cameron diaz movies
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Chapter 3 - Incredibly Dynamic, Fast-Paced and Inventive
 Director Tom Vaughan (Starter for 10) was taken with Fox's script after reading just the first act. "The story setup is so incredibly dynamic, fast-paced, and inventive, it absolutely had me hooked by page 30 or 40," reflects Vaughan. "It's a classic sparring comedy with two characters who, deep down, are wildly drawn to each other, though of course they can't see it.
"This kind of dynamic has been going on in movies since Cary Grant first laid eyes on Katharine Hepburn--and well before that. Basically, you put together two fantastic, attractive movie stars in a small, confined space, and let them fight it out until they realize what their relationship is all about. And, as always, it's how they get there that's the real fun."
Though the movie's concept had its share of broad and funny conceits, the filmmakers worked hard to ground the story in as much reality as possible, especially when it came to the legal aspects of the main characters' marriage and divorce. "We set the movie in New York because that state's divorce laws jibed with the story we ultimately wanted to tell," relates producer Aguilar. "It was also the perfect place to set the non-Vegas parts of the film."
Concurs Dana Fox, "Tonally, we could get away with being a bit 'larger than life' because we always kept the emotional truth of the situations and the characters in the forefront."
Once Vaughan became involved, he also recognized the need to keep the film's humor in balance. "I wanted the comedy to be very strong and genuinely funny, but also for audiences to care about Jack and Joy's relationship. I tried to avoid doing anything too extreme just to get a laugh."
"Sure, I have to flash a cabbie, race down the streets of New York throwing mangoes, and wrestle Ashton to the ground in the middle of Central Park, but there's an honest method to my madness," assures Cameron Diaz. "Tom made sure we stayed real in what were some very surreal situations."
"As someone who will do anything for a laugh, I appreciated Tom's vigilance in not allowing us to go insane just for the sake of, say, a great bit for the trailer," says Ashton Kutcher. "At the same time, I knew, given the script's wild premise, we'd have our share of creative freedom."
With such starry leads as Kutcher and Diaz on board from the start, there was a sure-fire foundation in place that couldn't help but excite everyone involved. Vaughan considers the Kutcher-Diaz pairing "a fantastic piece of casting." He remembers, "The minute I heard they were attached, it just made the most sense in the world. I thought, 'Cameron and Ashton in a movie together? Why did nobody do this before?'" The director affirms, "From day one, there was never any question that they weren't going to have fantastic chemistry."
"I knew both Ashton and Cameron were incredibly funny," says Dana Fox, "but I was really impressed by the immense amount of heart and depth they brought to their roles. Because they're both so bright, we were able to turn this movie into something smarter than your average trip-and-fall romantic comedy."
"I think I do, actually, trip and fall a few times in the movie," jokes Cameron Diaz.
"That's because I probably pushed you," quips Kutcher.
The lead casting was a bit tricky in one sense, though, since, for most of the movie, their characters, Jack and Joy, have to hate each other. "The story forces them into that position," notes Tom Vaughan, "but it's important that you always know deep down they're right for each other. With these particular movie stars, they look and feel right together on screen, so hopefully, it makes for a convincing core relationship for the entire film."
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