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Movie actor Norman, Phoenix in »Come On, Come On«: »Today's children are more politically aware than we adults ever were«
Photo: Tobin Yelland / A24 Films
SPIEGEL:
Mr. Mills, what does your film "Come On, Come On" have to do with your own experience as the father of a ten-year-old boy?
Mills:
The idea for the script came to me while talking to my son.
I wanted to share my affection for him, how much he often amazes me.
But at the same time, when I was writing the screenplay, I naturally immediately thought about how I could depict the relationship between children and adults in a way that other people around the world could relate to as well.
SPIEGEL:
You are celebrated for films about your mother and father, for a special kind of autobiographical storytelling.
In »Come On, Come On«, Joaquin Phoenix plays a reclusive radio journalist who has to look after his nephew, played by child actor Woody Norman, for a few weeks.
The two discuss the big questions in life.
Is the character playing Phoenix an alter ego of yours?
Mills:
I want my films to feel real and emotionally genuine.
But the man Joaquin plays faces many questions that I don't, or need to, ask myself.
For example, he asks himself: Why am I not married?
Why don't I have children?
I'm interested in this man's case from a reporter's point of view: he's an entertainer, that's his job.
But suddenly he has to take responsibility for a little boy.
SPIEGEL:
Because the hero is working on a radio show about children's worldview, you see him interviewing all sorts of other children in the film.
He often gets very touching answers that are characterized by fear of the future.
»I wanted to portray a generation«
Mills:
The interviews are all real and not conducted with children acting.
In this respect, they document views of American reality.
The interviewees tell what their life is like at the moment and how their future should look like.
The children are from Detroit, New York and New Orleans, from poor and better-off backgrounds.
I wanted to portray a generation.
SPIEGEL:
Do you think that today's children's dreams and fears for the future are very different from what preoccupied your generation when they were children?
Mills:
I'm not a child psychologist, I'm just a filmmaker.
For example, when I was a kid in the 1970s, we feared nuclear war, but today the fears seem to run deeper.
Of course, today's children are worried about the climate catastrophe, but they also fear a very uncertain future for other reasons.
They think about capitalism, racism, class inequality, homelessness.
I get the impression kids today are more politically conscious than we ever were.
SPIEGEL:
Do you also see your film as a political work?
Mills:
For me, it's about my identity as an American.
I wanted to show what's going on in the streets, how things are in different cities, reflect my own and the children's view of America.
I was impressed that children's thoughts often revolve around very dark things.
My film tries to show that children's imaginations are not only sweet and playful and innocent, but also full of disturbing aspects.
For example, many children think about what would happen if their parents were dead.
Just like the boy played by Woody does in the movie.
»My therapist helps me to observe better«
SPIEGEL:
Is it true that you have been seeing a therapist regularly for many years?
How does your therapist help you in writing the film by discussing your life with you?
Mills:
I started when I was 28.
I like going to therapy because I find it helps me.
I can cope better with my life thanks to the therapist.
But when it comes to filmmaking, of course, help is limited.
SPIEGEL:
You are 56 years old.
Isn't it a slightly odd idea to have been in constant consultation with a therapist for half your life?
Mills:
No, I do it like many other filmmakers, writers and artists before me.
It is necessary to make a good film for you, a foreigner in Germany.
I can dig in depth with the therapist, reporting on my thoughts, feelings and confusion.
It gives me clarity in my head.
It teaches me to listen and observe better myself.
SPIEGEL:
Are you actually aiming for a large audience with your work, or is it primarily about the truthful portrayal of your own experiences?
Mills:
In my films, I tell about things that I've experienced in a similar way myself.
I'm not much of a storyteller, but rather proceed like a journalist.
But precisely because I'm making autobiographical films, I have to be clear and decisive.
I make films for viewers, not for me.
It would be the worst if my films looked like diary entries.
SPIEGEL:
Like me, many people would be happy if you made more films.
Is it because of the money that there are only a few so far?
Mills:
Well, it's not because I'm always lounging on the beach.
I work quite a lot.
For a long time I suffered from only making slow progress at work.
At some point I realized that the world certainly doesn't need more films all the time, not even from me.
I've realized that the pace of my work doesn't have to be a reason to be depressed.
But believe me, this was hard work for me and my therapist.