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“Truthfulness Means Absolutely Everything to Me!” – Interview with Richard Linklater
With ‘Dazed and Confused’, his second feature film, Richard Linklater once perfectly captured the lifestyle of high school kids at the end of the seventies – featuring then-unknowns such as Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, and Milla Jovovich. Nearly a quarter of a century later, the Texan director now essentially presents the sequel.
In ‘Everybody Wants Some!!’, he embarks on a time journey into the 1980s. Over the course of three days, he follows a young athlete at his new college and portrays a generation who still had their fun without smartphones and social media. The film begins where Linklater’s celebrated long-term project ‘Boyhood’ ended. [030] contributor Dieter Oßwald spoke with the 56-year-old director.
Mr Linklater, your last film ‘Boyhood’ was enthusiastically celebrated from all sides. How much does all that acclaim increase the weight of expectation for the next film?
Is ‘Everybody Wants Some!!’ now a sequel to ‘Boyhood’ or to ‘Dazed and Confused’?
Linklater: Personally, I see it as a second part to ‘Dazed and Confused’ and as a continuation of ‘Boyhood’. However, the script for ‘Everybody Wants Some!!’ was written long before ‘Boyhood’ finished – which is why the ending of ‘Boyhood’ fits so well with this beginning.
Did you not consider having the ‘Boyhood’ hero Ellar Coltrane continue his role here?
Linklater: (Laughs) Ellar wouldn’t have been the right type for it – which is actually good for him as well. Ellar is more of an artist, whereas our story is about athletes. There was the idea that he’d appear in this party scene with the art students, but unfortunately he just wasn’t free that night. In spirit, of course, he joined the party, and I explicitly made that point on set!
What about the appearance of his movie sister Lorlei Linklater, your daughter?
Linklater: Lorlei probably would have liked a small role, but sadly I had to tell her that she also wasn’t the right type for the college girls I had in mind.
You were born in 1960. How nostalgic was this trip into the 1980s for you?
Linklater: I don’t know if ‘nostalgic’ is the right word, but it was definitely great fun to revive a time I lived through and remember well. Culturally, the 1980s were extremely exciting and, especially in comparison to today’s world, many things carry a different significance now. People may not have changed much, but the culture certainly has. Many young viewers say after the film: ‘It really looks like college was a fun time.’ And that’s exactly how it was.
Was everything better back in the day?
Linklater: A lot of things were better! There wasn’t this constant threat that dominates us today. Anyone at college today has never experienced anything different from a state of ongoing war, just as George Orwell described. Economically there’s huge uncertainty, and many other areas are marked by anxiety as well. Our film is set in a time when there was no AIDS, no Reagan or Bush. Everyone was having fun, there were lots of new freedoms, especially for women.
There’s just a short scene in the film where a Reagan campaign poster can be seen in the background. Did politics play no part?
Linklater: On that particular weekend we’re depicting, politics perhaps didn’t play much of a role. But I’m sure that changed as the elections drew nearer. The crucial thing is that our heroes had no idea what was coming. All of them were doing well, so why should they worry about the future? That’s exactly why there’s that Reagan poster in the film: it’s an omen that times will change.
Your film is called ‘Everybody Wants Some!!’ – what did you want back then?
Linklater: You just wanted everything and felt entitled to it – and that’s exactly why I like this title, which comes from a Van Halen song, so much. You thought the world belonged to you and you could take anything you wanted. Only later do you realise that the world will only give you a tiny piece of itself – and only if you’re lucky.
In ‘Dazed and Confused’ you had then-unknowns like Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, and Milla Jovovich. This time too, you’ve cast unknown actors – would stars spoil your film’s party?
Linklater: For the credibility of a film like this it does help if you don’t know the actors. The characters just seem more realistic to the audience that way. If there was a star, it would also make everything just a bit less democratic.
Do you still keep in touch with Affleck and the others?
Linklater: Of course – we still hold ‘Dazed and Confused’ reunions from time to time – a film like that bonds you for life. The same will very likely happen with ‘Everybody Wants Some!!’, the thirteen cast members have already become best friends.
Were there ‘Before Sunrise’ reunion meetings in Vienna with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy too?
Linklater: I’ve been to Vienna a few times since, though without Ethan or Julie.
Once again your film impresses with its great truthfulness – how do you avoid false notes?
Linklater: Thank you for the compliment. Truthfulness means absolutely everything to me. I want viewers to lose themselves in my films in a world they perceive as reality. Of course, this world is completely constructed, from the costumes to the sets – but the audience shouldn’t really notice any of that. That’s why I never do close-ups of the set in my films.
Do you think the future for independent filmmakers is with Amazon and the like?
Linklater: I haven’t worked with them yet, but everyone is excited about the opportunities there. It’s pretty clear what Hollywood won’t be doing in future – but these kinds of films need to carry on being made. At the moment, these streaming services are doing interesting projects. I’m curious to see where it’ll all end up.