Thursday, October 2, 1997
Controversy seems to be inescapable for filmmaker
FILM
By Aimee Phan
Daily Bruin Staff
While "U-Turn" has plenty of exciting cliff-hangers, Hollywood
seemed more interested in reported backstage theatrics that
occurred during the making of this little $20-million movie. From
last-minute casting to banning the screenwriter and executive
producer from the set, the media over-hyped the production problems
of the film’s tight 42-day shoot.
Reported troubles began early, as screenwriter John Ridley was
approached by both Oliver Stone and Ballantine Books for his novel
and screen adaptation of "U-Turn."
The "U-Turn" producers and Stone had asked Ballantine Books to
wait until the film’s release to publish the novel since there were
significant differences between the novel and film. When the
publishing company refused, Ridley was barred from the set.
"I was kind of hurt, but it wasn’t that big of a deal," Ridley
commented to Entertainment Weekly. "It’s sort of not nice to be
banned from your own movie, but it was like, ‘Oh, well, I don’t get
to sit on a hot set in the middle of Arizona. I can live with
that.’"
When director Stone was first casting for the movie, he was
apprehensive about the kind of actors who would be interested in
doing a film that promised a good story, but little money. While
"U-Turn" attracted an impressive supporting cast including Nick
Nolte, Billy Bob Thornton, Claire Danes and Joaquin Phoenix, the
film had more trouble casting leading roles.
Stone had called Jennifer Lopez for the female lead, Grace
McKenna, after seeing her performance in "Money Train." Lopez
seemed appropriate for a part that called for a young Apache woman.
But then came the news that Sharon Stone was interested in playing
Grace. After initial negotiations, Sharon Stone withdrew her
interest in the project and the role went to Lopez.
"Sharon Stone was a diversion that lasted a few days and was way
over-publicized," Oliver Stone says. "She was interested in the
project and approached us. I told her pointblank that it’s no
money. I thought she heard that. But the request came back for a
huge fee which would have destabilized the entire picture. You
can’t pay one actor a lot of money and the other actors nothing.
You work all the same, it’s a democracy."
Stone insists that he had always seen Lopez in the role of
Grace.
"Jennifer was my first desire," Stone says. "I called her way
before since I needed an Apache. With Sharon, it would have been
another role in which we would have to rewrite it for a white
woman. With Jennifer, I thought she was full-bodied, ripe – she
reminds you of an old-time movie star."
Not only were Stone and the producers juggling leading ladies,
but they also found it difficult to hold onto a leading man. While
Stone had first approached Sean Penn to play the role of drifter
Bobby Cooper, Penn had already committed to another project.
Stone then went to Bill Paxton who initially accepted the role.
But four days before shooting was scheduled to begin, Paxton pulled
out, saying he was uncomfortable with the role. Fortunately, Penn’s
previous commitment fell through, and he stepped into the role he
was originally offered.
Lopez remembers getting a call from Stone on the set of the
movie "Selena" to tell her about the cast change.
"Oliver called me during a night shoot at three in the morning
in Texas and he said, ‘What do you want, the good news or the bad
news?’ Good news is that we got Sean Penn."
"And I said for what?" Lopez continues. "And Oliver said, ‘For
Bill Paxton’s part, he dropped out.’ I had rehearsed with Bill a
few times already, but it didn’t really matter too much to me. All
of these people are incredibly brilliant at what they do."
And while not all the characters in "U-Turn" are happy in the
end, at least the cast and crew were as they finished their tight
shoot without a noticeable hitch.
Stone and Ridley kissed and made up in time to publicize the
film. Ridley believes the hoo-ha over the publishing company and
the producers was overblown.
"When Oliver Stone does a film that is not inherently
controversial, not about political figures, the spin doctors have
to come up with some kind of story," Ridley says. "But everything’s
been worked out to everybody’s satisfaction. Everybody’s
happy."