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Amy Ryan on Gone Baby Gone
By Fred Topel | Image property of Miramax Films.
Gone Baby Gone
Gone Baby Gone is a drama about a child kidnapping, but it's not as simple as the grieving parents looking for their child. Helene McCready is a promiscuous druggie who hardly cares about finding her daughter. Amy Ryan found herself having to defend her character in the interest of analyzing the story.
Amy Ryan Talks Gone Baby Gone
"I think Helene McCready is a complicated character," said Ryan. "She's not necessarily the bad guy. She's a complicated woman that's making bad choices. I don't think people, no matter how drastic a situation they're in, I don't believe people really make 180 degree turns in their lives. Human nature really only goes two degrees before the old pattern feels more comfortable that you start going back towards. I think that's the truth of it and I think that's why it's so harsh, because it's so truthful.""
As despicable as Helene's behavior may seem, there is always another side to the story. "Without standing on a soap box, I think that playing the truthful harsh reality of it, this is a woman who grew up in this situation. The same compassion we have for this poor, innocent four-year-old daughter, at one point I imagine was Helene. So the idea is well, where is her health care? She's a single mother. Where is the father? Where is her education? Where is her child care? My God, I take my hat off to every woman who raises a child on her own either with money or without. It's the hardest job in the world. I was just playing at it. So that's where my compassion for the character lies. My hope, my want is that she could have done a better job at it but that's her best. At least she tried. But she's just trying to survive in a really harsh, harsh environment. But she has humor. She's got her humor along the way. I certainly wish better for her."
Ryan learned a thick Boston accent from her colleagues on the set. "The accent came from the luxury of filming in Boston and the luxury of having Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck sandwiched around me. Also a lot of the local actors. There's a woman, Jill Quigg, who plays Dottie and I pretty much had lunch with her every single day. She recorded lots of sounds into the recorder for me. And having lunch with teamsters as well."
She also sported some full on hoochie wardrobe. "The costume designer had the clothes and I said, 'You know, I think you should get me a size smaller so my belly hangs over.' She's like, 'Really?' 'It's right. Get it tighter, get it cheaper.' She's like, 'Oh my God, you're so brave.' I was like, 'We have to, we have to. We have to go there.' Helene thought she looked good. She enjoyed those clothes."
Gone Baby Gone opens to theaters tomorrow, October 19th.
For the trailer, poster, interviews and more movie info, go to the Gone Baby Gone Movie Page.
Fred Topel
Sources: Image property of Miramax Films.
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