Actress Toni Collette Discusses Her New Movie :In Her Shoes:

Transcript

Event Date(s): 10/04/2005 | Event Location(s): Today New York Studio | Description: 08:50:20 (:16) CLIP: Letterboxed clip of the movie "Muriel's Wedding" featuring Actor Toni Collette. 08:50:56 (:18) CLIP: Clip of the movie "In Her Shoes" featuring Collette and Actor Cameron Diaz. In Studio 1A, in interview with Coullette, Katie Couric says, "Toni Collette, good morning." Ms. TONI COLLETTE ("In Her Shoes"): Good morning to you. COURIC: Great to have you back. I know you're a bit jet-lagged. Ms. COLLETTE: I am. Sorry. COURIC: So thanks for showing up. Ms. COLLETTE: Oh, I could have been here at 3, let me tell you. COURIC: So--so we're going to talk about"In Her Shoes." But when you see that shot from"Muriel's Wedding," you were like `Ah'! Ms. COLLETTE: It's too early in the morning. COURIC: I mean, but--but you must have had a great time doing that movie with Rachel Griffiths. Ms. COLLETTE: Oh, absolutely. COURIC: And it's one of my favorite movies of all time. Ms. COLLETTE: Really? COURIC: I don't know. I just adored it and I loved your character in it because I don't know, I just thought she was so hilarious. I loved the scene where she's making faces at her boyfriend. Ms. COLLETTE: Oh, the potential husband? COURIC: Yeah. Wait, wait. Ms. COLLETTE: Oh, ugly. Here it is. COURIC: Wait, wait, wait. And--and wait a second. I think maybe she makes faces when the coach turns away and she starts sticking her tongue out. I don't know why, I just love that scene. Ms. COLLETTE: Well, there it is. Yeah, it's funny. This movie, it just somehow stands up. People still want to talk about it and I think it's just--it's got such an honesty to it that people, you know, still really like it and want to chat about it. COURIC: It was just so quirky. Well, you had to gain weight for"Muriel's Wedding" and you had to do the same for"In Her Shoes." And I understand at one point, you vowed you would never put on weight for a role again. Ms. COLLETTE: Well, it's pretty taxing on the system. But I think with "In Her Shoes," it's so much a part of how Rose sees herself, and I pretty much would have done anything for this role and especially for Curtis Hanson, who's been the best director I've ever worked with. COURIC: Yeah. He's done a lot of other movies, right,"LA Confidential" and--and what else has he done? Ms. COLLETTE: "The Wonder Boys." COURIC: "The Wonder Boys." Ms. COLLETTE: He's got a whole slew of it. Yeah, I've always admired him and now that I know him and have worked with him, I admire him even more. COURIC: And--and Rose, the character of Rose... Ms. COLLETTE: Uh-huh. COURIC: ...starts out sort of a frumpy but very smart lawyer. Ms. COLLETTE: Yeah. She kind of puts all of her energy into work and taking responsibility and caring for everybody else in her family, including Maggie, specifically Maggie, her sister. COURIC: Played by Cameron Diaz, who was here yesterday. Ms. COLLETTE: Played by Cameron, yes. And their relationship, I guess it picks up at the beginning of the film, and they're incredibly co-dependent, to an unhealthy extent. And they have this falling out, which as painful as it is for each of them, is--provides an opportunity for them to figure out who they are as individuals. COURIC: Really... Ms. COLLETTE: Which they need at that point. COURIC: ...a new beginning for both of them. Ms. COLLETTE: Yeah. COURIC: Because it's almost the missing of each other prompts them to fill in the gaps in their lives. Ms. COLLETTE: They get on with their lives but they realize that it's not really complete unless they can share it with their best friend, who is their sister. COURIC: Jennifer Weiner said something interesting about that she was saddened--even though I know she loved you in the role--that there weren't enough American--there were really very few American actresses who would be willing to portray themselves in this way on the big screen. Ms. COLLETTE: Oh, you know what? I don't know about that. I've-I heard there were quite a few people who were eager to do it. The script was one of the best I've ever read, and the story, it's so beautiful and so human and real in that it's just subtle in its emotional value. It doesn't manipulate you in any way, and it's, you know, it's up and down. It's funny and sad, like life. And I don't know. I think actors should be--be able to play any character. And I--I--I--I don't think I would agree, actually. COURIC: OK. Well, I'll--I'll let her know because I'm interviewing her at the end of the week. Meanwhile, I know that shoes are symbolic in this movie. They're a metaphor for Rose because her closet is full of beautiful, spectacular, colorful shoes. Ms. COLLETTE: Which represents the life she doesn't have. It's the fantasy life that she's yearning for. COURIC: And in her view, it's the only thing that fits. In fact, I think she says that in the movie, right? Ms. COLLETTE: Yeah, yeah. When she wants to make herself feel better. You know, you don't put on weight in your feet, so she's always going to be a size nine no matter what happens. COURIC: But I know she meets a man and she changes and becomes happy again. I really enjoyed the movie. I laughed, I cried. Ms. COLLETTE: Oh, I'm glad. COURIC: I ate. Toni, it's good to see you. Ms. COLLETTE: Nice to see you. Thank you. 08:51:32 (:42) CLIPS: Letterboxed clips of "Muriel's Wedding" featuring Collette. 08:52:35 (ej=:18) Zoom out from Collette to reveal camera crew during filming. Zoom out from Collette as she puts on a blouse to reveal camera crew during filming. 08:53:15 (:23) CLIP: Letterboxed clip of"In Her Shoes" featuring Collette and Diaz.