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Bent depictions >> Nicholas Hytner talks about the object of his affection by MATTHEW HAYS
"It sort of surprises me when people act surprised about me doing a film like The Object of My Affection," Hytner says from his New York office. "I have a long theatrical directing career behind me, in which I did all sorts of things besides period pieces. This film feels natural." And it looks pretty natural too. Based on the Stephen McCauley best-seller of the same name, The Object of My Affection is a charming film about the complexities of relationships, parenting and monogamy. The cast is impressive: Paul Rudd (who Clueless fans may remember as Alicia Silverstone's step-brother) plays the lead, a gay man ousted from a comfy relationship, landing in Jennifer Aniston's spare room in Brooklyn. As the two become close friends, Aniston learns she is pregnant by her overbearing lawyer boyfriend. Aniston propositions Rudd: the two should live together, she feels, and co-parent. The inevitable complications arise when Rudd starts seeing a new beau and Aniston becomes jealous. A romantic comedy may not sound like anything that would make waves, but anticipation is running high about how this film will be received, for several reasons. Hollywood studios have been hearing the sound of multiple cash registers clinking whenever anyone says "chick movie." Young females now account for a massive chunk of the moviegoing demographic (Titanic in particular is being hailed as a women's film), and quicker than you can say "niche marketing," studios are responding. Though Hytner says he wasn't targeting anyone in particular, he acknowledges My Affection has received its warmest responses from women among test audiences. As well, My Affection, like last year's smash As Good as it Gets, creates the atmosphere of a '40s romantic comedy while introducing openly gay characters into the mix. Thus Hytner's latest has nabbed the cover of this month's Out magazine, as well as several pages of interviews and analysis in The Advocate. Though the media is always screaming precedent about something, The Object of My Affection does feel like a decidedly pleasant breakthrough. "I was disappointed in As Good as it Gets," Hytner explains, in reference to Greg Kinnear's Oscar-nominated turn as a gay supporting character. "Again, we see gay men represented as victims. I really wanted to avoid that; no limp wrists and no slit wrists. I said that from the beginning. Rupert Everett's characterization [in My Best Friend's Wedding] was a bit hard to believe. Here's one of the most gorgeous men on earth, he's gay and we don't see any sign of a relationship anywhere." Hytner's observations about gay representations seem surprising, in light of the past decade of debate around how gays and lesbians appear in cinema, both indie and mainstream. From Making Love to Philadelphia, critics have charged gay characters too often show up as perfect, dimensionless, golden boys-next-door. Hollywood is too busy tiptoeing around political correctness, the detractors argue, to really show a well-rounded gay character--warts and all. Meanwhile, independent directors such as John Greyson, Bruce LaBruce, John Waters, Tom Kalin, Todd Haynes and Gregg Araki have argued they are simply not interested in seeing any more contrived positive images. While Hytner says he's not interested in deifying any of his characters, he also concedes Rudd's character is, in certain respects, a reaction to what's come before in Hollywood's lexicon of bent depictions. "I know lots of faggy gay men, sure, but we've just seen so many of them onscreen, it's tiring. I wanted to see gay characters who were different from the decades of stereotypes that have come before. The least likable character in the film is gay [Rudd's ex-boyfriend], so I hardly think it makes every gay man look angelic." In many respects it's ridiculous to look for any sense of realism in a romantic comedy. The genre usually holds about as much relation to real life as a science fiction epic. The Object of My Affection has its share of tender moments, a couple of dance numbers (compensated under the suspension-of-disbelief auspices of dance classes Rudd and Aniston attend together) and a ludicrously happy ending. It also boasts an impressive cast, who bring a great deal of truth and integrity to the story (yes, Aniston can indeed act, delivering an intelligent performance in the lead role). Hytner's success lies in his ability to update the conventions of the genre, breathing new life into the all-too-often stale romantic comedy. Now Hytner is setting his sights on the musical, a genre decidedly out of vogue. He's cast Madonna in the film adaptation of the smash stage musical Chicago. Sounds pretty gay to me, for a director who says he doesn't know if his work indicates a gay aesthetic. "I don't know if I have a gay sensibility," says Hytner. "I live honestly as a gay man, but I don't really see a lot of it relating to my work. If there is a relation, [the critics and audiences] are going to have to figure it out." The Object of My Affection opens this Friday, April 17
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A romantic comedy seems like pretty unlikely terrain for a director like Nicholas Hytner. This is the man whose feature directorial debut came with The Madness of King George, a highfalutin stage-to-screen adaptation which earned critical raves, four Oscar nods and serious box office. Then came The Crucible, Hytner's impressive adaptation of the Arthur Miller play, which drew mixed critical responses and less successful audience numbers.