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PEOPLE & ARTSSaturday 20 February 2016
Q&A: The Sutherlands bring
relationship to the big screen
In this Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016 photo, Donald Sutherland, left, 80, LINDSEY BAHR AP: Did you learn anything and I’m in the seat in the
and Kiefer Sutherland, 49, from the film “Forsaken,” pose for a AP Film Writer about each other during theater and I crawled out
portrait in Los Angeles. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Don- this process? on my hands and knees.
ald Sutherland, 80, and Kiefer: There’s a way he Kiefer: I managed to make
Associated Press Kiefer Sutherland, 49, have goes to work and it’s built 208 episodes of “24” and
nearly 275 combined cred- for speed and it’s incred- I never watched a single
its and 85 years of experi- ibly effective and I think it’s one of them.
ence between them, and incredibly well thought out. Donald: Really? They’re
have somehow only shared I would have to say this film very good.
the screen three times. more than any other single Kiefer: Thanks.
The first was 1983’s “Max experience I’ve had as Donald: I would watch
Dugan Returns.” The sec- an actor, I was caught off them and phone him the
ond was in 1996’S “A Time guard by how looking into next morning.
to Kill.” Now, finally, in the my father’s eyes would ef- Kiefer: In fact when he
period Western “Forsaken,” fect a scene. didn’t call I would get re-
in theaters and on demand Donald: Wait, what did you ally concerned that this
on Friday, the Sutherlands say? episode was not good. But
are not only sharing scenes, Kiefer: That when I would this film was different for
but a bloodline, playing be in the middle of a scene me. And it’s something I’ll
father and son for the first and when I would actually hold on to for the rest of my
time. look into your eyes, I would life. The dynamic between
The Associated Press sat look into your eyes from my this father and his son is not
down with the storied ac- life. They have a resonance the dynamic between me
tors to talk about the expe- to me and they mean and my father, but there
rience. something to me and so I are moments in it, like when
AP: Did you have an un- would have a visceral re- they’re saying goodbye.
spoken agreement that action to that. I’ve had that moment with
you wouldn’t necessarily try Donald: Because it goes my father for real. And to
to work with one another years back. have it in that way, to have
often? Kiefer: I had to make a con- it on a disc, that’s one thing
Kiefer: I’ve wanted to work scious choice not to get in that I’ll have with me for-
with my dad since I start- the way of that. So things ever.
ed. There were three ac- came to me in the pro-
tors who I admired through cess of making this film that I didn’t spend as much time
school — my dad, Gene would have been things with my dad as I wanted to
Hackman and Bobby Du- that I would have had to when I was growing up and
vall. work quite hard to arrive at. he didn’t spend as much
AP: So why now? I felt like I was cheating. time with me as he wanted
Kiefer: When it wasn’t work- Donald: It’s absolutely true. to when I was growing up.
ing out organically, I started You’re doing ... it’s stupid to I was thinking, ‘Well I didn’t
thinking of different ideas. say therapy, but your DNA get to go on that fishing trip
It wasn’t a fluke that we informs a lot of your work. with my dad and I didn’t
found something and we And the combination, you get to do this with my dad.’
did it. It’s something that know it’s the same DNA I wrapped two days after
I’ve wanted to do for 30 roughly. my dad and he was driv-
years and just thought we Kiefer: I lost the tall stick. ing away, and I couldn’t
better get it done sooner That wasn’t one of the 21 help but smile and realize
than later. pieces I got. wow, we just spent 8 weeks
Donald: I had always said AP: So in that way, does this together, 14 hours a day,
to him that I wanted to play film mean more to you? 6 days a week. And we
Walter Huston to his John Kiefer: There are not a lot of made something. That’s a
Huston, do “The Treasure films that I’ve been in that I lot better than a (expletive)
of the Sierra Madre,” or an can get through watching. fishing trip.
equivalent of that. But that It’s just an uncomfortable Donald: We went fishing!
never worked out. That’s circumstance for me. Kiefer: Well I know we went
what I really wanted. And fishing.
then this came and I was Donald: I never looked at Donald: I don’t like fishing.
very happy. them. He went to see “Six Kiefer: I was using it more as
AP: Did you spend much Degrees of Separation” a metaphor than anything
time dissecting the story and came out to me and else.
and your characters? said ‘you really should go AP: Are you wistful that it
Kiefer: No. see this.’ And I went to go took so long to do?
Donald: Let me elaborate see it. It’s the first film I’d Donald: You do what I can.
on that ... no. seen all the way through. It’s not like we could have
Kiefer: This has been true I didn’t see “Klute” all the done it sooner. If we could
my whole life — when we way through. I certainly have done it sooner we
spend time together, which didn’t see “M(asterisk) would have. I’m very, very
is not as often as I, or I be- A(asterisk)S(asterisk)H.” glad we didn’t do it later.
lieve my dad, would like, ‘’Ordinary People,” Bob It’s quite possible I would
we don’t talk about work. (Redford) insisted I see it not be here.q
