David Marchese

You know, you did have this real string of big movies from like something about Mary sort of like through the night at the museum. Did you feel like because those movies were hitting, you kind of got swept up in something that was sort of out of your control a little bit? Like, what was your thinking about the work in that period?

I sort of don't believe you when you want to say that, because I suspect you were very strategic throughout your career, thinking about what was going to potentially work at different times. But what do I know?

I sort of don't believe you when you want to say that, because I suspect you were very strategic throughout your career, thinking about what was going to potentially work at different times. But what do I know?

The tension between knowing that there were movies that you wanted to make and then you also had opportunities to be in other movies. How alive was that tension for you at the time? Do you remember experiences where you might have been thinking like, oh, I want to make this, but this offered to do Along Came Polly or whatever the movie might have been. I'm going to go with that one.

The tension between knowing that there were movies that you wanted to make and then you also had opportunities to be in other movies. How alive was that tension for you at the time? Do you remember experiences where you might have been thinking like, oh, I want to make this, but this offered to do Along Came Polly or whatever the movie might have been. I'm going to go with that one.

So what was a fear-driven decision?

So what was a fear-driven decision?

And has what you're afraid of changed over time?

And has what you're afraid of changed over time?

Just hearing you talk about your thinking in the context of the audience and also what you want to do. I was just, in my mind, I remember how I did one of these interviews with Eddie Murphy. Yeah. And he said he only wants to do projects that he knows will work. Like he's not interested really in doing something that might be off-putting or alienating.

Just hearing you talk about your thinking in the context of the audience and also what you want to do. I was just, in my mind, I remember how I did one of these interviews with Eddie Murphy. Yeah. And he said he only wants to do projects that he knows will work. Like he's not interested really in doing something that might be off-putting or alienating.

If he's going to spend time on doing something, he wants to feel confident that it's going to work, which doesn't quite sound like how you think about it.

If he's going to spend time on doing something, he wants to feel confident that it's going to work, which doesn't quite sound like how you think about it.

Reality Bites was the first film you directed. That's a film that really seemed to speak to Gen X both then and still continues to speak to them. Do you think that film is representative of any specific generational values that you hold?

Reality Bites was the first film you directed. That's a film that really seemed to speak to Gen X both then and still continues to speak to them. Do you think that film is representative of any specific generational values that you hold?

Oh, I strongly disagree. Really? Yeah. Really? Well, why do you think they're evergreen?

Oh, I strongly disagree. Really? Yeah. Really? Well, why do you think they're evergreen?

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, no, I 100% agree with that aspect of it. The aspect of the film that to me feels very much like a time capsule and representative of a specific Gen X attitude that has basically disappeared is the anxiety about the possibility of selling out. And I think now young creative people, it's like maybe just because they've realized it's so hard to actually make a living, the concept of...