Unicorn of Films – ARRIVAL Oscar Nominated Movie Q&A

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Unicorn of Films – ARRIVAL Oscar Nominated Movie Q&A

Nominated for eight Academy Awards that include Best Motion Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted screenplay, “Arrival” screenplay writer Eric Heisserer and director Denis Villeneuve recently answered audience questions after a showing of the film.

Arrival movie, Amy Adams

Pictured: Amy Adams in “Arrival.”

“Arrival”, based short story “Story of Your Life”, writer Eric Heisserer said when he was pitching his spec screen play of the film to movie studios, their reactions were “Oh, that’s really cute. No.”

Arrival movie, Amy Adams, Denis Villeneuve

Pictured: Amy Adams with director Denis Villeneuve.

In “Arrival”, when a linguistic professor, Louise Banks (played by Amy Adams) is commissioned by the Military to dissect and interpret an Alien language spoken by squid-like beings inside a nearby U.F.O., she poses the question “what is your purpose?” This question was an addition made to the film that was not in the original story.

Heisserer said that he always had Amy Adams in mind as the character as he was writing “Arrival”. Adams loved that there was a high degree of difficulty. Director Denis Villeneuve said he had the same passion.

Louise thinks in the future. Adams said “it’s made me far less ambitious.” Because she’s a mother and there’s noting more important than her daughter.

One of the aliens, that Louise and her co-worker scientist Ian Donelly (played by Jeremy Renner) named Abbott, sacrificed 3000 years of his own life to make sure humanity got the language. Villeneuve read the short story first. “It’s beautiful, but very poetic.” He was very impressed and called the work “a real tour de force.”

Arrival movie, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner

Pictured: Amy Adams with Jeremy Renner in “Arrival”.

Heisserer’s favorite scene was when Louise’s daughter Hannah introduced her to a horse. “See, they’re really not that different from us.” The story is in a non-linear structure with flash-forwards, flash-backs. Because of this, when showing the flash-forwards and flashbacks, the scenes need to be very precise to make sure if someone watches the movie two and three times, that the logic is perfect.

Heisserer stated that in Science Fiction, you’re trying to translate the human condition into a different narrative. He said like Rod Sterling’s “The Twilight Zone.” Adams said “I think truth can keep you coming back to a film and finding new things.” Heisserer also stated “Amy is like an example of panic and self control.”

Villeneuve described his experience working on “Arrival”, “this was the unicorn of films because everyone wanted to make the film better.” He said he had some really terrible experiences before this film. This movie, he said, brought him back from the brink. Adams said it brought her back from the brink as well.

Adams said “Denis’ ideas don’t diminish anybody else’s and that’s special. It was a huge journey and intense and positive they’re still digesting.” Villeneuve said he loves that cinema is a common language. Adams agreed and noted that several different languages were spoken on the set of “Arrival”. But, it didn’t matter because they were all making the same film.

The other five categories “Arrival” is nominated for an Oscar in are: Achievement in production design, Achievement in sound editing, Achievement in sound mixing, Achievement in film editing, and Achievement in cinematography

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