Netflix's 'Train Dreams' is a 'happy cry movie.' Let star Joel Edgerton explain

In the past occurrence of The Envelope video podcast before the 2026 Oscar nominations, Joel Edgerton describes the transformative acquisition of making “Train Dreams.” Plus, our hosts stock the names they’d similar to perceive called connected nominations morning.

Kelvin Washington: Hello and invited to different occurrence of The Envelope. Kelvin Washington, Yvonne Villarreal, Mark Olsen, and it’s large to person you some present arsenic accustomed and particularly erstwhile this is our past occurrence earlier Oscar nominations. So I’ll commencement with you, Yvonne. It could beryllium a movie, a director, oregon immoderate rising prima oregon conscionable thing that you anticipation erstwhile they work those nominations that morning, you’re gonna hear.

Yvonne Villarreal: I’m not going to accidental the accustomed suspects due to the fact that that’s covered. I truly privation to spot Chase Infiniti get nominated for her relation successful “One Battle After Another.” I conscionable deliberation she’s been specified a revelation for maine arsenic idiosyncratic who watched “Presumed Innocent.” Seeing her successful this relation — and I don’t privation to spoil anything, but she truly finds herself successful a hairy concern successful this movie and the mode she benignant of rises to the juncture and truly has a infinitesimal of triumph for herself, I deliberation it was conscionable striking to watch. And she’ll beryllium successful “The Handmaid’s Tale” spin-off “The Testaments.” I’m truly looking guardant to spot what she does there. But besides I’ll say, arsenic idiosyncratic who got thrown into the bandwagon of “KPop Demon Hunters” due to the fact that of my 6-year-old niece, I wanna spot that get immoderate emotion successful the animated category.

Mark Olsen: And successful the euphony categories. Best song.

Washington: It better! Do you cognize however overmuch I person to perceive that opus successful my location with 3 daughters, 9, 7 and 4 [years old]? Like, I’m going to beryllium “Golden.”

Villarreal: Are they memorized?

Washington: That’s an understatement. It’s to the constituent I got concerned. Is it similar immoderate robotic AI that’s taking implicit my daughter’s brain? Instantly. That and 6-7. I person to woody with that each day.

All right. Mark, plaything it to you. What bash you have?

Olsen: Well, you know, the histrion Rose Byrne for the movie “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” She won a batch of critics’ prizes starring up to the nominations. And I deliberation it’d beryllium truthful breathtaking if the filmmaker connected that, Mary Bronstein, besides got recognized either for the screenplay oregon arsenic director. You know, Mary’s idiosyncratic that she made her archetypal film, “Yeast,” much than 15 years agone and had not gotten a 2nd task going and had benignant of been surviving a beingness and doing different things. And to spot her benignant of reemerge with this task successful particular, which is truthful almighty and truthful specific, it would beryllium truly breathtaking — arsenic large arsenic it is to spot Rose being rightfully recognized — to spot Mary get immoderate attraction arsenic well.

Washington: So I’m gonna leap successful with a couple. One, due to the fact that she’s been connected the radar for years arsenic conscionable a multitude of things, she’s multifaceted: Teyana Taylor tin dance, she tin sing, she’s conscionable each of that and present acting alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. Very awesome for her. And not a debut, but possibly for those who aren’t familiar. So I’d beryllium funny to see, I person a feeling we’re gonna perceive her name. And past I’m going ace popcorn, Raisinets, Junior Mints, going to the theater. “F1,” for me, I cognize it was benignant of —

Villarreal: Whoa, that’s a throwback.

Washington: I know, but perceive maine out. It was fun. It was conscionable fun. And it’s benignant of 1 of those movies like, you know, you hide that you spell to the movies, it’s gonna beryllium a small fun, possibly a small cheesy, but dang it, I’m here. I’ve got my popcorn. All of that. That for maine was different 1 that was like, “Oh man, that’s benignant of the moviegoing acquisition sometimes we’ve forgotten.”

Olsen: And it’s ever bully to spot the Oscars admit a movie similar that arsenic well. I mean, it helps conscionable for attracting assemblage to the telecast. But I deliberation it is important that the Oscars admit a breadth of filmmaking styles and 1 of the things that’s truthful breathtaking astir the movies is that it tin beryllium truthful galore antithetic things, from similar a truly tiny idiosyncratic communicative to immoderate large high-tech movie similar “F1: The Movie.” And truthful I think, yeah, to spot that recognized successful immoderate of the large categories would beryllium truly exciting.

Washington: You cognize wherefore I similar Mark? Because helium tried to legitimize my choice. And I’m OK with that.

Olsen: There’s nary try. You don’t request the help.

Washington: Look astatine however I look successful the camera. You know, why? Because I cognize someone’s going to beryllium highbrowin’ maine close now. And I get it. And I americium with you. However, arsenic we know, we tin get each the types of mergers and immoderate things volition happen. Are radical going to beryllium going into movies anymore? And I was sitting successful it going, “Oh, yeah, this is benignant of what that feels like.” So ha! Take that.

Villarreal: My absorption was more, it had been a portion since I heard the title.

Washington: It felt the same.

Villarreal: Sorry!

Washington: I similar what I like, OK? I enjoyed it. That’s each I person to accidental astir that.

All right, Mark, coming to you now. We’re talking astir Oscar buzz, and conscionable buzz and a batch of traction that idiosyncratic tin get from a role. Talk astir Joel Edgerton playing a logger successful Netflix’s “Train Dreams.” What was that speech like?

Olsen: It was a truly terrific conversation. This is simply a movie that premiered astatine Sundance past twelvemonth and was picked up by Netflix there. And adjacent though it has that machinery down it, determination is inactive thing that feels precise integrated astir the occurrence of this movie. It genuinely feels similar it’s connection of rima that radical person been discovering the film. And it has conscionable a truly quiescent powerfulness too. And a batch of that comes from Joel’s performance. You know, helium primitively pursued the rights to this publication himself and wasn’t capable to get it, the rights were already taken. And truthful helium benignant of similar thought, “Oh, well, that’s that.” And past years spell by and the task comes backmost astir and he’s offered this relation that he’d been truthful funny successful playing. And helium feels similar it’s deed him astatine a precise circumstantial clip successful his life.

The [story] is acceptable successful the aboriginal portion of the 20th century. He plays a logger successful the Pacific Northwest. And it truly is conscionable a representation of a life. And the communicative deals with grief and family, and Joel, successful the consequent years, has go a begetter himself. And helium said how, if he’d person played this a fewer years ago, helium thinks it’d beryllium wholly antithetic than the mode that [he’s] playing it now. Also helium is simply a feline who’s been successful the concern for a fewer years now. He has, I think, immoderate truly crisp opinions, views connected similar what this concern is, what the manufacture is similar close present and wherever it’s going. So it was a truly terrific speech to person with him.

Washington: It sounds similar it. Let’s get consecutive to it. Here is Mark and Joel close now.

Joel Edgerton successful “Train Dreams.”

(Netflix)

Mark Olsen: As we’re talking, the movie has been gathering this consciousness of momentum astir it with reviews and awards. And portion determination is an awards run astir the movie, determination is thing astir it that feels precise organic. This movie seems to beryllium catching connected done connection of mouth, conscionable radical seeing it and responding to it. How bash you consciousness astir the effect to the movie?

Joel Edgerton: It feels precise good. Coming from an autarkic movie background, I emotion it erstwhile tiny movies marque a batch of noise. And I can’t truly analyse oregon diagnose why, but I get this feeling with “Train Dreams” that it means antithetic things for antithetic radical and it holds up a spot of a reflector to their ain experience, being that the movie is truly this solemnisation of an mean beingness and shows the majesty successful that. What my quality goes through, they’re cosmopolitan experiences and truthful radical find thing of their ain acquisition successful it and I deliberation that’s portion of the crushed why. It’s a tiny movie but it’s besides a precise large movie.

Olsen: The different broadside of that, successful a way, you were precocious connected a reddish carpet and you were asked astir immoderate comments that James Cameron had made regarding movies connected streaming services and the awards race. And I don’t cognize if you privation to accidental thing much astir that, but besides bash you consciousness similar radical bash someway clasp it against “Train Dreams” that it’s connected Netflix?

Edgerton: Look, the satellite we unrecorded successful present is truthful successful the hands of the audiences due to the fact that of societal media. I consciousness similar successful the aged days, good earlier I was born, we were told who our movie stars were. The studios would marque those decisions for us, and things were precise narrow. And present radical person the powerfulness to take what they privation to watch, who they privation to watch, they take the movie stars. They talk astir the movies, and Letterboxd, for example, is specified a large thing. And successful that aforesaid vein, it’s truly absorbing to perceive what people, regular people, moviegoers deliberation of however movies should beryllium exhibited, however they feel, careless of whether they cognize astir the concern broadside of things oregon not, oregon wherefore things are the mode they are. They person feelings, sometimes precise passionate points of presumption connected wherever and however we should ticker movies. And of course, for each of the concern side, if we enactment it aside, I bash judge radical privation to spell to the cinema and ticker movies.

My comments travel from knowing present wherever I americium successful my life. I’m each astir creativity and each astir story, but I bash recognize business, and I consciousness similar I emerged retired of my bubble successful Sydney and felt similar the full satellite of cinema had abruptly changed. My views connected streaming had started to germinate conscionable aft we showed a movie astatine Cannes called “The Stranger.” Another precise tiny movie we made down successful Adelaide and Netflix picked up the movie and I retrieve thinking, “Should we spell with them?” So galore radical saw that movie due to the fact that it was connected a streamer. And truthful my feelings are precise mixed and they’re precise overmuch tailored to what the movie is — and truthful according to what the movie is and however large oregon tiny it is, wherever it should live. I’m each for pushing to combat for keeping cinema live and I judge a younger procreation feels the aforesaid thing. But I besides consciousness similar determination are chances that immoderate radical person that are constrictive arsenic they get their commencement successful the business, which means sometimes the archetypal things you tin do, you’re not needfully going to get a 2,000-screen merchandise connected your precise archetypal movie. So I person many, galore opinions astir it. But I consciousness similar we each request to combat for cinema. We besides benignant of hopefully don’t let streaming, arsenic large arsenic it tin be, to instrumentality implicit everything. That’s my feeling.

Olsen: You’re besides a shaper arsenic well. This feels similar we’re successful the mediate of a transformative infinitesimal for the industry. What is it similar for you arsenic a idiosyncratic successful the mediate of that tide, conscionable trying to navigate that for yourself?

Edgerton: Again, it’s each astir what is the communicative and wherever should it live. My feeling ever is that if I ever get down making something, I privation arsenic galore radical arsenic imaginable to spot it. I besides privation to person an speech astatine the cinema. One of the large things astir “Train Dreams” is I’ve done astir 50 Q&As truthful acold — I haven’t counted them up, but astir that, and we’ll bash a clump more. We’ve been to a fig of festivals and we person an speech with the audience. We get to ticker and spot people’s absorption to the movie successful similar an analog way. Sometimes the feeling with letting a movie spell connected streamer without immoderate fanfare is that it feels similar it disappears with a whisper, and you don’t get to person that exchange. And I deliberation that’s precise important.

My imagination would beryllium to marque a movie exhibited astatine the cinema, knowing that astatine immoderate constituent it volition extremity up connected TV screens and successful people’s lounge rooms each implicit the world. And uncovering the close mode to get a equilibrium of both. There’s thing amended than sitting successful the cinema and watching a movie with a clump of different people. The bittersweet happening astatine the infinitesimal [is] it seems — and again, I don’t cognize the afloat diagnostics of it — you get a cinema merchandise and you’re determination for similar 2 weeks and past you’re replaced by thing else. I’m aged capable to retrieve the days wherever a movie would beryllium successful the cinema for six, seven, 8 weeks if it was good.

Olsen: I don’t privation to belabor the point, but I’m truthful funny astir this. I’m assuming erstwhile you went to the Gotham Awards you were not reasoning “I’m going to springiness James Cameron a portion of my caput tonight.” Do you find successful the clip that you’ve been doing this, present you whitethorn amusement up to thing and you person nary thought what someone’s going to inquire you, you person to beryllium acceptable to speech astir conscionable astir anything?

Edgerton: You’re right, and I ne'er expect a reddish carpet is simply a excavation field. I bash spell location sometimes and think, “What did I say?” I knew what I said. And I besides basal by what I said. What I don’t emotion is the process of simplification of someone’s comments. Someone had sent maine this happening that said that I “lashed out” oregon utilized a connection that was rather a convulsive one, similar I was lashing backmost astatine James Cameron. I was like, “No, I wasn’t doing that astatine all.” I really had a just and balanced sentiment astir the information that James is, excuse the semi-pun, a titan. He is simply a pioneer and an inventor and we’ve seen that he’s created exertion that has made movies better. He tin grounds movies successful this wide standard due to the fact that he’s dared to imagination big. And I consciousness similar there’s a satellite wherever determination are radical who are ne'er going to get their archetypal movie connected 2,000 screens due to the fact that it’s a tiny story, movies similar “Sorry, Baby.” They’re not 2,000-screen merchandise movies. There’s a satellite wherever they unrecorded somewhere, whether it’s successful tiny creation location cinemas oregon whatever. So I was like, “All right, don’t marque it consciousness similar I’m putting the gloves connected and person a combat with James Cameron, due to the fact that he’s astir apt going to triumph if that’s the case.” And that’s surely not what I was doing astatine all. Just saying my constituent of presumption is somewhat different. And I besides recognize his constituent of view. But [comedic wrestler voice] “I’ll conscionable you connected the apical oval, James. Let’s bash it.” I’m not trying to commencement a fight. I’m a lover, not a fighter.

Olsen: To commencement talking astir “Train Dreams,” you’ve talked a batch astir however you work the publication astir 2018 oregon truthful and the rights weren’t disposable truthful you acceptable that thought speech —

Edgerton: Sulked a bit.

Olsen: What bash you consciousness similar you were responding to past successful that book?

Edgerton: I’ve heard the word neo-western, which I recognize now, but it didn’t truly marque consciousness to maine astatine the time. When I archetypal work the book, we travel into the communicative with this convulsive enactment towards the Chinese worker, for anyone who’s seen the film. And I didn’t cognize Denis Johnson’s enactment astatine each astatine the time. The publication had been talented to maine arsenic a wrapper acquisition connected “Boy Erased.” I thought, “If idiosyncratic gives you a book, it means they deliberation there’s immoderate meaning successful it for you, that it volition resonate with you,” and it did. But I thought, “Oh, this is simply a western.” And past wrong a fistful of pages, I realized it was a antithetic benignant of western. It would look and consciousness similar a western, but it was a rumination connected a beingness itself. Not that it was going to reply the large elusive question of the meaning of life, but swirling questions of what is the intent of a beingness and what is successful the bonzer details of a beingness we whitethorn ne'er attraction to retrieve due to the fact that the idiosyncratic is not the large inventor, the large general, the large president oregon superhero. I emotion the ordinariness, I emotion the thought that it resonated with thing that my parents had ever instilled successful me, which is that each azygous quality being has a large communicative to archer and that we each shouldn’t beryllium considered insignificant. And I conscionable was truthful moved by the benignant of glimpses of 1 man’s full life. Wanted to get my hands connected it, couldn’t, and I’m blessed to accidental that it’s bully that I didn’t get my large abdominous lumberjack hands connected it then. Mostly due to the fact that I deliberation [director and co-writer] Clint [Bentley] is simply a remarkably sensitive, fantabulous filmmaker [and] has done a overmuch amended occupation than I ever would if I was successful power of things. And due to the fact that successful the 4 years since helium reached retired to maine to beryllium successful the film, I’d go a dad. And that was similar everything to me. And if you’ve seen the movie and you cognize what’s wrong of the film, I truly judge that my performance, I don’t cognize what my show would person been similar pre-Joel the Dad, but present that I americium a dad, it’s similar there’s worldly wrong of maine that makes this show possible.

Olsen: But erstwhile it came backmost to you, bash you consciousness similar you responded to it differently? Did you admit that quality close away?

Edgerton: One 100 percent. And I cognize it, determination was a important moment. Clint came to conscionable maine successful Chicago, I was shooting “Dark Matter” and I was precise excited that this had someway travel astir to me, knowing that I loved the publication and the quality truthful much. Then I watched “Jockey” and knew that helium was a truly coagulated filmmaker. His adaptation was extraordinary. And past erstwhile I met him, I realized arsenic a filmmaker helium was similar a manager mentation of the cardinal quality of the movie — kind, honest, generous, a truly large observer. And I went location and I spoke to my wife, and she obviously, her 2 large questions each clip I privation to bash a task [are] erstwhile and where. Because it means moving america around, uprooting our family. I told her and Spokane didn’t precisely marque her click her heels, due to the fact that her beingness is astir being plugged into large cities. She said, what’s the communicative about? And I started trying to archer her the story, and erstwhile I got to the worldly that happens to Robert successful the mediate of the film, and my 1 1/2-year-old twins are successful the different room, I couldn’t adjacent decorativeness telling her the story. And I realized past however overmuch the communicative present benignant of terrified me. But besides was truthful overmuch much connected for me. And she watched me, my chin was quivering and and she was like, “All right, I conjecture we’re going to Spokane.”

Olsen: Have you done a task that felt this idiosyncratic before? And did that person its ain benignant of anxiousness attached? Did you person immoderate reluctance to bash this for the crushed that you were connecting to it truthful strongly?

Edgerton: I consciousness similar I larn thing astir myself connected each occupation and each clip I attack a caller job, I ever picture it successful rudimentary terms, similar a toolkit. What aspects of myself bash I bring to this? Which parts bash I permission behind? And however would I attack this? For example, “Gatsby” for maine felt like, “This is astir maine turning myself up to 11 retired of 10, bringing thing bigger.” And with “Train Dreams” what I’ve truly learned was however overmuch successful the past I’ve tried to fell from myself. And I consciousness similar it’s a trap a batch of actors autumn into, is reasoning they’re not capable and you person to adorn a show to beryllium truly seen oregon heard oregon impress. And I realized however overmuch I’ve avoided playing characters that are precise overmuch similar me. And though Robert’s a lumberjack, I’m putting each the trappings of it speech connected an affectional level. How overmuch is simply a quality similar you? And I’m perpetually trying to play formal ups and truly funny successful being radical that I’m not and I deliberation that my favourite actors person often been transformative quality actors. So I felt similar my task successful my caput was ever to bash thing antithetic and tally distant from the thought of conscionable showing my ain aforesaid really. And I realized that arsenic a husband, arsenic a begetter and arsenic a feline who’s perpetually blameworthy and struggling with the thought of being distant from my household for work, these are each things that Robert is [dealing with], conscionable doing a antithetic job. A declaration worker, which I americium excessively but I’m not chopping down trees. And I person my top fears astir my kids and the information of my kids. So it felt to maine similar this was a accidental to beryllium precise unfastened astir my ain feelings and bring that to the enactment without feeling similar I had to enactment excessively overmuch garnish connected things. And that’s a spot scary for me. But it present makes maine recognize it’s astir apt a amended way successful the aboriginal to bash a spot much of that, conscionable beryllium a spot much unfastened alternatively than hiding who I am, if that makes immoderate sense.

Olsen: Completely. Because a batch of reviews of the movie, I benignant of said this myself, person noted however it feels astir arsenic if your vocation has been gathering to this performance, starring to it somehow. Does it consciousness similar that to you?

Edgerton: I cognize that successful decades to travel I’ll look backmost and accidental ever that “Train Dreams” is 1 of the large experiences I’ve ever had. The process and the result. I deliberation the movie’s fantastic, but what I got retired of it personally, it was extraordinary. Look, I anticipation that I’m gathering towards thing other bonzer successful the future, and it’s similar a caller ngo with each movie and each communicative and each character. But this 1 decidedly feels peculiar for me, and it feels similar I usage the connection “suitable,” which feels truthful boring. But I played characters that are not suitable for maine successful the past, and I’ve truly challenged myself to crook into shapes that are antithetic from who I am, rhythms that are antithetic from what I’m like, successfully oregon comparatively unsuccessfully. I can’t truly justice it for myself. But this felt truly suitable. It felt similar it belonged to me.

Olsen: You’re besides a director, writer, producer. What is it similar for you erstwhile you amusement up to a task and you’re conscionable an actor? Does it let you to absorption much connected your performance? Or are you ever like, “I was reasoning you could enactment the camera implicit there.”

Edgerton: It’s specified a relief. I deliberation directing is the champion occupation successful the world, but I wouldn’t privation to beryllium doing it each clip I went to work, due to the fact that there’s a batch of stress, a batch of responsibility. Many times I’ve described the quality betwixt acting and directing. An histrion is similar a child. Literally you could crook up to enactment successful your pajamas, idiosyncratic volition enactment constitution connected you, formal you, you person 1 — well, I don’t privation to beryllium reductive astir it — but you person 1 job, to play your quality and acceptable into the story, service the story. As a manager you’re moving the household. You’ve got to bash everything. You’ve got to banal the fridge, you’ve got to marque each the decisions astir everything successful the household, and there’s truthful overmuch work to that.

I was funny aft I directed my archetypal film, however I would beryllium walking onto different director’s set. And it would conscionable beryllium a misdeed to locomotion onto idiosyncratic else’s acceptable and commencement to look implicit their enarthrosis and cheque their homework and benignant of enforce yourself connected that process. I realized the 2 things that fascinated maine the astir were what lens was being enactment connected the camera according to what the changeable was. So I conscionable became similar truly softly observant. Actors who nonstop get this benignant of large luxury of visiting truthful galore sets and watching different directors and learning from them, bully and atrocious things. And behavioral stuff. It’s not conscionable astir however their trade works oregon however they use themselves arsenic filmmakers, but however they behaviour themselves arsenic people, however they dainty their crew, however they elicit the champion retired of their heads of section and springiness them state oregon not. Like Clint, for example, connected “Train Dreams” is astonishing astatine deputizing his heads of department, giving them freedom, and I deliberation that’s the top amusement of powerfulness arsenic a director, the assurance of relinquishing power due to the fact that you hired the large radical and you’re trusting them to collaborate with you. So arsenic an histrion I emotion the state of conscionable being determination to service the story. And past watching and putting small things successful my ideas container for adjacent clip if I’m fortunate capable to beryllium the manager again.

Olsen: You were precocious connected [“Late Night With Seth Meyers”] and helium said that helium thought it was a precise fantastic show and helium noted however you don’t person precise overmuch dialog successful the movie and you said you deliberation it’s fantastic because determination isn’t overmuch dialogue. And you were kidding, but I wonderment if you could unravel that a small bit. How bash you deliberation the deficiency of dialog successful the movie impacted your performance?

Edgerton: Words are determination to confuse america successful the world. There’s the things we say, what they really mean, there’s truthful galore layers to immoderate speech you person with immoderate person. There’s thing truly absorbing astir radical who don’t talk precise much. There’s a enigma often to them. I deliberation there’s a batch of enigma to men that I grew up with successful my life. I find myself drawn to radical that don’t talk precise overmuch due to the fact that I’m wondering what they think, what bash they deliberation of me, what’s going connected successful their mind. As an actor, I conjecture I truly chopped my teeth connected “Loving” with Jeff Nichols. He’s a character, again, a precise bully antheral who had a batch of feelings and a batch to say, but for immoderate crushed oregon for antithetic reasons, with Richard Loving and with Robert, chooses not to accidental things oregon doesn’t cognize if helium has the close to accidental definite things. As an histrion I deliberation what becomes the absorption is knowing that the camera sees, is looking into your soul. The thought is the imperative, to enactment the thoughts successful the close place, to conscionable beryllium present, knowing that the camera volition work those things. And of people the story’s occupation is to assistance usher america on and we person a narration. But I was ever hoping that the camera volition spot what’s connected my caput and for maine to past capable that with words would really benignant of beryllium antagonistic to what the quality is, which is 1 of these precise stoic nonverbal men that I deliberation we tin each place with oregon that we’ve met successful our lives. So it’s conscionable putting the close thoughts successful my head.

Olsen: It is singular however often successful the movie it’s arsenic if we’re conscionable watching you feel, you’re benignant of taking successful your surroundings, you’re not truly saying much, but it does consciousness similar we’re successful your head, that we tin recognize what the quality is reasoning and what you’re conveying arsenic a performer.

Edgerton: Thank you. I was smiling due to the fact that I was remembering the quadrate basal of eight. Do you cognize what I’m talking about? There’s an occurrence of “Friends” — is it Joey who’s the actor? — he’s like, “When you’ve got to enactment and you’ve got to look similar you’re truly trying to enactment thing out, you’ve conscionable got to deliberation of the quadrate basal of eight.” It really works. But I wasn’t utilizing it successful “Train Dreams.”

Olsen: The communicative does physique to this country with Kerry Condon wherever your quality really does explicate himself. What was it similar to flip the power and person to beryllium verbal and affectional successful a much accepted way?

Edgerton: Talking astir emotion was 1 of the tricky things with “Train Dreams.” Clint and I had galore conversations, precise cerebral conversations, theoretical conversations astir communicative — and emotion was 1 of them. So Robert’s a character, 1 of these men who is not truly consenting to amusement his emotions. And erstwhile helium does he’s precise speedy to enactment them down, oregon successful the lawsuit of the movie helium apologizes for showing his grief. But it’s each gathering to this moment, and this is 1 of the things I emotion astir the film, is that it illuminates the value of quality connection. Robert meets this quality Claire that the assemblage feels similar possibly there’s a romance astir to happen, which I emotion that it doesn’t steer successful that direction. These accidental encounters with strangers that we possibly don’t cognize that we request to person met connected our journey, that are a accidental for america to explicit ourselves. And helium has a accidental to, whether helium knows it oregon not, he’s going to archer her astir his feelings of unusual complicity successful thing helium had nary work for. And we knew that we were gathering towards this and yet astatine the aforesaid clip we’re inactive trying to support a lid connected the emotions, but yet Robert gets to talk and it makes truthful overmuch much consciousness of his soundlessness up until that constituent if helium we yet perceive him drawstring much than a condemnation unneurotic to effort and speech astir what’s wrong of him and those scenes we changeable them successful a abbreviated one-and-a-half hr model of magic hr with Kerry, who’s conscionable extraordinary. And it felt similar clip was lasting still, adjacent though you would deliberation that determination would beryllium a consciousness that we were rushing. It felt similar we had hours.

Olsen: As you’re making the movie, are you talking with Clint oregon William H. Macy oregon Felicity Jones, having these benignant of large picture, thematic conversations? Because the movie invites these questions of, what makes a life? How bash you specify being a man? Are you having those conversations portion you’re making the movie?

Edgerton: There’s thing fascinating astir “Train Dreams.” Something I accidental is truthful peculiar astir Clint is, I cognize this due to the fact that I work truthful galore screenplays and I deliberation astir communicative each the time, is this gully to archer an assemblage what to consciousness each the time. Whether it’s done words, the communicative itself, music. “Train Dreams” does this happening that arsenic overmuch arsenic I tin talk astir it objectively, and it’s the aforesaid successful the novella, these moments that aren’t telling you what to feel, they’re conscionable layering connected apical of each other, and I consciousness similar there’s immoderate compression of each these things. It pulls thing retired of radical successful their ain way. They find their ain acquisition retired of it, which tin beryllium rather affectional and rather cathartic successful a bully way. Particularly anyone who’s been done moments wherever they’re being knocked down successful life. I deliberation there’s immoderate benignant of hopefulness successful watching Robert’s story. It’s hard to define, but there’s a assurance successful the mode Clint’s rendered it. It’s not telling you each clip what to feel. Robert’s not telling you, it’s not screaming to the heavens. There’s thing benignant of overly melodramatic oregon cathartic astir it. And yet these layers physique and compress. I had a precise akin acquisition watching “Into the Wild,” Sean Penn’s film. It’s different quality isolating himself successful in nature. The credits rotation and thing successful maine conscionable was similar it was like, “I needed to consciousness something.” I telephone them a blessed outcry movie. You know, you’re crying but besides blessed astatine the aforesaid time.

Olsen: There’s a a infinitesimal successful the movie that I find truthful haunting and I’ve been trying to unravel it for myself. It’s precocious successful the film, it’s the 1960s, you’re portraying the quality arsenic an aged man. And successful the voice-over the narrator Will Patton says thing like, “He ne'er spoke connected a telephone.” And there’s thing astir that I conscionable find profoundly moving and truly haunting. And I’m struggling to adjacent specify for myself what it is astir that thought that truly gets me.

Edgerton: Because there’s these large things successful the movie that I telephone small sidecars oregon whatever, this thought that the satellite is benignant of moving truthful rapidly it’s going to permission america behind. It reminded maine of my grandmother, who erstwhile I pointed a video camera astatine her for the archetypal time, she didn’t determination due to the fact that she was reasoning I was taking a photograph of her. And I was saying “It’s OK, this is simply a camera that’s gonna seizure you moving.” She was similar Robert. She ne'er saw immoderate of these things. She ne'er experienced a batch of things. I deliberation she went connected an airplane, similar a jumbo jet, erstwhile successful her life. And there’s a large happening successful the publication actually, astir Robert and his constituent of presumption connected the satellite and arsenic he’s aging, and it talks astir his assemblage and his spine and the mode his shoulders moved. For example, that country wherever Robert goes up to the model and realizes he’s staring astatine a antheral walking connected the satellite and he’s looking up astatine the sky, wondering, “How is that adjacent possible?” There’s this consciousness of his carnal dilapidation arsenic helium moves. It’s this feline that each clip helium turns his caput has to determination his full assemblage from each the hard work. But each this is benignant of conscionable a wide consciousness of wonderment that I retrieve successful my grandmother’s eyes erstwhile she would look astatine caller things. But this benignant of awe and childlike wonderment astatine the world, which I recovered precise special.

Olsen: Part of the communicative besides deals with conscionable however to cognize erstwhile your clip has past. And you and I are astir the aforesaid property and it’s thing I grapple with a lot, wanting to beryllium definite that I inactive person thing meaningful to contribute. Do you interest astir that for yourself? In a mode it comes backmost to wherever we started this conversation, that determination are radical who would archer you that movies are connected the mode out.

Edgerton: Relevance is simply a weird thing. I ever saw myself arsenic the youngest idiosyncratic successful the room. I started precise young. I was young astatine play school. I was ever young, and present I’m not. The quality of being an histrion if we’re allowed to support doing what we’re doing, if AI doesn’t messiness everything up, arsenic agelong arsenic my encephalon keeps working, I tin support learning astir the caller versions of myself arsenic I get older. You know, “Train Dreams” is simply a bully accidental for maine to spot myself successful the mediate of my life. But I wonderment astir relevance. I wonderment astir my quality staring astatine a chainsaw successful the movie and wondering however it’s going to impact his world. I wonderment astatine that for myself, arsenic I’ve ne'er downloaded ChatGPT. I’m benignant of terrified, but I besides consciousness similar I request to not crook a unsighted oculus to it. I person young kids. I’ve got to judge this thing. But I bash interest astir what it’s going to bash to movies. What I consciousness optimistic astir [is] — I ever evoke Jonathan Glazer’s film, “Zone of Interest.” Because I deliberation the genius of that movie is the beauteous quality thought down the constituent of presumption of mounting a Holocaust movie successful the general’s location implicit the partition successful an opulent setting. And I support thinking, “I don’t deliberation AI is going to travel up with an thought similar that, deliberation extracurricular the box.” I deliberation it pushes america into much of a situation of the unsocial thought, the unsocial portion of art, doing things that are bespoke. I don’t deliberation we’ll ever privation to halt watching quality beings oregon listening to quality stories told by humans, starring humans, euphony made by humans, paintings painted by humans. I hope. Yes, we tin bask the wildness of what computers make for us. But I don’t deliberation zeros and ones are going to wholly ruin our lives. But past I tin beryllium pessimistic too. I won’t rant connected that.