Figuring out Bernadette Fox wasnt easy for Cate Blanchett.
In the end, the trickiest thing was tone.
Fans of Maria SemplesWhered You Go, Bernadetteshould know what shes talking about.
Credit: Wilson Webb/Annapurna Pictures
And then she vanishes to Antarctica(!
All involved with the adaptation immediately connected with the book upon reading it.
Weeping and laughing and nearly peeing my pants in public.
But I couldnt put it down.
As for the vision of director Richard Linklater (Boyhood)?
For someone else who loves the book, their favorite part might be something else.
Youve got to jump in as a storyteller and say, Well, this is my version.
Theres no one version of any book or story.
Linklater, conversely, was attracted to its humanity.
This meant working closely with Blanchett and Nelson during an entire month of rehearsals.
We talked through everything, Nelson says.
Is this part of my character?
Would I say this?
Is this how the conversation would really go?'
Blanchett describes the collaboration as a fascinating challenge, but always felt intimately connected to her character.
Havent we all thought at one point, Oh, s, this mess is all too much.
[Wouldnt it] just be easiest to disappear?'
The film opens in theaters on Aug. 16.
