INTERVIEW: ‘Finding Steve McQueen’ explores aftermath of Nixon era heist
Photo: From left, Louis Lombardi stars as Pauly Callahan, Rhys Coio as Ray Darrow, Travis Fimmel as Harry Barber and William Fichtner as Enzo Rotella in the Momentum Pictures’ action, crime, comedy Finding Steve McQueen. Photo courtesy of Momentum Pictures / Provided by KWPR with permission.
Mark Steven Johnson, writer and director of Ghost Rider, Daredevil and Grumpy Old Men, has made a new film out of a historical footnote from the 1970s, crafting a cinematic story that is equal parts drama, romance and comedy.
Finding Steve McQueen, starring Travis Fimmel, Rachael Taylor, William Fichtner and Forest Whitaker, is now playing in theaters, on demand and on digital. The film centers on the aftermath of an unbelievable heist involving a reported $30 million in dirty campaign funds for President Richard Nixon.
The story picks up seven years after the heist and follows Harry Barber as he tries to live a quiet life in Pennsylvania. Harry’s past involvement in the heist comes back to haunt him and threatens the life he set up for himself.
Recently Johnson exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox about the new movie. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What did you like most after reading this script for the first time?
When I read this script I was dumbfounded that I’d never heard of this story before. This is a very bizarre footnote in American history. Five guys from Youngstown, Ohio, decided to drive to Laguna Niguel, California, to rip off the president of the United States. I kept cross checking the facts of the story thinking that the most outlandish aspects of the script couldn’t be true. But they were.
You have a great ensemble of actors. How easy was it to pull all these actors together?
It’s always a challenge getting a great cast together, especially on a budget. But I find that once you get a great lead, the rest will follow. Travis was an inspired choice to play Harry Barber. I didn’t want the movie to [feel] overly familiar to be pigeon-holed as a heist film or a broad comedy. And so I cast the film that way with a combination of very funny comics and great dramatic actors such as Forest Whitaker, Lily Rabe, William Fichtner.
What was the production like? Were you on a tight budget?
We were on a very tight budget and a very short schedule. This is by far the smallest budget I’ve ever had to work with, and it really challenges you to be creative in how to make your days. Everyone has to pull together on a little movie like this, and usually you end up with more interesting choices than if you had all of the money in the world. Although it does make it tough — especially when doing stunts and you only have one working GTO!
How much did previous heist films influence your filmmaking style?
I wasn’t influenced by other heist films. I was influenced by the classic films that our characters love: Bullitt, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bonnie and Clyde, etc. This is very much a love letter to those kinds of films, and their influence is felt throughout the story.
Do you have fond memories of the entire Grumpy Old Men time in your life?
Grumpy Old Men will always have such a special place in my heart. It was the first script that I ever wrote, and I was writing about home: Minnesota, ice fishing, my grandfather. To be on set with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau was a dream come true. It was a wonderful way to start my career.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Finding Steve McQueen, directed by Mark Steven Johnson, is now playing in movie theaters, on demand and on digital. Click here for more information.
