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Interview With Cast of 'Bookies'

Aired January 21, 2003 - 14:43   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: It's that time of year again when Hollywood takes a back seat while the independents take center stage at the Sundance Film Festival. About 120 movies are being screened in Park City, Utah, and "Bookies" is one of them. It's a comedy drama about three small-time college bookies who get into big trouble when their operation becomes a little too successful.
The film's actors include Rachael Leigh Cook, Lukas Haas, and Johnny Galecki, and they join me now to talk all about it -- hello to all three of you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, how's it going.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello.

RACHAEL LEIGH COOK, ACTOR: Hello.

PHILLIPS: All right. Now, Lukas and Rachael, you both were childhood actors. We remember your faces very well. Now you're sort of breaking out into these adult roles. What has it been like -- Lukas.

LUKAS HAAS, ACTOR: It's great. I mean, it's really -- it is a freeing experience to get to grow up and start making films in a different way. It really changes -- when you change, your whole acting changes, everything changes. So it's a great feeling.

PHILLIPS: Rachael, what about you? This is a big switch from the Target ads when you were 10 years old.

COOK: Oh my God, did my mom tell you about that? Yes. Yes, it is quite a big switch, and I'm just really happy to be here. We're having a great time. We're really proud of the movie, and I guess that's about it.

PHILLIPS: Well, Johnny, brag about the movie. Tell us about this for those of us who haven't had a chance to see it yet.

JOHNNY GALECKI, ACTOR: Well, it's a story about three friends and a love interest, who start a small gambling operation at their university, which quickly grows out of hand. And it's really about how greed and addiction can toy with the dynamics between genuinely close friends.

PHILLIPS: So Johnny, did you learn anything about the mob or about gambling that was a little intriguing to you? GALECKI: Intriguing to me? I'm not much of a gambler or even a card player or a sports fan. So I had to do a little bit of research. I didn't even know how to play poker, so I learned how to play some games certainly.

PHILLIPS: Yes -- tell me...

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: I was going to say, tell me about the research. Did you guys have to hang out with actual bookies to learn how this worked?

HAAS: We didn't actually. We actually hung out with each other, mainly, just to get to know each other and have fun -- I mean, we actually discover -- in the film, we discover what bookmaking is, so we sort of discovered it while we made the film.

PHILLIPS: So what did you discover about Johnny and Rachael that you didn't know before?

HAAS: That they're both incredibly cool people.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: Rachael, how about you?

COOK: Feel all the love at Sundance.

PHILLIPS: There you go. What did you discover about these guys?

COOK: I learned not to make a bet with Johnny Galecki. He likes to play a game called just, Hey, I bet you, I think it's informally called, which pretty much just consists of him saying, Hey, I bet like that's so-and-so in that movie, and foolishly I will bet against him and before I know it, I'm buying him the most expensive bottle of wine at the hotel. It just -- it won't happen again. Won't happen again.

PHILLIPS: See, the movie did influence you, Johnny. Do you see a new career here?

GALECKI: I'm sorry? What's that?

PHILLIPS: Do you see a new career here? Rachael's giving you a bump.

GALECKI: Do I see a new career? Oh, yes.

COOK: He's good.

GALECKI: I guess I just know my -- I think that was a bet over John C. MacGinley (ph).

COOK: Yes, it was.

GALECKI: I know my John C. MacGinley. PHILLIPS: Lukas, finally, how does this film stand out, you think, from others? There are a lot of indies that are getting a big buzz. This one definitely is getting a tremendous amount of talk. Why?

HAAS: You know, I'm not actually sure. It's always -- it's hard to tell.

COOK: Lukas.

HAAS: Well, it is hard to tell why a movie does well...

COOK: That is true.

HAAS: It just -- it seems like people really like it, and the response has been great, so I'm not sure why, but I liked it. So -- hopefully people will like it.

PHILLIPS: Well, what do you think, Rachael? Why do you think it's getting such a buzz?

COOK: I think it's a fun movie. It's a dramatic premise that's still a lot of fun. I don't know, it works. There is a great pace to it, we have got a great score, and these guys are fantastic. And -- I don't know, I hope you like it. I hope you get a chance to see it.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: ... if you don't say so yourself, of course. You know, it seems like you guys all sort of became best friends here. Did any of you ever argue, did there ever come a point where you are like, OK, Johnny, I'm going to strangle you, Rachael, I can't take it anymore, Lukas, I've had it?

HAAS: We had arguments with other people, but not between ourselves.

COOK: No, not between ourselves.

PHILLIPS: All right.

HAAS: I won't elaborate on that.

GALECKI: It was a difficult shoot, as most of them are. But it was a bonding experience.

HAAS: We were in Germany in a very cold environment. We had to stick together.

COOK: I don't know if I'd recognize these guys in warm weather, really.

PHILLIPS: Well, you guys, we appreciate your time. Rachael Leigh Cook, Lukas Haas, Johnny Galecki, the movie is "Bookies," and we look forward to seeing it. Good luck.

COOK: Thank you so much.

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 21, 2003 - 14:43   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: It's that time of year again when Hollywood takes a back seat while the independents take center stage at the Sundance Film Festival. About 120 movies are being screened in Park City, Utah, and "Bookies" is one of them. It's a comedy drama about three small-time college bookies who get into big trouble when their operation becomes a little too successful.
The film's actors include Rachael Leigh Cook, Lukas Haas, and Johnny Galecki, and they join me now to talk all about it -- hello to all three of you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, how's it going.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello.

RACHAEL LEIGH COOK, ACTOR: Hello.

PHILLIPS: All right. Now, Lukas and Rachael, you both were childhood actors. We remember your faces very well. Now you're sort of breaking out into these adult roles. What has it been like -- Lukas.

LUKAS HAAS, ACTOR: It's great. I mean, it's really -- it is a freeing experience to get to grow up and start making films in a different way. It really changes -- when you change, your whole acting changes, everything changes. So it's a great feeling.

PHILLIPS: Rachael, what about you? This is a big switch from the Target ads when you were 10 years old.

COOK: Oh my God, did my mom tell you about that? Yes. Yes, it is quite a big switch, and I'm just really happy to be here. We're having a great time. We're really proud of the movie, and I guess that's about it.

PHILLIPS: Well, Johnny, brag about the movie. Tell us about this for those of us who haven't had a chance to see it yet.

JOHNNY GALECKI, ACTOR: Well, it's a story about three friends and a love interest, who start a small gambling operation at their university, which quickly grows out of hand. And it's really about how greed and addiction can toy with the dynamics between genuinely close friends.

PHILLIPS: So Johnny, did you learn anything about the mob or about gambling that was a little intriguing to you? GALECKI: Intriguing to me? I'm not much of a gambler or even a card player or a sports fan. So I had to do a little bit of research. I didn't even know how to play poker, so I learned how to play some games certainly.

PHILLIPS: Yes -- tell me...

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: I was going to say, tell me about the research. Did you guys have to hang out with actual bookies to learn how this worked?

HAAS: We didn't actually. We actually hung out with each other, mainly, just to get to know each other and have fun -- I mean, we actually discover -- in the film, we discover what bookmaking is, so we sort of discovered it while we made the film.

PHILLIPS: So what did you discover about Johnny and Rachael that you didn't know before?

HAAS: That they're both incredibly cool people.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: Rachael, how about you?

COOK: Feel all the love at Sundance.

PHILLIPS: There you go. What did you discover about these guys?

COOK: I learned not to make a bet with Johnny Galecki. He likes to play a game called just, Hey, I bet you, I think it's informally called, which pretty much just consists of him saying, Hey, I bet like that's so-and-so in that movie, and foolishly I will bet against him and before I know it, I'm buying him the most expensive bottle of wine at the hotel. It just -- it won't happen again. Won't happen again.

PHILLIPS: See, the movie did influence you, Johnny. Do you see a new career here?

GALECKI: I'm sorry? What's that?

PHILLIPS: Do you see a new career here? Rachael's giving you a bump.

GALECKI: Do I see a new career? Oh, yes.

COOK: He's good.

GALECKI: I guess I just know my -- I think that was a bet over John C. MacGinley (ph).

COOK: Yes, it was.

GALECKI: I know my John C. MacGinley. PHILLIPS: Lukas, finally, how does this film stand out, you think, from others? There are a lot of indies that are getting a big buzz. This one definitely is getting a tremendous amount of talk. Why?

HAAS: You know, I'm not actually sure. It's always -- it's hard to tell.

COOK: Lukas.

HAAS: Well, it is hard to tell why a movie does well...

COOK: That is true.

HAAS: It just -- it seems like people really like it, and the response has been great, so I'm not sure why, but I liked it. So -- hopefully people will like it.

PHILLIPS: Well, what do you think, Rachael? Why do you think it's getting such a buzz?

COOK: I think it's a fun movie. It's a dramatic premise that's still a lot of fun. I don't know, it works. There is a great pace to it, we have got a great score, and these guys are fantastic. And -- I don't know, I hope you like it. I hope you get a chance to see it.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: ... if you don't say so yourself, of course. You know, it seems like you guys all sort of became best friends here. Did any of you ever argue, did there ever come a point where you are like, OK, Johnny, I'm going to strangle you, Rachael, I can't take it anymore, Lukas, I've had it?

HAAS: We had arguments with other people, but not between ourselves.

COOK: No, not between ourselves.

PHILLIPS: All right.

HAAS: I won't elaborate on that.

GALECKI: It was a difficult shoot, as most of them are. But it was a bonding experience.

HAAS: We were in Germany in a very cold environment. We had to stick together.

COOK: I don't know if I'd recognize these guys in warm weather, really.

PHILLIPS: Well, you guys, we appreciate your time. Rachael Leigh Cook, Lukas Haas, Johnny Galecki, the movie is "Bookies," and we look forward to seeing it. Good luck.

COOK: Thank you so much.

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