Thanks for the response James – I hope you'll let us know once you've confirmed some details so we can announce it here on the site. I'm sure fans will be excited at the prospect of meeting some of the stars of the movie. Will you be able to attend yourself?

Grace said:

Another question! More abstract this time.

I was just wondering what it is like to have something you created, from scratch, become a final product like a movie? And what was the most surprising thing you learned as you went from idea to script to movie?

I directed documentaries for a while before I made TRUCKER and so had seen some different things I’d worked on finished and broadcast. But making a feature film, I learned, was entirely different. I was somewhat used to dealing with crews and had wanted to be an actor at one point and like actors very much, but had never directed them in a movie!

I have to admit it was somewhat daunting thinking about stepping behind the camera for that, but I have a sort of depressive personality so when I get nervous I get a little more calm which works in my favor. But, you know, once Michelle Monaghan agreed to be in the film, I suddenly became genuinely relaxed (pretty much.) I had seen her in different movies and then in NORTH COUNTRY and to me she was the perfect actress to play the part; she’s got this kind of old-fashioned film presence, riveting and always surprising. She is such a down-to-earth and generous person anyway – and one of the best actresses I have seen, in my opinion – but when I knew she was going to play the part of Diane Ford everything in my mind just clicked and it all of sudden became a very straightforward, mostly relaxed experience.

Also, I think I had been making TRUCKER in my mind for so many years that by the time I really started making it I was really, really ready to go!

And when my DP Larry Sher came on board I knew everything was gonna be great. I just knew it. Anyway, as to your question about what surprised me in making the movie is this, and it’s long and somewhat self-indulgent but bear with me as I would like to answer your question as genuinely as possible – these are actually some things I had jotted down and now for the sake of your question will try to make them sort of coherent although no guarantees:

I think you can easily live your life and pull your punches and not say or do what you think and not wear your heart on your sleeve. No one will mind and no one will ask you why you never lived what you believed and no one will care that they saw your heart or not because they can’t understand what it would mean to see it. And it is hard enough to feel what you believe much less show it – at least for me.

When I was growing up it was like The Glass Menagerie. It was crazy. I kept my head down. I stuffed my heart in my jacket and forgot about it. I left and made documentaries for many years and felt free, I guess. But I never wore my heart on my sleeve, and I didn’t care; it was all irrelevant – so I thought. Then I wrote and started trying to direct TRUCKER.

It was hard. Really hard and took some time. But as I worked to make it I began to realize that when you are making something you believe in to your core you have no choice but to find your shriveled heart and bind it to your wrist and wave it around for all to see; and accept that in doing so you may not have it at the end of the day. So with TRUCKER I did that and was a fool and a prognosticator and a soldier, not to trick anyone, but because it was the only thing I could do.

I don’t say this to charm or inspire or provoke cynicism but because I came to believe it in my soul. And when you do that you see in the eyes of the people who are with you that although they may not believe what you believe in its entirety, they can accept it because in it there is at least the hope of beauty. And when you see that they see (does that make sense?) that it might be possible, it makes you believe it more! and you are fed by their hope; and so you are given beauty in the search for something beautiful; the process of finding it having become an end unto itself! It was an awesome, unexpected gift.

I’m sure I sound sort of precious about it and I guess I am because it all means very much to me and so I’ll just say it. Anyway, I try to wear my heart on my sleeve now as it makes my life better overall.

That’s something I learned about movie making in directing TRUCKER, among other things, one of them being don’t drink beer until 5am unless you have the day off the next day. Very important. Apologies for the long answer but, anyway, there it is.

I've been thinking about Trucker recently and was wondering if there was any news about a release – I'm very excited to hear that it's looking good for a theatrical release -that's outstanding and watching Trucker in the theatres is something I know a lot of people are looking forward to.

Please do let us know when there's any definite news, I'd love to help spread the word.

Hi "hmmm"

I know that the lead actress Michelle Monaghan acutally learnt to drive a truck in order to make her character more believable – and I think she spent some time talking with "lady drivers" – if you check through the interviews section of this site you'll probably find some references