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Isn't the idea of parents being
able to manufacture
perfect or even better kids an attractive prospect?
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But perfection in what way? A lot
of the world's
religions would tell you that you are perfect already and
that real perfection and real happiness is going to come
from your acceptance of who you are rather than saying, "If
only I had this..." I myself would fall into the category of
believing in that. If I were having a kid, and I was told
that I could prevent him from having something that
would be painful to him, then I might do that. But there
are still a lot of people who would believe, say, well, their
child being gay would be painful so I'll prevent that, or
being blind would be painful so I'll prevent that and, boom,
Ray Charles is no longer a part of society. It's very
dangerous when you put those kinds of decisions into the
hands of human beings.
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Is your character a charlatan or
is he doing the natural
thing just to survive and accomplish his goals?
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It's interesting because it's
both. On one hand, you
want him to say, "This is who I am and accept me for what
I am or don't take me at all," but then, they wouldn't take
him into the space program. So what I always liked about
the character was that his ambition and his drive was not
based on his wanting to get any outward acknowledgment,
he was never going to get any points for it. What he was
going to get was the opportunity to prove to himself his
own self-worth.
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That kind of journey always seems
to involve great
personal risk.
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Yes. I always liked the question
inherent in the movie:
what are you willing to put your life on the line for?
People talk about artistic courage, and such—and—such a
filmmaker was so brave to go do this whole thing, and they
are in a certain way. But would you really die for it?
That's real courage, and that's what this character is willing
to do. To prove that he has the guts to die for it. I know in
real life I've never been tested in that manner.
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