By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Golden Globe nominee James McAvoy made his directorial debut with California Schemin, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and hit theaters on Oct. 9.
McAvoy joined the “Happy Sad Confused ” podcast with host Josh Horowitz to discuss the film and his approach as the ship’s captain.
“It’s a film I wanted to make,” McAvoy said. “If you don’t like it, I can’t really argue with you. Sometimes a director leaves a studio: “They took it away from me,” or “we never had enough money to capture the vision or the actor truly went a different direction.” None of that happened. This is a film I wanted to make.”
McAvoy doesn’t live his life to please everyone. The audience generally likes the movie, and critics have given it a 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
“On so many levels, this is a weird film about two real people, and it’s a weird film about myself,” McAvoy said. “They were two young guys from what you call a project. We call it a council scheme, which is why the film is called California Schemin. Trying to bust in the world of show business, and that was something I felt was quite similar to my life.”
There have been movies McAvoy has seen that he wanted to interpret differently in his new movie. He wanted to make his new film less depressing, more adventurous, and a little more entertaining. California Schemin is a blend of comedy, drama, and some musical elements.
“My version of this path is way less sensational than Gavin and Billy’s syllable and brains in California Schemin, but it’s a path I’ve walked for 32 years, and I definitely, in my banal version of it, understand what this is. In terms of how I felt compromised, I don’t think I ever felt my integrity or my authenticity or my identity feel so compromised as theirs did.”
Elaine Gracie and Archie Thomson wrote the California Schemin’ script, which was adapted from Gavin Bain’s California Schemin’: How Two Lads from Scotland Conned the Music Industry. The movie was filmed in Glasgow and Dundee in Scotland.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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