Ben Stiller

Yeah, I mean, sometimes the audience has to sort of have time to... I feel like this has happened to a bunch of movies I've done, which is it takes the audience a few years to get it. Like Zoolander or something like that. Like Zoolander, when it came out, was not a big hit. Because what a weird world, what a weird character.

Yeah, I mean, sometimes the audience has to sort of have time to... I feel like this has happened to a bunch of movies I've done, which is it takes the audience a few years to get it. Like Zoolander or something like that. Like Zoolander, when it came out, was not a big hit. Because what a weird world, what a weird character.

But once they became acclimated to it, then it became something that they really liked.

But once they became acclimated to it, then it became something that they really liked.

I feel like the film is a timepiece of where we were at that moment in time as put through a kind of a pop culture lens. And it was written by Helen Childress, who was taking her experience and trying to kind of encapsulate, you know, the issues that she was dealing with.

I feel like the film is a timepiece of where we were at that moment in time as put through a kind of a pop culture lens. And it was written by Helen Childress, who was taking her experience and trying to kind of encapsulate, you know, the issues that she was dealing with.

I think I was coming to add more as my character, honestly, you know, the Michael character who was the guy kind of trying to commodify it a little bit and was outside of it a little bit. So in a way, I feel like that's what the movie is. Like Helen was Lelaina and I was Michael. And we improvised a lot as she was rewriting the script when we were working on it.

I think I was coming to add more as my character, honestly, you know, the Michael character who was the guy kind of trying to commodify it a little bit and was outside of it a little bit. So in a way, I feel like that's what the movie is. Like Helen was Lelaina and I was Michael. And we improvised a lot as she was rewriting the script when we were working on it.

So that was my experience of making that movie. I do feel like generationally, though, the issues in that movie are kind of evergreen sort of issues.

So that was my experience of making that movie. I do feel like generationally, though, the issues in that movie are kind of evergreen sort of issues.

Well, I just think it's that moment in time where you're having to figure out how to, if you have parents who've supported you or whatever, you're having to cut the cord and figure out how to go out into the world.

Well, I just think it's that moment in time where you're having to figure out how to, if you have parents who've supported you or whatever, you're having to cut the cord and figure out how to go out into the world.

And find yourself.

And find yourself.

But I think a lot of that is because of how social media has changed how people can upload their lives to everyone directly, you know?

But I think a lot of that is because of how social media has changed how people can upload their lives to everyone directly, you know?

Just that she was making a little documentary on her video camera that then she had to give to Michael to put on the MTV version of what that was. And now you just go straight to the internet. And I think young people are expected to do that now and to create their own movie and get it out into the world.

Just that she was making a little documentary on her video camera that then she had to give to Michael to put on the MTV version of what that was. And now you just go straight to the internet. And I think young people are expected to do that now and to create their own movie and get it out into the world.

And I think it plays into what you're saying, which is it's almost like if you're not selling out, you're not doing what you should be doing.

And I think it plays into what you're saying, which is it's almost like if you're not selling out, you're not doing what you should be doing.