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American Morning
Discussion with Director Ron Howard
Aired February 12, 2002 - 07:40 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Now one of the year's leading contenders is Director Ron Howard, formerly Opie, formerly Richard Cunningham, the man behind the highly acclaimed film, "A Beautiful Mind." Despite having directed a string of hit movies, an Oscar nom would be his first. I talked with Mr. Howard about his career, which began in front of the camera and really took off behind it.
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JUDD HIRSCH, ACTOR: Welcome to Princeton. Who among you will be the next Einstein?
RUSSELL CROWE, ACTOR: Find a truly original idea...
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COOPER: "A Beautiful Mind," I really liked the movie. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I imagine that it's not really a story that jumps out as saying this would be a great story. I mean, it's not (UNINTELLIGIBLE) audience friendly. You know, it deals with schizophrenia, mathematics...
RON HOWARD, DIRECTOR: Right.
COOPER: ... game (ph) theory.
HOWARD: Yeah.
COOPER: What about it said -- what about it made you say, "I can do this movie."
HOWARD: Because it's a survival story, that the more complicated the better. And that's certainly the way I felt about it. But it's extraordinary.
COOPER: But on paper -- but on paper, it's a -- I mean it's a very complex story.
HOWARD: Yeah.
COOPER: How did you -- did you instantly know how you were going to frame it as a film? HOWARD: No. I don't think that instantly, except there's a natural sort of structure there, at least in an aspect of Nash's experience. And that is sort of the journey of his mind. You know, genius, extraordinary genius. Madness, and yet decent into madness in his own discovery, you know, and coming to terms with it. And then ultimately, survival.
COOPER: I mean, the film did come under criticism for some of the details of Nash's life were altered.
HOWARD: Right.
COOPER: Some of his sexual history, his marriage history, even some of his medical history.
HOWARD: First of all, I'd say altered is wrong. There's nothing in his story that is too controversial for a Hollywood movie or too harsh.
COOPER: Your films do have an incredible range. You've directed films just about every genre. "Cocoon" in 1985, a science fiction fantasy; "Parenthood," 1989, you know, a comic look at families and child rearing; "Apollo 13," 1995, historical look. But (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- I mean, in that film, alone, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) entire generation was introduced. The history of America's race into space.
HOWARD: A great story.
COOPER: Yeah. In 1991, you made the movie "Backdraft," which probably to this day is one of the most realistic depictions of heroism among firefighters. I want to ask, where were you on September 11th. And having had that experience making a movie, what went through your mind?
HOWARD: First of all, just the shock. Then the realization that I -- you know, I didn't know where my kids were. I had to get a hold of them. Then, to start realizing that so much of the -- of the -- of the fire-fighting force, in addition to the police force, had been, you know, just really wiped out, decimated. You know I felt it to the -- to my core.
COOPER: All right. I've got to ask on Oscar stuff. Your films have been nominated an awful lot. "Apollo 13," I was reading, nine nominations, two Oscars; "Backdraft," four nominations; "Parenthood," two nominations; "Cocoon," two Oscars. Yet I was amazed to learn you have never been nominated for best director.
HOWARD: That's true.
COOPER: But you're an incredibly nice guy (UNINTELLIGIBLE) know you.
HOWARD: Well, there have been a couple of times where I thought I was, you know, really in contention, and I was disappointed to not get a nomination. COOPER: Your film has gotten great reviews. Do you think that it's going to be your year?
HOWARD: I'd be lying if I said I'm not hopeful. It's been great. Great for all of our egos, and also great for the movie in that it is sort of a difficult film to explain to people. And so that validation, you know, means a lot. And the movie's been really well attended and the box office has been great. And that makes me happy too.
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COOPER: All right. We'll see in a little less than an hour whether or not Ron Howard gets the nom for best director -- Jack.
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