Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Showbiz Today Reports: Kate Beckinsale discusses appeal of 'Pearl Harbor'
Aired May 29, 2001 - 11:40 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.
LAURIN SYDNEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a great Memorial Day weekend for not one, but two, big, fat Hollywood movies. As expected, audiences ignored the critics and made "Pearl Harbor" the second- biggest Memorial Day box office attraction in history. The war picture took in an estimated $75 million over the four days, second only to 1997's "The Lost World," which took in $90 million.
"Pearl Harbor" might have made even more money if it wasn't for its three-hour length and the incredible legs of second-place, animated film "Shrek." That DreamWorks family film grossed an estimated $54 million. It's now made over $110 million.
At the heart of "Pearl Harbor" is a love triangle between Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, and the stunning Kate Beckinsale.
Beckinsale, who comes from British acting royalty, has been featured primarily in art films, but as she told our Paul Vercammen, "Pearl Harbor" is changing that profile.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm here on the USS John Stennis with Kate Beckinsale.
KATE BECKINSALE, ACTOR: It's a pleasure to meet you.
VERCAMMEN: Tell the story of sort of the unsung heroes of Pearl Harbor. Those are the nurses that risked their own lives to save so many sailors.
BECKINSALE: I had been under the really insulting illusion that nurses were some sort of underqualified doctor, and it was so wrong. I learnt so much from researching that. You know, the skill in nursing is a very particular and important skill, particularly during a war. It's about caring for the human being, and you know, it is about knowing the person's name, knowing the person's fiancee's name, being able to kind of heal somebody's inside, as well as their outside -- and the amazing kind of heroic courage of the nurses in this particular attack, when they really weren't prepared for it. I mean, I think it's one thing when you go off to a war knowing sort of a little what you're in for, but these were just young women who were really registered nurses who hadn't had any of that kind of experience. VERCAMMEN: What kind of training did they give you? Did they teach you how to give injections?
BECKINSALE: They sure did, yes. We had a lot of practice on some poor volunteers, who went home a little bruised and punctured.
VERCAMMEN: Did you victimize somebody with bad aim?
BECKINSALE: No, I think I probably got a little overconfident towards the end. The military nurses are pretty tough. They say to you it actually hurts more if you're tentative, so they have you throw it like a dart. I think I may have thrown it too much like a dart on the last one.
VERCAMMEN: If we look at this movie, how do you think this will play in England and overseas?
BECKINSALE: I've no idea. I would imagine very well. I think it's a great sort of old-fashioned epic love story, history, drama. I mean, there's so much in it. I don't think it's something that's just for America because it's about American history.
VERCAMMEN: Speaking of love affairs, some of the London papers just adore you, and they're now proclaiming you the next great star. How does that settle with you?
BECKINSALE: It's really strange. I feel like I've not been home very much in the last year, and you know, my whole life's been transformed a couple of years before that by having a child, so I don't really know where I am right now. I know that I spend most of my time in a sandbox or pushing a swing, so that doesn't feel very movie starish to me.
VERCAMMEN: We thank you so much for taking time out today.
BECKINSALE: It's a pleasure. Thank you.
VERCAMMEN: Best of luck.
BECKINSALE: You too.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
