"Caviezel Country" | home
Judith Regan
Judith Reagan Tonight (Airdate 1-26-02)
JR- It's the story of an innocent man, wrongly accused and deliberately
imprisoned and his brilliant strategy of revenge against those who
betrayed him. It's also on a grand scale, the story of the loss of
innocence. This young, innocent, well intentioned guy who believes in
right and wrong, gets run over by a bunch of ruthless people, including
his own best friend. A guy who comes back, trying to seek revenge, which
he feels will fulfill him and make him whole again. But is revenge, in
the end, satisfying? The movie of this great story, which opens this
weekend is The Count of Monte Cristo and James Caviezel is the wonderful
actor who plays the count. Take a look.
(Shows clip of scene when Edmond goes to Fernand for help and finds his
friend has betrayed him)
When the clip ends, Jim is seated, wearing a black turtleneck, light
gray blazer and charcoal colored slacks and black shoes. His hands are
clasped in his lap.
JR- James, thanks for being here.
JC- (smiles) Thank you. (said softly)
JR-Now this is one of the greatest stories of all times
JC-Oh
JR- The Count of Monte Cristo one of the great--19th century novels
JC- Mmm hmm (reaches down and scratches right ankle)
JR- A story that has been told in movie form before. Tell us the basic
story, so that our viewers who haven't read the book or haven't seen the
movie, know.
JC- Ah, the basic thing is that he ah, represents innocence in all of
us. Edmond Dantes and his faith is tested by injustice. Ah, he loses his
faith and becomes consumed with revenge and ultimately he finds God
again.
JR- And he's set to marry the beautiful Mercedes young..
JC- Mmm hmm
JR-innocent love...
JC- Mmm hmm
JR- His friend betrays him, sells him out...
JC- Mmm
JR-And he goes away to prison for 13 years?
JC- Ah, right around then. 13 to 14 years, yeah
(They both laugh)
JR-Did they age you that much in the film?
JC- (laughs)
JR- No?
JC- I spent alo, alo ...quite a bit of time in the makeup trailer.
(Smiles and chuckles)
JR- Uh huh, uh huh. Now how does, how does this relate to your own life?
JC- Ah, you know, I guess coming to Hollywood I ah was a guy that ah you
know, was never trained in acting and I felt in my heart that this
probably was the thing for me, and I had to over come quite a bit, as ah
Alexandre Dumas did with his father and Napoleon did coming to Corsica
and ah, and um, and ,and coming into France and not being accepted by
his own. Uh, and, ah, they all had, including myself, have this I'll
show you attitude.
JR- As many young men have
JC- Yeah
JR- Ha ha, Till they find wisdom!
JC- Right
JR- Now is, we learn from this film of course, that revenge is not the
best revenge, I suppose.
JC- Mmm Hmm
JR- Um what does, what does it teach us...
JC- (sighs)
JR-About revenge and betrayal, and, and
JC- Well, uh, I think that people see this uh, will, will understand
that ah, that freedom just doesn't come from walking around.
JR- Mmm Hmm
JC- Freedom comes from within and if freedom can arbitrarily be taken
from you, solely based on physical, but interior freedom and this is a
book I, that I uh focused on actually, Victor Frankle's 'Man Search for
Meaning'. I uh went from there and, and, and, and focused on the
interior freedom and the interior freedom is that can only be taken from
you, if you allow it. And the Count de Monte Cristo is never, he's
subconsciously looking for that and even when Edmond Dantes escapes from
prison, he still lacks that interior freedom because he's driven by
forces outside of himself.
JR- The movie is really about the loss of innocence. I mean your
character is somebody who really believes in right and wrong and
goodness and is overwhelmed by this betrayal.
JC- Mmm hmm
JR-Um, on September 11th..
JC- Right
JR- Um we were in some respects, and innocent country..
JC- Yeah
JR- Not expecting something like that, not believing that, that could
ever happen here..
JC- Mmm
JR-And there was, in essence, a loss of inno, innocence
JC- Yeah
JR- As a result of that, how has that day affected Hollywood? The movies
that are made, how people view their own lives?
JC-Mm, well, um I can , you know, talk about myself. I, I , I know how
it affected me on a personal level. Um, just the fact that um in this
life ah morta, it makes you deal with your mortality (laughs
nervously)You ain't gonna be around here for a long time. This film
deals with those issues. Mortality, uh, uh, faith, uh spirituality and
what not. People found themselves walking into churches that don't
regular, regularly go. In Hollywood, I know many agents that never have
gone, that were like, look, you know, I'm not Baptist, I, I just find
myself needing to just come into this church. Hey, welcome.
JR- Did it change you in that respect? Did you start going to church
more? You were raised Catholic?
JC- Yes, no I ah, uh
JR- Did you say a lot of acts of contrition?
JC- (laughs)
JR- Oh my God, I'm hardly sorry for having offended thee. (Not quite
sure but this is what it sounded like she said ) (JR said in joking
voice)
JC-Right. Well it , it inspired something in me, but, ah, faith has
always been a thing in my life, um, but uh, I've always, uh, I believe
in every year or every, I'm not the same man I was at 20 and at 25 I was
not the same man I was even last year, so you're converting, trying,
you're always trying to get closer to that element that's, that's
talking to your, your soul.
JR- How have you changed?
JC- How have I changed since then? Um, you ask the most interesting
questions (Smiles)
JR- ( laughs)
JC- No softball's here ( Moves arm like he is tossing softball)
JR- We don't do softball's here, no we don't do that.
JC- Where September 11th affected me the most, was I did this movie
called Frequency and I think at least
JR- We have 15 seconds
JC-We had 10 fireman that were lost on that film, and I, so I saw a
picture of one of them (claps hands) running up the stairs and that's
where it affected me, that, hey you, you never know when you're gonna be
here and how long you have.
JR- Wow, go see the movie. It's called, the Count of Monte Cristo.
JC- Thanks
JR- A great story and a great morality tale. And a tale of our time in
some respect.
Jim...Caviezel, thanks so much for being here.
JC- Mmm.
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