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CNN Live Today

Talk with Minnie Driver

Aired January 24, 2003 - 11:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: I have a very special guest, surfer and skater and skier, and also actress Minnie Driver.
Thanks for being with us.

MINNIE DRIVER, ACTRESS: Thank you.

COOPER: What is it like being at Sundance for you?

DRIVER: You it's really good. There's not too much snow here right now, but it's such a good vibe here.

COOPER: But you've come for work, not just for snow.

DRIVER: Yeah, I came for work.

COOPER: What is your film? What's it about?

DRIVER: The film is called "Owning Mahoney," and it's with Phillip G. Hoffman (ph) and John Hurt, and its about a man who lives a double life. He's an assistant bank manager in Toronto making like $20,000 a year, and he's also one of the highest rollers in Atlantic City, and the money he steals, he really only uses to gamble.

COOPER: That's amazing.

DRIVER: And I'm his kind of codependent girlfriend.

COOPER: What is it like working on an independent film, versus a big budget, mainstream Hollywood?

DRIVER: You know, I honestly, I don't know, catering. I don't know. I swear, work is work. The work is -- the work is the work. It's all the sort of stuff around it, that either you have smoked salmon or you just have a bagel, do you know what I mean? It's not really that much different, except bigger trailer I guess. I don't know.

COOPER: And the purpose of bringing a film to Sundance is what? Why do people come here?

DRIVER: Exposure, I think to create -- to get people talking about a film. Word of mouth is such a huge way of promoting a movie, especially on an independent level, where you're not opening in maybe 2,000, 3,000 theaters across the U.S.

For filmmakers to come here and get financing for feature projects, to find distribution for projects they've scraped and scringed to try and make in the first place, to find Miramax steps in and goes, hey, we're going to buy your movie, and they're made.

COOPER: And it's also this bizarre sort of circus of aspiring filmmakers and well established stars. It's an interesting mix of people all clumped together in this tiny little town.

DRIVER: I think it's anywhere where there's a good work, it's condensed. You know, you'll find every level of people, for whatever that means, like big stars or you know, beginning filmmakers. But it's great, you know, people just kind of muck in and do it, and it's got such a great pedigree, Sundance.

COOPER: All right, well I've heard great things about the film. I look forward to seeing it. Nice to meet you.

Thanks for joining us. Nice to meet you.

DRIVER: Nice to meet you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired January 24, 2003 - 11:50   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: I have a very special guest, surfer and skater and skier, and also actress Minnie Driver.
Thanks for being with us.

MINNIE DRIVER, ACTRESS: Thank you.

COOPER: What is it like being at Sundance for you?

DRIVER: You it's really good. There's not too much snow here right now, but it's such a good vibe here.

COOPER: But you've come for work, not just for snow.

DRIVER: Yeah, I came for work.

COOPER: What is your film? What's it about?

DRIVER: The film is called "Owning Mahoney," and it's with Phillip G. Hoffman (ph) and John Hurt, and its about a man who lives a double life. He's an assistant bank manager in Toronto making like $20,000 a year, and he's also one of the highest rollers in Atlantic City, and the money he steals, he really only uses to gamble.

COOPER: That's amazing.

DRIVER: And I'm his kind of codependent girlfriend.

COOPER: What is it like working on an independent film, versus a big budget, mainstream Hollywood?

DRIVER: You know, I honestly, I don't know, catering. I don't know. I swear, work is work. The work is -- the work is the work. It's all the sort of stuff around it, that either you have smoked salmon or you just have a bagel, do you know what I mean? It's not really that much different, except bigger trailer I guess. I don't know.

COOPER: And the purpose of bringing a film to Sundance is what? Why do people come here?

DRIVER: Exposure, I think to create -- to get people talking about a film. Word of mouth is such a huge way of promoting a movie, especially on an independent level, where you're not opening in maybe 2,000, 3,000 theaters across the U.S.

For filmmakers to come here and get financing for feature projects, to find distribution for projects they've scraped and scringed to try and make in the first place, to find Miramax steps in and goes, hey, we're going to buy your movie, and they're made.

COOPER: And it's also this bizarre sort of circus of aspiring filmmakers and well established stars. It's an interesting mix of people all clumped together in this tiny little town.

DRIVER: I think it's anywhere where there's a good work, it's condensed. You know, you'll find every level of people, for whatever that means, like big stars or you know, beginning filmmakers. But it's great, you know, people just kind of muck in and do it, and it's got such a great pedigree, Sundance.

COOPER: All right, well I've heard great things about the film. I look forward to seeing it. Nice to meet you.

Thanks for joining us. Nice to meet you.

DRIVER: Nice to meet you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com