George Nolfi has been one of Hollywood’s hottest rising writers of intelligent action films, having had a hand in the smash hits “The Bourne Ultimatum” and “Ocean’s Twelve.” Working with Matt Damon on both of those films, he developed a strong rapport that made him pick Damon as his first choice for his dream project and directing debut: an adaptation of legendary sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick’s short story “The Adjustment Bureau.”
—–
Dick’s books and stories have served as the fodder for some of Hollywood’s most striking films of the past three decades, including the timeless classic “Blade Runner.” In them, he addresses issues of free will and consciousness, and how much control we really have over our lives and destinies. That theme has never been laid out as strongly as it has in “Bureau,” which is a must-see film not only for film buffs of any stripe but especially for Christian filmgoers who wonder why Hollywood doesn’t deal with spiritual matters in a deep and meaningful way and bemoan the lack of entertainment value in independent Christian films that often don’t know how to entertain.
Nolfi has hit this one out of the park, and he has been involved in a massive national outreach to Christian churches and colleges designed to alert them to this extremely worthy film. He sat down for a phone interview with Big Hollywood and discussed the magic of his movie.
BIG HOLLYWOOD: How were you drawn to this subject matter? Were you just a fan of Philip K. Dick, or was there a spiritual element?
GEORGE NOLFI: I’ve long been fascinated with the question of how much we control our own destiny or how much we’re controlled by larger forces. When I think of that question it’s not explicitly theological, though I think that’s one of the answers. I studied philosophy in grad school and it intertwines with theology. Is it social forces, like what family you’re born into, or God’s plan for you that shapes your life most? We’re set on a path by something much bigger than ourselves, and yet we also know we have choices and that they matter.
BH: Are you spiritual or religious yourself, and if so, how did that tie into the project, and if not, how did you find a grasp on this and did you realize this would resonate with Christian audiences in addition to secular ones?
GN: I’ve not talked about my personal views because of this reason: I want the movie to be viewed by people whether religious or not or whatever religion they are. I want them to engage with the central question bringing their faith and views and grappling to the table. So when they leave, the question of how much of your life is handled by outside forces and how much by you is key, and that has been around since the ancient Greeks. I just want to have people have a great time at the movies in a romantic thriller with a sci-fi tinge to it all, leaving with their own questions brought to the table.
As a kid I’ve been interested in this issue. I studied it in college and graduate school, and studied various ways people grapple with that. My own family background dealt with it as well. I was also fascinated with the problem of evil in theology and if there’s a higher power that’s all powerful, benevolent and all knowing, then why do bad things happen to good people?
I think that for religious people period, but certainly Christian audiences, it is a part of their daily life to engage in discussions of why are we here. I don’t think that necessarily people who are completely secular deal with those issues, but I think it’s almost impossible to be a religious person without struggling with this issue. It’s ultimately a movie about a character going through character changes. It’s a thriller, a sci-fi tinged one, and hopefully you’re on that ride. But it does have these issues, and i thought it would have extra interest to those who struggle with it on a daily basis.
BH: What do you feel the message of the film is regarding free will vs. predetermined life? What are your own opinions on that? Matt Damon has done two big films in the last few months about these heavy metaphysical/spiritual topics, with this and “Hereafter,” so do you know what the appeal is to him and if the films have affected his view of life and death?
GN: I’ve never found a satisfactory answer that it’s one over the other, it has to be both. It doesn’t make sense to me to say the path for me is set and cant’ change it, and can’t say that I’m superman and can make my life exactly what I want it to be. There are forces that affect us, be it a Higher Power or social class of our family – a wealthy family in Connecticut vs. a poor family in Egypt. There are a lot of ways to view the things that affect the path we’re put on.
I can’t speak for Matt’s personal spiritual life, but Matt is a complex and engaged person who cares about raising complex questions and making the world a better place. He should never be pigeonholed.
BH: What has been the response of Christian audiences? Was it what you expected or are you surprised? How are the debates it sets off?
GN: They’ve responded very strongly. I’ve personally been at 5 screenings and nobody leaves the theater and the discussion goes on for an hour or more.
BH: Did you get a lot of challenges from studios or producers about touching this kind of subject matter? It seems that as Christians have embraced “Passion of the Christ” and I think more importantly “The Blind Side,” studios are starting to open up and be more willing to release films appealing to that audience.
GN: Nobody interfered with the vision of the movie at all, which surprised me. Matt Damon backed me and believes in backing the director’s vision. The studio was also aware of the movie they signed up for, crossing genres.
[Ed. Note: Big Hollywood’s Kurt Schlichter did a positive screenplay review of “Adjustment Bureau.”]
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.