IWOULDHAVEMADE
ALOTMOREMONEY
IF I STAYEDWITH
ONEGENRELIKE
HITCHCOCK.BUT I
LOVEALLKINDSOF
STORIES.THEY’RE
IRRESISTIBLE.’AND
I RELATETOTHAT.”
