Q: Is your story as a writer similar to Shaun’s?
MW: Definitely. When you go into things, you want to be great, and hopefully you end up being decent. You always wonder if you can be what you want to be in the world that you’re in. Like writing a movie for MTV/Paramount. Can you express yourself, can you do something that’s meaningful, or do you have to run away to New York and be a starving playwright? Those are the kinds of things Shaun goes through. And in the end, the decision he makes is kind of the one that I made: you can stay where you are, and write the things that you want to write, because you don’t necessarily have to leave to be the person you want to be, or the writer you want to be.
Q: Who or what influences or inspires your writing?
MW: For me, I’m more inspired by books and literature than I am by other screenplays. If you surround yourself with great stuff, maybe it’ll rub off on you.
Q: As someone who’s done independent film, is it difficult working within the boundaries of a studio while keeping an individual voice?
MW: Yeah, it’s difficult. Like with anything else, it’s just figuring out how to get them to say yes to doing something that’s meaningful to you. It’s part of the game. And if you see it as a fun challenge, then it’s a little less daunting than if you see it as, “They’re ruining my vision.” And I definitely don’t feel like that with this movie. The sensibility is very sweet, almost sweeter than me, but I’m ultimately proud of it. But you’re definitely always negotiating that issue. And maybe one day when I make enough money, I’ll just go off and do my thing. But I do think you can learn from each situation and try to work it, and to me it’s part of the fun.
Q: You said the movie is sweeter than yourself. Do you think of yourself as kind of cynical?
MW: I don’t know if I’m cynical. I’m just odd. For me, you walk the balance. I don’t like really sentimental movies, but at the same time, I love a movie that can make me cry. Like the ending of this movie, the message that comes in at the end. I do like that kind of movie-going experience, where you see people as the flawed people that they are. When I saw the ending of the movie, I was totally moved, because it spoke to me. I don’t want everything I do to have this ultimate effect to disturb, although there’s a place for that too! [laughter]