When asked to evaluate his character, Sturgess is inclined to give Dex his due. The actor reflects, “I felt it was important not to judge him too harshly. He was a hard character to pin down, because he changes so much throughout the film and I don’t think he really knows who he is. He wants to enjoy life to the fullest.
“But he’s different things to different people, which I feel we all are in life. Dex starts off as a bit of a lovable rogue and a carefree student; for example, to his mother Alison [played in the film by Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson], he’s a sort of passageway back to her youth and she enjoys his antics and his spirit.”
The same cannot be said of Dexter’s father Steven, who is portrayed in One Day by Olivier Award winner Ken Stott. Sturgess admits, “Steven sees his son as having become obnoxious. Dex does get clouded by the world of celebrity in his career as a TV presenter, but changes again when he becomes a husband [to Sylvie, played by Golden Globe Award nominee Romola Garai] and father.”
Sturgess never lost sight of what mattered most to Dex, even when the character himself does. He offers, “This story realistically approaches what ‘love at first sight’ is. The most consistent thing which Dexter remains all the way through the film is being the love of Emma Morley’s life. That is a stabilizing force. How, then, does he choose to handle it? This is the journey that he takes in the story.”
That journey, says Hathaway, “is such a big part of the story of One Day. Dexter has never really been all that challenged in his life. At the beginning of the story, he has a sense that he belongs everywhere, a sense that everything is going to turn out just fine, and for a while it does. When things start to go a bit badly for him and life happens, he doesn’t know how to handle it. He gets lost, and we watch him with the hope that he will find his way back.
“As a fellow actor, it was eye-opening to see Jim’s approach to the work; he’s very soulful and has an enormous heart and openness about him, but at the same time he’s so hard-working and creative. All of his own qualities lend themselves to Dexter; Jim brought so much to the part. His Dex is heartbreaking.”
Beyond the chemistry required for a movie romance, Scherfig found that “Anne and Jim seemed to forge an understanding that they would do whatever they could to make this project special. There is great chemistry and respect between them, an uncomplicated enjoyment of each other’s company, which I think the viewer will be able to feel.”
With the leads in place, Nicholls realized that they would be taking ownership – at least temporarily – of his characters. He notes, “A book only belongs to the novelist – it’s their story. They decide what the characters say and how long it is and even, sometimes, what the book cover looks like.
“A movie is entirely collaborative, and you have to embrace that.”
For her part – and, for her part of Emma – Hathaway was delighted to have an abundance of source material. She confides, “If I could control anything in this business, I would try to have a book written along with every single script that you get. Because usually you have to fill in gaps yourself. On One Day, when you didn’t know what the subtext of a scene was or might be, you could just go right to the book. I found this to be an invaluable resource.
“Since the book and the script were both written by David, there was considerable overlap between the two. The book was the sort of material that you love returning to. I read it several times, and each time I would fall in a little deeper, and new things would surprise me.”
Nicholls continued to hone his screenplay adaptation through the winter and spring of 2010. He reports, “A novelist doesn’t get to leave the house very much; screenwriters have to go to meetings and come up with solutions. It’s much more collaborative.
“You do debate things, and go back-and-forth many times in great detail, but it was pretty stress-free. Nina and Lone were a delight to work on it with.”
Scherfig remarks, “Whether you are reading David’s book or his screenplay, you feel as if you are reading something written by a friend. I think the screenplay adaptation is particularly extraordinary because he has both a big, profound love story and the ability to focus you on what’s mattering to these people in their ongoing lives.”
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