Page 29 - aruba-today-20170610

A29
PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 10 June 2017

For Hayek, ‘Beatriz at Dinner’ gives voice to immigrants

LINDSEY BAHR divide at this dinner table.
AP Film Writer It’s now playing in limited
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The release.
culture clash drama “Beat- Although Donald Trump
riz at Dinner” wasn’t written wasn’t president when the
about Donald Trump, but script was conceived, he
Salma Hayek understands was emerging on the na-
why you might think it was. tional stage. White wrote it
In the film, Hayek plays a in the summer of 2015.
Mexican healer who finds “It was an amalgamation
herself at an intimate din- of things that were frustrat-
ner party with her wealthy ing (White). It was around
clients and their wealthier the time when the den-
friends — including a ruth- tist killed that lion in Africa
less real estate developer and the same time that
played by John Lithgow. Donald Trump decided to
They clash over the envi- run and said those awful
ronment, hunting, immigra- things about Mexicans,”
tion, money, greed — first said director Miguel Arteta.
politely, and then not so. “It was born from the idea
“Remember, this script of being at a dinner party
was written before Trump,” where somebody was go-
Hayek said recently. “But ing to say, ‘I’m going to Chloe Sevigny, from left, Salma Hayek, John Lithgow and Connie Britton attend a “Beatriz at Din-
the genius of (screenwriter) go kill a rare animal.’ How ner” screening, hosted by The Cinema Society and Gucci, at Metrograph on Tuesday, June 6,
Mike White is that in his as- would I handle that?” 2017, in New York.
tute observation of human- That Trump went from can- Associated Press
ity, he borders on fortune didate to commander in
teller.” When the film pre- chief by the time the film they do, even the people came up with the idea. a whole. And she has all of
miered at the Sundance was finished and happens who are abusing power.” They went straight to Hayek that in droves.”
Film Festival in January, to embody some of the Arteta, who is from Puerto with it. Hayek was excited about
amid the Women’s March qualities of the main an- Rico, wanted to represent “Salma’s personality is so her character and how un-
and the Inauguration, no tagonist is, Arteta thinks, “a the feeling of being an out- perfect for portraying what concerned she is with the
headline could resist the sign of the times,” although sider, or an immigrant, em- it’s like to be an immigrant. class divide (while every-
Trump-ian comparison, ei- he and White did want to bodied in Beatriz. He and She has a huge heart, she’s one else at the dinner table
ther in direct reference to make sure to give all char- Hayek had been trying to extremely intelligent and ranges from falsely ingrati-
Lithgow’s Doug Strutt, a acters a fair voice. work together for years, hardworking and she is not ating to downright rude).
bullish capitalist who mis- “(Lithgow’s) character re- which is something White afraid to tell the truth. Her “She’s really trying to look
takes Beatriz for the help ally believes in what he’s (who has collaborated with personality really matched at them and figure out who
and then doubles down on doing,” Arteta said. “The Arteta on “Chuck & Buck,” Beatriz,” Arteta said. “We they are. And they’re not
the insults, or just the gen- tragedy in life is everyone ‘’The Good Girl” and “En- are hardworking, smart and interested in seeing her,”
eral tone of unease and has good reasons for what lightened”) knew when he compassionate people as said Hayek. q

Kate Mara strived to get it right as Marine, dog lover

BROOKE LEFFERTS they will, but then they’ll the past three years I’ve “They’re doing really well.”
Associated Press do some genius little move- worked with more females Mara recently got en-
NEW YORK (AP) — One ment or sound or whatever than I ever have in my en- gaged to “Billy Elliot” ac-
of the best things for Kate that will make the scene tire career, and that’s di- tor Jamie Bell, but she was
Mara about starring in “Me- that much better.” rectors but also actors,” tightlipped about her nup-
gan Leavey” was Varco Mara, an animal activist Mara said. “And we had so tials.
the dog. who has worked with both many females on our crew “I’m definitely not very girlie
Varco is the Rex to Mara’s Oceana and the Humane as well, so I definitely think about it all. I’m just, like, I’ll
Leavey in the true story of Society, also had the rare that’s changing. I think it’s show up. My fiance is much
a young Marine corporal treat of being directed by slower than we’d all like more specific and much
and her fight to bring her a woman, Gabriela Cow- but it makes me so happy more opinionated than I
combat dog home after perthwaite. She had also that something like ‘Won- am so it’s nice. I just sort of
service in Iraq. directed the orca-abuse der Woman’ is actually let him do it.”
“He and I trained together, film “Blackfish.” In fact, proving that fact. It’ll make One of the wedding chal-
so by the time we started Mara said, her animal ad- This June 15, 2017 photo it easier and easier to make lenges: She’s vegan and
shows actress Kate Mara pos-
shooting we were very vocacy blossomed due to ing for a portrait to promote more and more films.” Bell’s not, “so you’ve got to
comfortable with each the SeaWorld film. her film, “Megan Leavey” in Mara’s not interested in di- make everybody happy.”
other,” Mara told The As- “Animals really do teach us New York. recting, but she has started The film, which opened Fri-
sociated Press in a recent empathy and compassion Associated Press her own production com- day, covers raw territory for
interview. “I loved working and so many other things,” pany. “I love directors so veterans coping at home
with a dog. They’re unex- she said. “I instantly felt connected much and I like it when with post-combat trauma.
pected and constantly do- It’s that bond between a to it for that reason,” she they tell me what to do,” Mara wanted to get it
ing things that you’re not lost human, Leavey, and said of the film. She found she said. right, leaning on her previ-
expecting them to do. If a scarred bomb-sniffing it refreshing to work with a As for dogs, she has two of ous role as the wife of a vet
you want them to just sort dog, Rex, that plays out for woman at the helm as well. her own, both Boston terri- in the 2015 release “Man
of sit there during a scene Mara. “I’ve been acting since I ers. At 14 and 15, she said, Down.”q
was 14 and I would say in