The Judge Press ConferencePosted by Justine Browning
October 8, 2014
Coming out this week is David Dobkin’s The Judge, starring Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shephard, Billy Bob Thornton, Ken Howard, Emma Tremblay, Balthazar Getty, David Krumholtz, Sarah Lancaster, Grace Zabriskie and Denis O’Hare.
When slick Chicago defence attorney Hank Palmer (Downey) returns to his Indiana hometown to bury his mother, her passing proves only the precursor to greater upheaval. Hank’s father, Judge Joseph Palmer (Duvall), stands accused of murder, alleged to have run down a former defendant whom he failed to convict, and who later committed a heinous crime. Despite their bitterly dysfunctional relationship, Hank agrees to take his father’s case. But he is up against a formidable opponent in Dwight Dickham (Billy Bob Thornton), the local prosecutor who knows how to use Judge Palmer’s reputation against him. The ensuing trial is an electrifying display of lawyerly ingenuity and familial tension.
Blackfilm.com recently attended the press conference to hear what the cast share their experiences on the film.
How does it feel right now with this amazing cast?
ROBERT DOWNEY JR: It is really nice. The only thing more fun than making a movie with Robert Duvall is promoting a movie with him. It has been great.
My question is for Mr. Duvall & Mr. Thornton. I know you guys have been friends for a long time and have worked together many times before. What was it like getting to work together in this film and having that great courtroom scene together where you were both brilliant?
BILLY BOB THORNTON: I had 111 scenes in the movie, and now there is only like three left. It was great. It is always great working with Bobby. He has been my friend and mentor for many many years. This is the first time I have had to prosecute him. That is one of the biggest things for an actor to get over in a movie. If you know somebody very well, you have to forgot who that person is. I knew that I was going to have to get in his face and that kind of thing. It was a real challenge just to forget who was sitting there. At the end of the day I think I just put my own father there.
DUVALL: He was great to work with. I will not tell him what I call him because it gets repetitious, but he is terrific.
DOWNEY: As far as performance, this is as strong as I can remember. There is a real complexity to this character as far as emotions, ups and downs. Can you talk about finding all those highs and lows?
DOWNEY: I have always heard that great lawyers, and Bobby was telling me this, they are showmen. They are always dynamic , powerful women who command respect wherever they go, but they also know how important the jury is. Basically, when we were developing this, I just kept thinking about the characters. I was thinking we have to have a guy that the judge wants instead of Hank. And then we got Dax. Then I thought there has to be this gal that was his first love, kind of his conscience that represents the heart of the movie, and that has to be a struggle. And there has to be a twist in there that is kind of funny and heartbreaking. And Dobkin always said that the judge has to be a mountain that Hank cannot climb and does not want to, but if he does not climb his soul is at stake. Bobby Duvall is a mountain and Joseph Palmer is a mountain, and that is how that worked. It is like in a super hero movie where you are only as good as your last bad guy. And I was thinking who do I really not want to go up against if they were prosecuting the case, and he is right there. And then we thought about if there is someone in the film who is really taking the emotional hits for all of this conflict. We have to find someone that is such a gifted actor that they can do next to nothing and communicate everything that is unsaid in the film. And that is this guy we will be getting to see a lot of. Jeremy Strong. So really, Hank’s whole journey has to do with the people that he has to contest with.
Do you still get nervous when working with someone like Robert Duvall? What was that first day like? When was the first time you ever met him in this business?
DOWNEY: I knew this movie was going to be a bit of a trial in and of itself and it would be very rewarding. I remember on the first day Bobby and I are sitting there, and Dax – has a three-page monologue, and we just have to look like him and the judge does. But I remember before doing my cover story, my heart was just pounding out of my chest, and I think it is because there was so much on the line, I had high hopes for the film turning out as well as the script did.
I have been trying to meet Bobby for some time. When you approach an icon at a restaurant, and he is eating, he is not really interested.
DUVALL: I did not know who he was. Hahaha. I wonder if its just happenstance that it is this father/son movie or do you see it having some sort of personal reflection of your own life? What were the surprises for you and Duvall? That you got from each other working with each other?
DOWNEY: Well you can say it is a courtroom drama or a father/son story and this and that. To me the audience is the cast member in the judge. And that is the transcendent thing when people were reading the script or when Warner called us and said, “We think this is really special. We want to make it.” As we have been having these screenings, people are saying, “I know it is called The Judge, but that is my mom.” By the way I have to tell you about my brother. My older brother, he would talk to me about a parking spot for like 20 minutes, and I was like, “Do you understand what it is like everyday for all of us?” The great thing to me is the dialogue that is going on with people who have just seen the movie. That to me has been the big reward. As far as working with you, Bobby, I can over complicate things, and it is exhausting. There is an efficiency with which you get to these extremely difficult places and it is not that you make it look easy. You do not use tricks, and that is something I hope to really take more aboard as I move forward.
Anything that surprised you working with Robert Downey, Jr.?
DUVALL: It was a tough privilege, but a privilege. We had 60 days to shoot this, but sometimes it seemed like we only had 30 days. We got it done. A lot of work, but there were good, honest hard workers who were a lot of fun at times. These guys were great to work with.
You also said he had a terrible taste in sushi though, right? Did he turn you on to the wrong restaurant?
DUVALL: No. He took us to the right ones. The best sushi I have had so far.
My question is for the two Roberts. Will you talk about complicated scenes? The one in the bathroom where his father loses his ability to control himself. What did you discuss as far as the characteristic or nuance that each character has in that scene?
DUVALL: We just did it. I initially turned the script down because of that scene. It did not appeal to me. After talking with David Dobkin and my wife and everybody, once I decided to do it, then you have just have to jump in there and do it. We did not talk about it. We just did it. Like any good scene, you kind of just do it and let it find it’s own rhythm and own identity so to speak. And I always try to find a bit of humor to offset it. Either vulnerability or humor is very important in movies I think to offset serious scenes.
DOWNEY: There was that idea that you never want to be part of a movie that is really maudlin and graphic and indulgent and cheesy and all that. Really kind of pulling at those needy, desperate heartstrings of what you think a drama is. In essence if you look at all the central scenes, whether it is with the brothers or Dwight and Sam and Hank or Hank and CP, there is this thing where, speaking of this scene, it starts with incontinence, and it ends with a knock-knock joke. That was kind of our thought for this film. We want it to be entertaining. We do not want it to try to switch gears too often. We want it to mirror how life is. We are in the midst of this extreme sense of being kind of exposed and vulnerable. And thank God. It is not like Lauren is always knocking on the door when we are in the bathroom before. She just happened to be and came in right then. And that is how Kate’s arc is too. They sense something so they come and try to help. And she does help us. It is the first time they actually smile simultaneously.
Can you talk a little bit about how refreshing it was to do something very character driven?
DOWNEY: It was great. It just wound up being again like all these different relationships. I love that we have this secret that is not the secret you think it is. (I like) how the audience thinks they know something that Sam does not know. And to me just to do some character study. I feel like no matter what I do, it is a character study. It is just that sometimes there is more robots than others.
You do a lot of characters that have a transformation to kind of get a heart, like the prodigal son coming back specifically in this film. Talk about why you like to do roles like that.
DOWNEY: I do not know why it is on the docket. Look, here is what happened. Susan and David started developing this movie. I said I do not want to make them feel bad. We will see how this script turns out. I said I do not want you to tell me to do this if the script is bad. Then I read the script and said no one is doing this movie except me. The fact that it is a lawyer in a small town, to me all I care about is is what I am doing entertaining? And do I get to work with people that I (like). You have to spend a lot of time with these people. There is nobody you would rather spend time on set with than Billy Bob Thornton. He might do a Burt Reynolds impersonation. For instance, here is what you might get. Can I just ask for any questions? Please respond if you want to ask Burt. Mr. Reynolds what is it like being part of this cast and this great film? It is great to see you, Mr. Reynolds.
My question is about awards season. This film, there are so many great performances in it. Are you ready for it?
DUVALL: I have no idea. Could be. Who knows? You never know. I have seen people that deserve it, and some that do not deserve it win. This whole town is built on the anticipation of the Oscars. Everything is built on that it seems. I have no idea.
