Jodie Foster spoke to Esquire magazine for their Robert Downey Jr. cover story about what it was like to direct the 1995 Thanksgiving comedy Family Weekend. This was the actor’s second experience as a director after 1991’s Little Man. Production began in early 1995, which coincided with the period when Robert Downey Jr. Struggled with his addiction. The following year, he was arrested for possession of heroin, cocaine and an unloaded firearm.
At one point in the film’s production, Jodie Foster “He took her asideAnd said to him:Look, I couldn’t be more grateful for what you gave me in this movie. But I fear what will happen to you. Now you balance incredibly well on a bar stool. But it’s really doubtful and I don’t know how it will end.“
“What was interesting about him at the time was what a genius he was—more creativity in his little finger than I will ever have in my entire life—but he lacked discipline.– Foster told the publication. “He was sitting there with all this wonderful skill just flailing his arms around in the water and making a big mess. But it was in there somewhere, wasn’t it? Because now he is someone who has disciplined himself almost as a means of survival.“
He added:I believe in people’s ability to change if they want to, and he really wanted to.“
The dark years that followed
Family weekend It centers on Claudia Larson (Holly Hunter), a single mother who travels to Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with her dysfunctional family. Robert Downey Jr. He played Claudia’s younger brother. The cast also included Anne Bancroft, Dylan McDermott, Geraldine Chaplin, Steve Guttenberg, Claire Danes, Cynthia Stevenson and Charles Durning. The film was released in theaters in November 1995 in the United States.
after a few months Robert Downey Jr. Due to his arrest in 1996, he was sentenced to three years of probation. In 1999, he passed another test and was sentenced to three years in prison. The actor then served a 15-month sentence before being arrested again four months after his release for drug possession.
His legal troubles made him a Hollywood pariah. Even Christopher Nolan admitted that he had “A little scared“Met him at the casting of Batman Begins and told the actor directly:”I’ve heard all kinds of stories about how crazy you were. It’s been a few years since the last story about you was published.“
travel Robert Downey Jr. Justice also earned him the sale to Marvel of his career-defining role: Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. He was former Marvel Studios president David Meisel’s first choice, but not everyone else’s:My board of directors thought I was crazy for a future drug addict taking over the company.“
“I helped them understand how good he was for the role” Maisel said in 2022.We were all sure he was sober and would stay sober.“
Read the cover story Robert Downey Jr. on the whole on the Esquire website.
In order to be able to (re)watch Family Weekend, you must refer to the DVD versions.
Otherwise, find Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man in the Marvel movies, all available on Disney+, or in his Oscar-winning role as Lewis Strauss in the movie. Oppenheimer, to (re)watch on MyCanal. And finally, his last series Compassionate from Park Chan-wook (in which he is unrecognizable) is available on Prime Video with Warner Pass.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
