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DIRECTOR LEE GRANT TALKS ABOUT THE MAKING OF
THE NEW HBO DOCUMENTARY
A FATHER...A SON...ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
HBO: How did the project come about?
LEE GRANT: Michael and I had talked about it over the years. Then, three years ago, at a Christmas party, he said, "Let's do it."
HBO: Did Kirk need persuading?
LEE GRANT: Not at all. Kirk is a passionate man and this was an outlet for him. He's also written three amazingly honest and soulful books.
HBO: Since you appeared onscreen with Kirk in "Detective Story" in 1951, many people would assume it was your connection with him that made the documentary possible.
LEE GRANT: I worked with Kirk when I was starting out, but we hadn't really kept in touch. My husband [producer Joe Feury] and I have been close to Michael since the '70s, when we would all hang out together.
HBO: Was it hard to get Michael and Kirk talking in this revealing way?
LEE GRANT: They both knew this was perhaps their last chance to resolve issues that remain between them. They obviously love each other, but there are still old issues over "Cuckoo's Nest."
HBO: Were there some things that were too awkward to include?
LEE GRANT: No, nothing was held back. Michael called all of his friends and told them not to leave anything out when I talked to them.
HBO: The word "intimidating" seems to apply to Kirk in his prime.
LEE GRANT: Women were mad about him. The country was mad about him. And Michael was more of an interior kid. It was impossible for him to live up to his father's image. So he first made his mark as the producer of "Cuckoo's Nest," a huge, surprising, Oscar®-winning hit. Then, it was such a release for him to find his own voice as an actor by starring in an adventure film like "Romancing the Stone."
HBO: It's hard to imagine Michael Douglas lacking confidence.
LEE GRANT: But it was a tremendous struggle for him. Kirk was like a superhero, but Michael was everyman. I think his choice of material in films like "Fatal Attraction" and "The China Syndrome" was brilliant in the way they captured the times. When I first saw "Falling Down" I was stunned, because of the way it reflects the feelings of people who feel disregarded and don't know how to deal with their rage. It's interesting that both Kirk and Michael went on to work for the UN, because underneath all of the work they've done is a reflection of the world we live in.
HBO: Apart from speech difficulties stemming from his stroke, Kirk still seems amazingly vital.
LEE GRANT: We addressed that subject at the start of the film because we wanted to allow Kirk to speak for himself and not through subtitles. And you do get used to his speech quickly. Kirk is completely comfortable with himself today - his attitude has always been "take it or leave it."
HBO: Did you learn things about Michael and Kirk that you didn't know?
LEE GRANT: I learned a lot. Although Michael has been friends with me and my husband Joe for a long time, there are things you don't ask your friends. The camera gave me the cover to do that. Michael and Kirk went as far as they could go in this film. There are issues between them that will never go away, but at least there is an agreement to love each other in spite of everything.
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