Matthew Modine-Actor
Married to the Mob, The Gamble, Eugene O'Neill, SNL
Interview with Matthew Modine on April 12, 2012
picture taken from http://www.matthewmodine.com/photos with permission
picture taken from http://www.matthewmodine.com/photos with permission
We are honored today to have Mr. Matthew Modine with us at the 1988 project. You may all know him from his lifetime of work in film, theater, and television. He is a Golden Globe winner, along with a plethora of other awards for his work in entertainment. His work stands out most in my mind from; And the Band Played On, Full Metal Jacket, Memphis Belle, Too Big to Fail..and my all time favorite, Bye Bye Love. (a movie I use in Sociology class to give visuals to our lessons on the social norms of the modern family).
The list of his projects is endless, as he is an actor who is in constant demand and who has worked for a slew of amazing directors. I am going to crib imdb.com when I use this list, because it is simply incredible.; “Oliver Stone, Alan Parker, Stanley Kubrick, Robert Altman, Alan J. Pakula, John Schlesinger, Tony Richardson, Robert Falls, Peter Hall, Abel Ferrara, Spike Lee, Tom DiCillo, Mike Figgis, Jonathan Demme and John Sayles(who we just reviewed for his direction and performance in Eight Men Out) Plus, he has directed many short films, including one that he is promoting right now, Jesus was a Commie.
I found it interesting to read that he is also the founder of Bicycle For A Day (BFAD). The website says the mission is to “empower individuals with tools which they can use in their everyday lives to make a measurable, tangible difference to our community,our environment and our personal health.” I have actually thought about taking a couple of days and riding my bike to summer school, even though it is 10 miles away. But, onto the topic at hand…1988. In 1988, he was running through a long working streak…1987′s Full Metal Jacket and Orphans (my friend and I did a cutting of this play for speech and debate in high school..intense)and 1988′s Married to the Mob and The Gamble. Not to mention he did work on American Playhouse as Eugene O’Neill and a hosting gig on SNL the Saturday before the election (famous for being the episode with Dukakis in the Dark) Without further ado, I bring you Matthew Modine.
Mr Modine, welcome to the 1988 project. As you know, our goal here is to create a database of 1988 in order to create an online class. Thank you for contributing your voice to our archives by answering our questions about 1988.
1988 Project: What do remember most about 1988?(film wise, politically, personally, whatever you would like to talk about)
Matthew Modine: I don’t remember anything particular about films from 1988. It’s interesting to me that you have an interest in this particular year of film making.
Project; If you could go back to 1988, would you do anything differently? any regrets?
MM: Since one cannot time travel, I won’t waste my time considering it. We are here, now. That is enough for me.
Project: You had just wrapped up 1987 by playing roles in two pretty serious dramas, Full Metal Jacket and Orphans. What was the transition like to go from such dark and heavy material to lighter fare in Married to the Mob and The Gamble?
MM: It is never easy making films. Everyone does their best to make a wonderful, entertaining film. Sometimes we succeed, and other times we don’t. Never because of a lack of trying to do well. Married to the Mob was a wonderful success. A strong director with vision combined with an amazing cast.
Project: I hope you don't think that I meant that Married to the Mob was silly compared to Full Metal Jacket. I loved Married to the Mob, and we reviewed it with high praise. I was just thinking that it must have been such a relief for you to be able to have some fun in a role after what must have been a mentally exhausting roller coaster as Joker in Full Metal Jacket and Treat in Orphans. (both so dark). In Married to the Mob you get to wear disguises, and play a spying FBI agent, hopping around the country with Michelle Pfeiffer. (plus the pilot mustache disguise is top notch,like the Magnum PI of air travel.)
MM: no offense taken at ALL by the Married to the Mob question. I loved the movie and yes, it was a pleasure to do “mask” work.
Project: This may or not be true, but I read somewhere that you had turned down Top Gun because of how it took the Cold War too lightly. How much do your politics play a role in the film choices you make, and how did they play a role in the characters you played in the 1988 films?
MM: No. That was not the case. You wrote “…took the Cold War too lightly.” I’m not even sure what that means. Top Gun just wasn’t a good fit for me and my beliefs. I felt the film perpetuated a simplistic characterization of evil. The same as a monster/horror movie. Evil in this case being Russian people. The Russian people are not evil, nor are they my enemy. Governments need to point the finger and create perceived enemies to justify a plethora of agendas. Use your imagination – and take your pick. Governments also need to keep the masses fearful of these created, perceived enemies because when the masses are frightened Governments can more easily manipulate them and get them to do horrible acts, which are disguised as patriotism. History can present you dozens of examples of this type of fear and manipulation.
Project: We have been documenting the election of 1988 and its importance in being the end of the Reagan presidency and the beginning of what was to become the post Cold War era. We had a long conversation with Governor Dukakis about that election and about the SNL skits with Jon Lovitz portraying Dukakis. You hosted SNL the Saturday before the election and portrayed VP candidate/Senator Lloyd Bentsen (You are no Jack Kennedy) in the skit “Dukakis after Dark”. Do you remember what the mood was like in that skit, having to admit that Michael Dukakis was going to be defeated, knowing that so many members of the cast had supported his Presidency. Were you excited or upset about the upcoming election?
MM: I wasn’t political until 9-11. The events of September 11th made me wake-up and realize that we live in a democracy and that our elected officials need to be responsible for the desires and needs of the citizens. They are no more than elected officials. They are not above the laws of the land and must be held accountable for their actions. If these elected officials do not represent what is good and right about America, then it is our civil duty to replace them and hold them responsible for their actions.
Project: Which actor were you more nervous to work with; Michelle Pfeiffer, Faye Dunaway, Jennifer Beals, or Dean Stockwell?
MM: None of them. I love actors. Actors are often dismissed as being too liberal (see my website www.cardcarryingliberal.org) Liberal is a beautiful idea. A concept worthy of anyone who believes in the Constitution, a great example of liberalism. Actors are liberal because we are constantly trying to see the world from another person’s perspective. We literally have to imagine what it is to see life from inside another person’s skin. All the actors you mention, and most of the actors I have had the pleasure of working with are so generous and loving, so why would I be nervous?!
The Lightening fun round:
Project: It is 1988, you are on a press junket for Married to the Mob, listening to music. The cassette that is playing is most likely
A. George Michael’s “Faith”
B. Whitney Houston “I get so Emotional”
C. Beach Boys “Kokomo”
D. Debbie Gibson “Foolish Beat”
E. Bobby McFerrin “Don’t Worry Be Happy”
F. Guns N Roses “Sweet Child of Mine”
G. None of the above, I preferred to listen to __________________________________
MM: Bobby McFerrin “Don’t Worry Be Happy”
Project: It is 1988, you want to catch a movie to escape working on the movies. What are you most likely to watch out of the top 10 movies that year?
a. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
b. Rain Man
c. Cocktail
d. Big
e. Twins
f. Crocodile Dundee II
g. Naked Gun
h. Beetlejuice
i. Coming to America
j. None of the above, I preferred to watch______________________________________
MM: Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Project: It is 1988, you have downtime from work. You were most likely to read____________
a. a Tom Clancy book
b. Stephen Hawking’s “A Brief History of Time”
c. Stephen King’s “The Tommy Knockers”
d. Thomas Wolfe’s “Bonfire of the Vanities”
e. None of the above, I was reading …
MM: Jacques Cousteau's Almanac
Project: It is 1988, you manage to catch some TV…would it most likely be?
a. Roseanne
b. The Cosby Show
c. Cheers
d. The Wonder Years
e. None of the above I was watching ..
MM: I wasn’t watching TV at all. Too busy working.
Project: Bonus Question: What current projects are you working on that you want us to know about.I mean other than being in a certain film with…BATMAN!
MM: I have an app of my book coming out this summer. http://www.fullmetaljacketdiary.com/ I have three films, including THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, GIRL IN PROGRESS, and FAMILY WEEKEND.
Project: Bonus question #2; A question that has boggled my sociology class for years as we watch Bye Bye Love. Is Dave supposed to me a younger guy hanging out with Vic and Donny, or did they grow up together? We always do an age rubric based on sociological age categories and we can never place Dave’s age category. PS…my brother and I can be found, quite often repeating your line when caught with Kim by Ben. “Yes my son, it is your right. Water is for everyone” please tell me that was adlib…so funny.
MM: I think it may have been an ad-lib. hmm. I think the three friends did not grow up together but were brought together via schools their children attended. And is often the case, by their (former) wives.
Project: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions. Thank you also for great performances and memorable pop culture.
MM: good luck and good for you for what you’re doing.
The list of his projects is endless, as he is an actor who is in constant demand and who has worked for a slew of amazing directors. I am going to crib imdb.com when I use this list, because it is simply incredible.; “Oliver Stone, Alan Parker, Stanley Kubrick, Robert Altman, Alan J. Pakula, John Schlesinger, Tony Richardson, Robert Falls, Peter Hall, Abel Ferrara, Spike Lee, Tom DiCillo, Mike Figgis, Jonathan Demme and John Sayles(who we just reviewed for his direction and performance in Eight Men Out) Plus, he has directed many short films, including one that he is promoting right now, Jesus was a Commie.
I found it interesting to read that he is also the founder of Bicycle For A Day (BFAD). The website says the mission is to “empower individuals with tools which they can use in their everyday lives to make a measurable, tangible difference to our community,our environment and our personal health.” I have actually thought about taking a couple of days and riding my bike to summer school, even though it is 10 miles away. But, onto the topic at hand…1988. In 1988, he was running through a long working streak…1987′s Full Metal Jacket and Orphans (my friend and I did a cutting of this play for speech and debate in high school..intense)and 1988′s Married to the Mob and The Gamble. Not to mention he did work on American Playhouse as Eugene O’Neill and a hosting gig on SNL the Saturday before the election (famous for being the episode with Dukakis in the Dark) Without further ado, I bring you Matthew Modine.
Mr Modine, welcome to the 1988 project. As you know, our goal here is to create a database of 1988 in order to create an online class. Thank you for contributing your voice to our archives by answering our questions about 1988.
1988 Project: What do remember most about 1988?(film wise, politically, personally, whatever you would like to talk about)
Matthew Modine: I don’t remember anything particular about films from 1988. It’s interesting to me that you have an interest in this particular year of film making.
Project; If you could go back to 1988, would you do anything differently? any regrets?
MM: Since one cannot time travel, I won’t waste my time considering it. We are here, now. That is enough for me.
Project: You had just wrapped up 1987 by playing roles in two pretty serious dramas, Full Metal Jacket and Orphans. What was the transition like to go from such dark and heavy material to lighter fare in Married to the Mob and The Gamble?
MM: It is never easy making films. Everyone does their best to make a wonderful, entertaining film. Sometimes we succeed, and other times we don’t. Never because of a lack of trying to do well. Married to the Mob was a wonderful success. A strong director with vision combined with an amazing cast.
Project: I hope you don't think that I meant that Married to the Mob was silly compared to Full Metal Jacket. I loved Married to the Mob, and we reviewed it with high praise. I was just thinking that it must have been such a relief for you to be able to have some fun in a role after what must have been a mentally exhausting roller coaster as Joker in Full Metal Jacket and Treat in Orphans. (both so dark). In Married to the Mob you get to wear disguises, and play a spying FBI agent, hopping around the country with Michelle Pfeiffer. (plus the pilot mustache disguise is top notch,like the Magnum PI of air travel.)
MM: no offense taken at ALL by the Married to the Mob question. I loved the movie and yes, it was a pleasure to do “mask” work.
Project: This may or not be true, but I read somewhere that you had turned down Top Gun because of how it took the Cold War too lightly. How much do your politics play a role in the film choices you make, and how did they play a role in the characters you played in the 1988 films?
MM: No. That was not the case. You wrote “…took the Cold War too lightly.” I’m not even sure what that means. Top Gun just wasn’t a good fit for me and my beliefs. I felt the film perpetuated a simplistic characterization of evil. The same as a monster/horror movie. Evil in this case being Russian people. The Russian people are not evil, nor are they my enemy. Governments need to point the finger and create perceived enemies to justify a plethora of agendas. Use your imagination – and take your pick. Governments also need to keep the masses fearful of these created, perceived enemies because when the masses are frightened Governments can more easily manipulate them and get them to do horrible acts, which are disguised as patriotism. History can present you dozens of examples of this type of fear and manipulation.
Project: We have been documenting the election of 1988 and its importance in being the end of the Reagan presidency and the beginning of what was to become the post Cold War era. We had a long conversation with Governor Dukakis about that election and about the SNL skits with Jon Lovitz portraying Dukakis. You hosted SNL the Saturday before the election and portrayed VP candidate/Senator Lloyd Bentsen (You are no Jack Kennedy) in the skit “Dukakis after Dark”. Do you remember what the mood was like in that skit, having to admit that Michael Dukakis was going to be defeated, knowing that so many members of the cast had supported his Presidency. Were you excited or upset about the upcoming election?
MM: I wasn’t political until 9-11. The events of September 11th made me wake-up and realize that we live in a democracy and that our elected officials need to be responsible for the desires and needs of the citizens. They are no more than elected officials. They are not above the laws of the land and must be held accountable for their actions. If these elected officials do not represent what is good and right about America, then it is our civil duty to replace them and hold them responsible for their actions.
Project: Which actor were you more nervous to work with; Michelle Pfeiffer, Faye Dunaway, Jennifer Beals, or Dean Stockwell?
MM: None of them. I love actors. Actors are often dismissed as being too liberal (see my website www.cardcarryingliberal.org) Liberal is a beautiful idea. A concept worthy of anyone who believes in the Constitution, a great example of liberalism. Actors are liberal because we are constantly trying to see the world from another person’s perspective. We literally have to imagine what it is to see life from inside another person’s skin. All the actors you mention, and most of the actors I have had the pleasure of working with are so generous and loving, so why would I be nervous?!
The Lightening fun round:
Project: It is 1988, you are on a press junket for Married to the Mob, listening to music. The cassette that is playing is most likely
A. George Michael’s “Faith”
B. Whitney Houston “I get so Emotional”
C. Beach Boys “Kokomo”
D. Debbie Gibson “Foolish Beat”
E. Bobby McFerrin “Don’t Worry Be Happy”
F. Guns N Roses “Sweet Child of Mine”
G. None of the above, I preferred to listen to __________________________________
MM: Bobby McFerrin “Don’t Worry Be Happy”
Project: It is 1988, you want to catch a movie to escape working on the movies. What are you most likely to watch out of the top 10 movies that year?
a. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
b. Rain Man
c. Cocktail
d. Big
e. Twins
f. Crocodile Dundee II
g. Naked Gun
h. Beetlejuice
i. Coming to America
j. None of the above, I preferred to watch______________________________________
MM: Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Project: It is 1988, you have downtime from work. You were most likely to read____________
a. a Tom Clancy book
b. Stephen Hawking’s “A Brief History of Time”
c. Stephen King’s “The Tommy Knockers”
d. Thomas Wolfe’s “Bonfire of the Vanities”
e. None of the above, I was reading …
MM: Jacques Cousteau's Almanac
Project: It is 1988, you manage to catch some TV…would it most likely be?
a. Roseanne
b. The Cosby Show
c. Cheers
d. The Wonder Years
e. None of the above I was watching ..
MM: I wasn’t watching TV at all. Too busy working.
Project: Bonus Question: What current projects are you working on that you want us to know about.I mean other than being in a certain film with…BATMAN!
MM: I have an app of my book coming out this summer. http://www.fullmetaljacketdiary.com/ I have three films, including THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, GIRL IN PROGRESS, and FAMILY WEEKEND.
Project: Bonus question #2; A question that has boggled my sociology class for years as we watch Bye Bye Love. Is Dave supposed to me a younger guy hanging out with Vic and Donny, or did they grow up together? We always do an age rubric based on sociological age categories and we can never place Dave’s age category. PS…my brother and I can be found, quite often repeating your line when caught with Kim by Ben. “Yes my son, it is your right. Water is for everyone” please tell me that was adlib…so funny.
MM: I think it may have been an ad-lib. hmm. I think the three friends did not grow up together but were brought together via schools their children attended. And is often the case, by their (former) wives.
Project: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions. Thank you also for great performances and memorable pop culture.
MM: good luck and good for you for what you’re doing.