Chloë Grace Moretz Talks If I Stayby Wilson Morales
August 18, 2014
Based on the best-selling young adult novel by Gayle Forman, coming out this week is ‘If I Stay,’ starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Jamie Blackley, Mireille Enos, Joshua Leonard, Liana Liberato, Aisha Hinds, and Stacy Keach
Mia Hall (Chloë Grace Moretz) thought the hardest decision she would ever face would be whether to pursue her musical dreams at Juilliard or follow a different path to be with the love of her life, Adam (Jamie Blackley). But what should have been a carefree family drive changes everything in an instant, and now her own life hangs in the balance. Caught between life and death for one revealing day, Mia has only one decision left, which will not only decide her future but her ultimate fate. “If I Stay” is based on the best-selling novel of the same name.
For Moretz, who has appeared in films such as The Amityville Horror, (500) Days of Summer, Kick-Ass (2010), Let Me In, Hugo, Dark Shadows, Kick-Ass 2 and Carrie, this is a film where she brings in a lot of emotion and displays her musical talent as she plays the cello.
In speaking with Blackfilm.com, Moretz shares her experience on working on the film.
What was the attraction to taking on the role?
Chloë Grace Moretz: I heard about the book from my mom and brother. I read the script and the book at the same time. I thought it was a unique story that I wanted to tell and wanted to portray. My passion is acting and I fell in love with the story and the writing. I wanted to be in a story about life. When these events happen, it’s not a pretty picture, and I wanted to show the emotion that occurs during this traumatic experience. That’s what my generation wants to see. We don’t want to see things sugar-coated anymore.
Compared to the other characters you have played before, how similar was this one?
CGM: I think I was close to this character than the others that I have played because she’s a very normal girl and has family to take care of her and that’s how I am.
How much training did you have before you started shooting your scenes with the cello?
CGM: I trained for about seven months with the cello, but when you working on this skill, you put a lot of emotion in being good as a cellist. You have to believe in yourself once you start playing the instrument. I have a new appreciation for classical musical than I had before.
Although he’s done some films, Jamie Blackley is still new to a lot of folks. What can you say about him that made him stand out to be your co-star?
CGM: He’s just a really good guy. He’s a good heart and is incredible generous.
As we get to see a lot of YA books adapted for the big screen, what separates this from the others?
CGM: I really loved the book. It’s just not about falling in love but also the loss of a family and what that emotion is like. It’s also about music. I felt it was more than just a young adult love story. It was all hard but fun and we made the best of it. I think I learned about myself as an actor. There’s a lot about appreciating life in this film. At the end Mia has to choose between life and death, but there are storylines involved that have an impact on her decision.
There’s a lot of work you put in the film physically. How different was this from what you did for Kick-Ass, its sequel, and Carrie?
CGM: Physically, it wasn’t as hard as the technicality of learning martial arts.
You’ve worked a long time, but now you’re more work as a leading actress. Are you getting more confident as the work comes along in that position?
CGM: I think every role you do you get more confident, especially when you continue to work. I still have to fight for the roles I get. It’s a challenge to make sure that you’re not put in a certain box and that you can play certain roles.
What can you say in working with the rest of the cast?
CGM: They were all amazing. Mireille and Josh are cool people. We worked really hard for three months in Vancouver. We all got along and put in so many long days and long nights and I hope people love the film as much as we do. R.J. Cutler is an incredible collaborative director and also Gail. Between the both of them, it was a real collaborative process. From the start, she wanted to mesh of my ideas of Mia and her ideas of Mia in creating the script and the person I am on screen. I wanted to give justice to the character that people read in the book and not give in to the cinematic experience we may have seen in other films. R.J comes from the documentary world and helped the cast stayed grounded.
What do you want folks to walk away from seeing the film?
CGM: You should never take a day for granted. You should live every day and let every one around you that you love them and that you care for them and that they are a huge part of your life. You never know when it will be your last day.
“If I Stay” arrives in theaters Friday, August 22.
