Robert Zemeckis Interview (page: 4 / 4) Motion Picture Production	Print Interview

You talked about learning to work the system, but you're not making porno movies or something second-rate. You're making movies that win Academy Awards. There's a sense of quality and a value system that has infused your later work to a greater and greater degree. Where did that come from?

Robert Zemeckis: I think that was bred into me, growing up. It was really a very healthy, balanced system when I look back at it. I was sent to a Catholic school when I was in grade school, and I think in those days, the 50s, that was a bit more heavy. I carry a lot of emotional scars from that, but that's all changed now. The idea of having solid values, coupled with the reality of how the world and the system works, I think is ultimately pretty healthy, because you're not walking around completely naive.

I was fortunate that I did come from a stable family life. So if you only have that cynical world, but there's major dysfunction in your childhood and you're not fortunate enough to come from a strong family, that experience could easily push you another way. I jokingly say, "Maybe if I wasn't a movie director, I'd be a criminal." It's that same kind of drive, depending on how it's directed.

It's interesting that you say that. We interviewed Larry King , who said exactly the same thing about his experience growing up in Brooklyn. In fact, he named someone from his neighborhood that went to the chair.

Robert Zemeckis: The Unabomber grew up in my neighborhood. When they arrested him, I was fascinated. He grew up in Evergreen Park. I grew up in Roseland, which were like two miles away from each other. They had a picture of his house and the street that he lived on, and it was like, "That's where I grew up." It's very interesting to me. His background was also Slavic, kind of suppressing, kind of fearful, not being part of the world. That kind of isolation can push people in different directions.

What do you do next? What's left after you've reached the apex of your profession? Do you go on and top yourself in some way or do something different? What do you want to do?

Robert Zemeckis: After Forrest Gump, if I make a gigantic hit movie people are always going to say, "Well it only did fifty percent as well..." It's all downhill from here if I listen to that. The thing I find comfort in, is that...

I can very honestly and clearly say that the same passion and love that I put into Forrest Gump is exactly the same as the passion that I put into the movies that weren't successful, and I have just been fortunate. If I just keep making movies that I want to see, and that I think somebody else wants to see -- and those are the two questions that I ask myself, because I don't want to be suicidal. I mean, I don't want to make a movie that I know no one will go see. But I don't know if anyone will ever see anything. But if I think they might want to see it, if the answer to those two questions is, "yes" then you may as well make the movie.
[ Video ] Low High    [ Audio ] Quicktime	[ Key to Success ] Passion

You've mentioned this notion of balance in your life. I see the relationship you have with your family, it's very instructive and moving to see that kind of thing. So what do you mean by balance? What do you tell young people about it?

Robert Zemeckis: It's an important issue in my life now. You don't understand it until you get older, but I realize that this all comes at a very high price. I won an Academy award when I was 44 years old, but I paid for it with my 20s. That decade of my life from film school till 30 was nothing but work, nothing but absolute, driving work. I had no money. I had no life. I was just devouring movies and writing screen plays. I look at my good friends who are my same age and they're not as successful as I am, but I look back and I think, "They were living very exciting lives as bachelors in their 20s. They were pulling down some pretty good money." But they weren't driven and obsessed with becoming film directors.

The goal from here on is to balance my passion, because I do love it so much. It's kind of like the old saying about climbing a ladder and then realizing it's up against the wrong wall. When you make one of the biggest movies of all time and you win an Academy award, it forces you to look into the void, because it doesn't ultimately fulfill anything.

What do you see in the void?

Robert Zemeckis: A lot of work. It's a lot of work ahead. I don't want my epitaph on my gravestone to read, "He made a bunch of movies." or even "He made good movies." As much as I love my art, I would like my life to have a value beyond my art, even if it's just a thought or a feeling in my son's mind.

It sounds like you're saying you can't be a whole person and be so involved in your work that you lose your humanity.

Robert Zemeckis: I think that can definitely happen. I don't know about other walks of life, but it certainly can happen in the entertainment business.

If you allow it, you don't have to do anything for yourself. You know, if you get sick, they get you a doctor. If you need food, they will give it. If you need to get somewhere, they'll get you a car. If you need clothes, you know, they'll go buy you a pair of underwear. So, it's like the irony about that is that because of the complexity of doing the work -- and it's not done to subvert people, it's done because there's huge responsibilities and amounts of money that are involved -- but the irony is that, by nature of the job, you can be cut off from what it is that you need to do the job. I mean, how can you be a movie director if you never fly on a commercial aircraft, or if you never go into a grocery store, or if you never go into a supermarket, or if you never go to a car wash? I mean, how do you make a movie? I mean, if you're not careful, it can be very diabolical.
[ Video ] Low High    [ Audio ] Quicktime	[ Key to Success ] Integrity

Does it also threaten to cut you off and damage your relationships with other people, your wife, your friends?

Robert Zemeckis: Absolutely.

Nothing's been harder on my marriage than this career. I mean, it's really, really hard. And what's interesting -- and it came to me this way -- I had a friend of mine that said, "We're sick of hearing that you're working. We all work." You know? Because, "Oh, Bob's working!" You know? But it's like, "Yeah, I'm making a 50 million dollar movie. I'm working." To me, that's going to be this intensive period of time. But then, you know, I realized everybody's working. And, it's like, "Yeah, well, we're tired of the fact that you can't have dinner with us because you're working. I mean, I work too." And another thing that happened to me once was from being defensive about it, too. I was putting my son to bed one night, and he said, "Dad, why do you work so much?" And I said, "I don't work that much." And I realized, "Jesus, what am I saying? He has no agenda. If he's saying that, obviously I've got to look at this."
[ Video ] Low High    [ Audio ] Quicktime	[ Key to Success ] Integrity

I think for a lot of the early years I was immediately defensive. There's a lot of bones of broken relationships in the wake of this career.

This kind of success is expensive.

Robert Zemeckis: Yes. Absolutely. Everything that is my greatest strength is my greatest weakness.

Thanks for talking with us.

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