Robert De Niro Everybody's Fine Interview

Everybody's Fine

Cast: Robert De Niro, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore
Director: Kirk Jones
Genre: Drama, Family.
Rated: M
Running Time: 96 minutes

Everybody's Fine, starring Robert De Niro is a heartfelt account of the trials and tribulations of what it is to be a family; released to DVD on the 2nd of June 2010.

Alone after the death of his wife and retired from his manual job in a wire factory, Frank Goode, played by the acclaimed Robert De Niro, comes to the realisation that he is not in any way connected to his children. But as they one-by-one cancel a weekend get-together at his home, he recognises that the problem is much deeper than just losing touch.

Although advised by his doctor not to take any long trips due to his poor health, Frank decides that he will set out across American in a pilgrimage to surprise all of his children and find out for himself who they have become.

Frank's first stop is New York City to spend time with his artist son David. But after sitting on his doorstep for some time the closest he gets to locating him is sighting his art work on display at a nearby gallery.

Next is Amy, played by Kate Beckinsale, a successful advertising consultant in Chicago. Almost immediately on Frank's arrival, it is clear that tensions are high between Amy's husband and son. Although successful, an embarrassing coldness has entered her life making it uncomfortable to have her father there.

Frank soon moves to Denver to visit his musical son Robert, played by Sam Rockwell. Robert had claimed to be a conductor, but Frank soon discovers that he is in fact the percussionist. Robert quickly states that Frank's arrival is at a bad time, and with a great deal of remorse, Frank catches a bus to Los Vegas to be with youngest Rosie, played by Drew Barrymore.

In Vegas it is a similar story. Frank discovers with a heavy heart that Rosie has been hiding a good deal about her life from him. Although she agrees, like her siblings to be more open and honest with her dad, all remain cautious about revealing their concern for David.

With the fate of David still weighing heavily on his mind, Frank is struck down with a heart attack as he heads home, and the family has to find the strength to be honest with themselves as well as their dad before his journey is over.

Based on the 1990 Italian film Stanno Tutti Bene, Everybody's Fine is written and directed by Kirk Jones, best known for writing and directing the English comedy hit Waking Ned Devine.

In a remarkable and honest appraisal of modern family life, Everybody's Fine is not to be missed- available on DVD 2nd of June 2010.

Special Features:
The Making of Paul McCartney's '(I want to) Come Home' and deleted and extended scenes.

Robert De Niro Everybody's Fine Interview

INTERVIEWER
Are you so at home being a father?

ROBERT DE NIRO
Well, I'm not, I'm not at home. I think, you know, it's tough. Eh, there are good moments and not so good moments. Anybody who has children knows that. So, it's just life. I, I needless to say, but as long as you have children, there's going to be a problem. You know, that's something.


INTERVIEWER
Uh, speaking to, I mean, preaching to the choir because I'm, I'm a mother, too, and I have a thirty?year-old...

ROBERT DE NIRO
Mm-hm.


INTERVIEWER
...and he is a handful.

ROBERT DE NIRO
Mm.


INTERVIEWER
How many do you have?

ROBERT DE NIRO
I have five and two grandkids.


INTERVIEWER
You have to give me a lesson.

ROBERT DE NIRO
Yeah. I, I don't, I don't know if I can, but I--

KIRK JONES (overlapping)
(chuckles)


INTERVIEWER
So, um, being a father, being a parent, eh, is just as much joy as, as it is a pain. Uh, what were the highlights for you as a parent and what were the down points that you really needed to resolve?

ROBERT DE NIRO
Oh. There's so many. But, you know, I just got my twins' report cards yesterday and I read them and they're pretty, pretty...I'm very impressed, and had a meeting with their teachers. So, I was, that was a good moment. (chuckles)

KIRK JONES (overlapping)
That's good. (chuckles)


INTERVIEWER
Mine faked my signature.

ROBERT DE NIRO
Oh, really? Okay. Well, that's-- (chuckles)


INTERVIEWER
And the principal called me and said...

ROBERT DE NIRO
Oh, boy.


INTERVIEWER
..."You know, uh, Mrs. [name], you always, uh, sign your name in yellow marker and print."

ROBERT DE NIRO
Oh.

KIRK JONES
Crayon.

ROBERT DE NIRO
Yeah. Yeah.


INTERVIEWER
And what were the down moments? When you really had to go deep in you and just find something that--?

ROBERT DE NIRO
Well, you know, that, uh, even the ones that I would talk about, you know, eh, when the kids are not behaving or doing what you expect of them or what you'd hope that they'd want to do because you know in the long run for them, it'll, it'll, they'll be better off, uh, whatever that is. Having, eh, having some, knowing that they, uh, i-if they know what they want to do in their lives, it helps. The way you un-, I understand it, they don't know. Uh, you can't, um, you can't, um, I can't force the kids to be anything other than what they want to be.


INTERVIEWER
Nobody can.

ROBERT DE NIRO
I like them to do...so, I'm, I'm pretty easy about that. I'd rather negotiate with them about if you want this; then give me that. Let's-- as opposed to being, um, punishing and stuff like that.


INTERVIEWER
Um, on the other hand, you know, I think, many, many years ago, let's say a few decades ago, the family was more together.

ROBERT DE NIRO
Mm.

KIRK JONES
Mm.


INTERVIEWER
And I think the world goes, uh, it's not the right way for families because we, we're driven apart.

ROBERT DE NIRO
Yeah.


INTERVIEWER
We have too m-, too, too many things to do and we just don't have the time to dedicate to our kids and to this relationship. What do you do about that?

ROBERT DE NIRO
Uh, I, I don't know. Kirk might have something to say about that.

KIRK JONES
I think it's, I think it's a really good point. I, I think not so long ago, maybe thirty, forty years ago, I think communities were much stronger and that people tended to not move away so quickly or, or, you know, but now, as soon as kids hit teenage years, their first thought is to escape the area in which they grew up and work in another country or work halfway across the country. Um, and I think it's, I, I think all that's good about living in a community, um, is perhaps being lost in, in the modern world. You know, I s-, I, when I go back to Italy now I still see that there are, um, there is, uh, there are smaller communities and there are, uh, communities which, eh, which are, um, still surviving, and I think it's a much healthier, um, environment to grow up in and, you know, and to stay in with the support of a community, rather than everyone just kind of heading off on their own.


INTERVIEWER
Uh, it's very true. My son told me, um, when he was what, uh, twenty-three, he said, "I want two things. Number one: I don't want, uh, to be what you me to be, and I want to move away from you as far as I can...

KIRK JONES
Mm.


INTERVIEWER
...in a different zip code possibly," but there is still love.

ROBERT DE NIRO
(chuckles)

KIRK JONES
Yeah.


INTERVIEWER
So, how do you keep the love there when there is physical distance still?

ROBERT DE NIRO
That's a good question. I liked my kids to be all around. I don't like them to be off here and there unless they really have a, a reason or a job that pulls them there. Uh, I, I, I think the Italian thing is really good because the communities stay together and other, there are other countries and other cultures that have this, obviously. They stay together. You know, the whole family lives in different apartments in a ho-, in a building or something, that's all nice stuff if you can do it. Uh, I don't think there's anything wrong with that.


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