The Road to Cinema Podcast is excited to welcome screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski as we discuss their new film “Big Eyes”. 10 years in the making, Scott and Larry have crafted the poignant, true story of artist Margaret Keane with humanity and humor. Christoph Waltz plays the manipulative, charismatic Walter Keane who took credit for Margaret’s waif paintings during the height of their popularity in the late 1950s and early 1960s. As Walter successfully promoted the paintings through the press, Margaret feverishly painted behind closed doors, even hiding the secret from her daughter. Margaret lived years with this lie while Walter reaped the awards, the praise, and even the harsh pitchforks of art critics. Directed by Tim Burton and beautifully photographed by one of my favorite cinematographers Brunu Delbonnel, “Big Eyes” evokes the period while offering a satirical examination of the media and the art world. Playing Margaret Keane, Amy Adams gives one of her most understated and subtle performances as we watch Margaret slowly build strength and confidence to stand up to the blowhard, self-promoter Walter Keane played with gusto and swagger by Oscar winner Christoph Waltz.
The film opens in theatres around the United States on December 25th but you can get an early behind the scenes look on The Road to Cinema Podcast. You will hear about Scott and Larry’s initial passion for this incredible true story, how they conducted extensive research over a decade which infused the film with lush detail, and how director Tim Burton brought the project back to life after many false starts. Scott and Larry also discuss their collaboration with director Milos Forman and their new FX miniseries “American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson”. Subscribe and rate The Road to Cinema Podcast on iTunes. Follow us on Twitter @JogRoad for the latest updates.