(WSVN) - “American Pastoral” is a haunting drama set in the 1960s. The film is based on Philip Roth’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. It’s also actor Ewan McGregor’s directorial debut. So, we had to know, did Ewan do a good job? Here’s what the cast told us.
A man’s seemingly perfect family falls apart when his daughter becomes radicalized.
TV News presenter: “Police have widened their search for the missing teenager Meredith Levov for the bombing of a post office.”
Dakota Fanning is an activist who disappears after violently protesting the Vietnam War.
Dakota Fanning: “She’s grown up in a very comfortable home, and we see her at 16, and she’s become very angry with her surroundings and her parents.”
While her dad, played by Ewan McGregor, begins a lifelong search for his missing daughter, her mom, played by Jennifer Connelly, completely breaks down.
Jennifer Connelly: “I think she was so devastated by the loss of her daughter and what happened with her daughter, and that violence that came from her daughter, so stunned by it. It completely dismantled her.”
Observing the family’s grief is a loyal employee of the family’s business, played by Uzo Aduba.
Uzo Aduba: “It’s a film where all of the players are trying to hold on to, or in some cases with the new generation, let go of that American dream.”
Telling the story fell upon the shoulders of Ewan McGregor. The actor decided to make this film his directorial debut.
Ewan McGregor: “I was cast as the actor in ‘American Pastoral’ first, and eventually, it sort of ended up being director-less, and at that point I realized that I wanted to direct for years and years, and I realized this could be the one.”
And it’s a good thing he did. The star-studded cast says Ewan was the perfect man for the job.
Uzo Aduba: “Fantastic, I loved working with him.”
Jennifer Connelly: “He was very collaborative. He was very enthusiastic, very passionate about the story.”
Dakota Fanning: “He’s always a such a talented actor, and that doesn’t change in this film, but I think he’s a really fine director.”
“American Pastoral” opens in South Florida theaters on Friday, Oct. 21.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.