Director Lone Scherfig faced some interesting challenges making a movie of the best-selling novel "One Day," which follows two people on the same day each year for 20 years.
She didn't want to upset fans of the book with big changes. But the 52-year-old Dane, whose previous work was the Oscar-nominated "An Education," had to make sure the days in the book where nothing really happens didn't create lulls in the film.
"This is where I really had the chance to turn the film into cinema. I wanted to make these time jumps work by making them as interesting to look at as possible," Scherfig says.
It helped that the book's author, David Nicholls, wrote the script.
"It really helps to have the same writer," Scherfig says. "I am sure we have made some unpopular decisions because the movie has scenes that are not in the book. But I hope those who love the book so much will understand why we added the scenes."
The movie covers 20 years, but nothing was shot in chronological order. This put huge demands on Scherfig to make sure everything in each scene – from music to makeup to the actors' ages – was just right. A wall in the art department was covered with photos and notes to make sure everything matched up.
The easiest part of making the movie ended up being the casting. Scherfig knew as soon as she met with Anne Hathaway that she was the person to play Emma.
She knew it because Hathaway told her. Hathaway was so determined to star in the film she flew to London to plead her case with the director. Scherfig didn't need much convincing.
"She's a very experienced actor who was already devoted to the role. Anne has a completely unique warmth and she's very smart, very mature and very sensual," Scherfig says.
Scherfig looked at several actors to play Dexter, the man in Emma's life. Again, she says, she immediately knew she had the right person when Hathaway and Jim Sturgess met. They bonded over their love of music.
She jokes that with these stars, their iPods were far more important than their mirrors.
TV and movie critic Rick Bentley can be reached at rbentley@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6355. Read his blog at fresnobeehive.com.
E-Mail
Print
Easy to enjoy a film like 'One Day'