MC:My influence in the film industry visually is probably Vittorio Di Sica, and obviously Scorsese. But if I could grow up to be a filmmaker, I'd like to be Hal Ashby. Hal Ashby is, like, my hero. But the influences?--obviously, the Italians.

THC:How Italian are you?

MC:My father is all Italian, and my mother's all Irish.

THC:A powerful blend.

MC:Exactly.

THC:How was directing your first movie?

MC:I'd directed theater for years. I worked with these actors like it was a play. I rehearsed `em for six weeks, and then rehearsed another week on the set. We did most of those scenes in one take, maybe two. That's because we reached the shit out of it.

We got to the set, Ritchie [Director of photography Richard Crudo] would set up. It would take him four hours to light a scene, and we'd do it in one take. I'd say, "Okay, let's move on to the next set up." And he'd say "What are you talking about? That took me four hours." I'd say, "I know, and it looks great, too. We wanna go shoot the next scene, Ritchie."

THC:How do you think kids from Harvard and Brown will react to the movie's portrayal of an Ivy League woman?

MC:Somebody made the argument that the character Wendy--who happens to be my wife--who looks great and drives a Saab, is not really how those students are. I said, "You're out of your mind. You've obviously never been to Brown." I grew up on Federal Hill. I used to go out with those girls, and they did wear pearls and drive Saabs. That's why the guys from my neighborhood were so attracted to them.

They were these little princesses up on College Hill that you could never have. They would come into the neighborhood all the time, looking to fuck around with some, you know, sexy young Italian guys. What was in it for them to lose? They had the best of both worlds, and so did we. You got into trouble when you started falling in love, though. That's where the rub came in.

THC:What about the ending?

MC:The ending for me is...you can't aspire to that shit all your life, and think you're gonna change with one fell swoop because you meet a girl who goes to an Ivy League school. Most of these guys were looking for Mrs. Right and she is looking for Mrs. Right Now.

THC:Are you saying that there's no way to get out?

MC:Of course there is. I got out.