[Article] Naomi talks "Mother and Child" behind the scenes on DVD extras

Actress Naomi Watts goes behind the scenes of 'Mother and Child'

Dec 15, 2010 by Earl Dittman, Digital Journal

Naomi Watts reveals her desire to do Mother and Child (on Blu-ray/DVD) - a film about three women's lives affected by adoption - plus her sex scenes with Sam Jackson & dealing with the paparazzi.

Aussie actress Naomi Watts (21 Grams, Mullholland Drive) heads up a stunning cast in Mother and Child, one of the most powerful and heart-wrenching films of the year, according to critics and moviegoers alike. Writer/director Rodrigo García’s (Nine Lives, Big Love, In Treatment) universally praised drama also stars Annette Bening (Being Julia), Kerry Washington (Lakeview Terrace), Jimmy Smits (The West Wing, NYPD: Blue) and Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Lakeview Terrace).

Mother and Child chronicles the compelling stories of three women -- Karen, a 50 year-old woman (Bening) who placed a baby for adoption at age 14 and has been haunted by the daughter she never knew. Elizabeth (Watts), the daughter she gave up for adoption 35 years earlier. Elizabeth grew up as an adopted child and has grown to become a bright and ambitious lawyer, but a flinty loner in her personal life. And, finally, there’s Lucy (Washington), an African American woman (Washington) who is just embarking (with her husband) on the adoption odyssey, hoping for the opportunity to become parents by seeking to adopt a child of her own -- with their lives becoming fatefully intertwined by the unbreakable bond between mother and child. The three women’s lives share a common core: they have all been profoundly affected by adoption.

Having worked with Mother and Child executive producer Alejandro González Iñárritu previously on 21 Grams, Watts was anxious to do a motion picture with the talented filmmaker Rodrigo Garcia after talking with her former boss. “Alejandro always had great things to say about Rodrigo, and when he told me that Rodrigo had written and would be directing Mother and Child, it felt like a film I had to do, no matter what,” the 42-year-old, U.K. born and Australian-raised, mother of two young sons with actor Liev Schreiber, who portrayed lovers both on and off screen in The Painted Veil. “When Rodrigo and I sat down and started talking about Elizabeth, I found the role so intriguing and fascinating. It is one of those kind of roles that grabs you and refuses to let go of you. She’s a character you won’t easily forget. And the best thing about it all, was that Rodrigo gave me the chance to experiment with her. You could say that Elizabeth is a bit of a collaboration. Working with Rodrigo was such an incredible experience.”

Earlier this fall, Watts was in New York City (where she owns one of two homes, the other in Los Angeles) to promote Mother and Child and Fair Game, her intense drama with Sean Penn. She spent some time with the press to discuss her feelings about Elizabeth, her sex scenes with costar Samuel L. Jackson and the trials and tribulations of dealing with the paparazzi.

Would it be fair to say that Elizabeth is a really bitchy gal?

“Oh, yeah!” (laughs)

So how did you make sense of her?

“She fascinated me from the start. But I thought, 'Yeah, how do I make this woman not a villain?' I mean, not that I'd be afraid to play a villain. That would be equally interesting. But she was so complicated. But there were certain acts of hers that were hard to make sense of. I think you know what I'm talking about -- putting her underwear in her married lover's drawer. And I just thought, 'Well, is she evil?' And the closer I got to understanding her, the more I realized that she's someone who's just in a huge amount of pain. And is so disappointed with human beings in general. Like not just men, but people. She had to expose them to themselves. She felt it was a gift really, to do this. I mean, that's her weird way of thinking. But those neighbors presented themselves as these happy go lucky people, which you or I might find slightly irritating.”

How did you figure her out sexually, especially in her relationship with Sam Jackson‘s character? She was so sexually controlling over his every move, that she bordered on being a dominatrix.

“Yeah, totally! (laughs) I think she set up her life in such a way, that it's the only way she can live it. She can only handle everything being in such a controlled state. So she doesn't actually feel anything. I think that when she goes to the doctor and finds out she's pregnant, it's so shocking. She doesn't like surprises. It just freaks her out. But that's what I love about Rodrigo He dares to pull you in unexpected directions. I mean, life is not always like that. In fact, it rarely is. We go to a movie and crave it, because it's not like our life, you know?”

Why is Elizabeth so sure that this was Sam's baby, since he wasn't the only man she slept with?

“I guess it was, um, just in her cycle. And maybe she didn't let other men ejaculate inside her! I don't know, she was just sure. But I asked the same question myself with Rodrigo.”

What was it like having Samuel L. Jackson as your designated sex partner in the movie?

“When Rodrigo told me about Sam, I was like, 'Oh, that's an interesting idea.' I mean, he's just the most gentle, careful man. You know, just because he wears a different sweat suit every day of the week, it doesn't mean he's just that kinda tough guy or street urchin. (laughs) But I loved working with him. I was really scared, because I wanted the sex scenes to go well. And they were shot right away, there were no massive rehearsals. Or time to bond or anything.”

So what did the two of you do when it came time to film the sex scenes?

“We basically sort of shook each other's hands and went straight to work – and that's daunting. (laughs) You cannot rest on your laurels. And he could not have been sweeter. So I'd love to work with him again.”

Naomi, the one great thing about you is that you're always doing your best to be a normal person and live a normal life. I often see pictures of you in the newspapers pushing a baby stroller. But how intrusive is the press in your every day life?

“Um, knock on wood, we've managed to escape anything scandalous. But things really did start ratcheting up once I started having children. Or, you know, the pregnancy thing. Like, 'How does she wear that dress?' or 'Is she getting too big?' When you live in New York, they know where you are. But somehow, I feel safer here than in LA, with the paparazzi. Because there's some kind of old school mentality that always seems to exist in New York, no matter what it is. And in terms of the paparazzi here, they walk with you for three or four blocks, and they stay across the other side of the street. And then they go. But in other cities like LA, they're right as close as you are to me. There's sometimes fifteen of them around you. It gets to the point where you can't see in front of you. And that's really aggressive and anxiety building.”

Even with the kids, haven't the paparazzi gotten better with you and the family?

“Maybe, I don't know, I think when I'm with Liev (Schreiber), they listen to him. (laughs) Liev will be like, 'You have your pictures, now let us have our day.' But I don't know, they seem to operate with a fraction of respect. But often if they're not outside your door, I can go out and nobody recognizes me.”

What about Liev?

“It's very rare, Liev always gets recognized. And even when I'm with him, I don't get recognized. (laughs) People just roll past me and go, 'Hey, aren't you the guy…' So yeah, I can blend in really easily. So I feel okay.”

Mother and Child Blu-ray and DVD Bonus Features: Commentary with writer/director Rodrigo Garcia; “Creating the Family” and “Universally Connected” featurette (the cast and crew discuss the universal themes in the film) and Deleted Scenes.