Friday, January 10, 1997
FILM:
Penelope Ann Miller finally takes center stage in her new
thrillerBy Aimee Phan
Daily Bruin Contributor
Watching a scary movie divides people into two classes Â
the brave who have strong stomachs and the others who run out of
the theater, screaming with horror.
Actress Penelope Ann Miller, who belongs in the second category,
is in the unique position of having to run out of a movie that she
also happens to star in.
"I get spooked so easily," admits Miller. "I see ‘ER’ and I get
grossed out. Seeing blood and guts is just awful."
Miller’s new movie "The Relic" will definitely not be an easy
movie for her and those like herself to watch. With a man-eating
reptilian monster stalking a group of scientists in a giant museum,
it promises to be a disturbing blood and guts thriller.
In this tension-packed film, Miller plays Dr. Margo Green, an
evolutionary biologist who teams up with police detective Vincent
D’Agosta (Tom Sizemore of "Heat") to solve the mystery of a chain
of horrific murders in a Chicago museum.
Miller’s lead role as Margo marks a departure from her previous
films, where she had supporting roles alongside more famous male
stars. Though she acted with Al Pacino in "Carlito’s Way," Robert
DeNiro in "Awakenings" and Marlon Brando in "The Freshman," Miller
is enjoying taking the lead for the first time in a dramatic
picture.
"To carry a movie like this is very exciting," says Miller, "and
if it elevates me to the next level (of leading lady), then that
would be fantastic."
But achieving this success has been a lifetime process for
Miller. As a little girl, she often put on backyard productions
with her sister and perform for anybody who would watch, often her
family, neighbors, and dog.
"I was just a ham at heart," Miller laughs. "The desire to
entertain other people comes from seeing how happy it makes them.
There are certain people who are entertainers at heart."
Although she originally sought parts that would put her on
center stage, a lot more goes into Miller’s decisions when she
picks roles today.
"I think that I am picky," says Miller, "(Choosing a film)
concerns a combination of things, like who I work with, where I am
at in my life, and if I am passionate about the subject."
Her role in the "The Relic" fits her criteria perfectly. It was
a chance to portray a strong female character in a film genre that
Miller had never done before. Unlike most suspense films, the hero
is not a musclebound male, but a female scientist who saves the day
with her quick thinking.
"I liked the fact that she wasn’t a damsel in distress," Miller
says, "I liked that she was intelligent, smart, strong, and
independent."
Maybe it was Miller’s enthusiasm about the role of Margo that
helped her win the part. Co-author of the novel "The Relic,"
Douglas Preston initially envisioned Jodie Foster in the part of
Margo. But after seeing Miller’s performance, Preston decided that
Miller was perfect as the film’s spunky heroine.
"She brings a lot to the role. She’s very intelligent and
smart," Preston says. "She is just perfect. I’m really excited
about her. I think that Penelope makes Margo come off much stronger
on screen than the original character did in the novel."
Miller explains that she simply saw Margo as a strong person.
"My character is a lot tougher and more thick-skinned than I
am."
But Miller’s fear of spooky situations enabled her to act
genuinely frightened in some of "The Relic’s" scarier scenes, with
a little help from director Peter Hyams.
"I would tell her all the time that the movie will only be as
scary as you make it," Hyams says. "Depending on your reaction and
how much fear you have is what the audience is going to feel. It is
the acting that makes the movie scary."
Unfortunately, Miller’s queasiness about monsters and violence
was not appeased by doing a film that glorified these two
elements.
"I watched ‘The Relic’ and I was covering my eyes. I was
screaming and my knees were up to my chest  and I know what
happens, I’m in this movie!"
FILM: "The Relic" opens today.
Paramount Pictures
Penelope Ann Miller, staring with Vincent D’Agosta, plays a
scientist hunting down a monster in the thriller "The Relic."